Pine, Western White (Pinus monticola)

Pine, Western White is a domestic softwood

Location

Western white pine (Pinus monticola) is also known as Idaho white pine or white pine. About four-fifths of the wood for lumber from this species is from Idaho and Washington; small amounts are cut in Montana and Oregon.

Characteristics

The heartwood of western white pine is cream colored to light reddish brown and darkens on exposure to air. The sapwood is yellowish white and generally from 2 to 8 cm (1 to 3 in.) wide. The wood is straight grained, easy to work, easily kiln-dried, and stable after drying. This species is moderately lightweight, moderately low in strength, moderately soft, moderately stiff, and moderately low in shock resistance and has moderately high shrinkage.

Primary Uses

Practically all western white pine is sawn into lumber, which is used mainly for building construction, matches, boxes, patterns, and millwork products, such as sashes and door frames. In building construction, lower-grade boards are used for sheathing, knotty paneling, and subflooring. High-grade material is made into siding of various kinds, exterior and interior woodwork, and millwork. Western white pine has practically the same uses as eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) and sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana).

*Much of the base wood information presented here is made available by the USDA FPL FS. If you are interested in a much more technical description of wood properties, I encourage you to visit the source.