Pine, Ocote (Pinus oocarpa)

Pine, Ocote is an imported softwood

Location

Ocote pine (Pinus oocarpa) is a high-elevation species that occurs from northwestern Mexico southward through Guatemala into Nicaragua. The largest and most extensive stands occur in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. The sapwood is a pale yellowish brown and generally up to 7 cm (3 in.) wide. The heartwood is a light reddish brown. The grain is not interlocked. The wood has a resinous odor, and it weighs about 656 kg/m3 (41 lb/ft3) at 12% moisture content. The strength properties of ocote pine are comparable in most respects with those of longleaf pine (P. palustris).

Characteristics

Decay resistance studies have shown ocote pine heartwood to be very durable with respect to white-rot fungal attack and moderately durable with respect to brown rot.

Primary Uses

Ocote pine is comparable with the southern pines (Pinus) in workability and machining characteristics. It is a general construction wood suited for the same uses as are the southern pines.

*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.