Eastern white pine
Description
A large conifer tree, Pinus strobus, found in the Eastern North America from the Appalachians to Canada. The Eastern white pine grows in well-drained, humid climates to heights of typically 70m. The needles occur in bundles of 5 to lengths of 5-13 cm. Their seed cones are only produced every 3-5 years and are slender with lengths of 8-16 cm and widths of 4-5 cm (when open). The trees were extensively logged in America prior to the 20th century resulting in a current old growth forest of less than 1%. The Eastern white pine lumber is a relatively soft, pale color, coarse-grain wood that was widely used for construction in the 19th century. The knot-free wood was used for colonial homes for paneling, floors and furniture. Currently, the straight-grain wood is used mainly for interior millwork, boxes, and matches.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Pinus strobus; pin de Weymouth (Fr.); pinho-mole (Port.); pino strobo (It.); Northern white pine; Weymouth pine; soft pine
Physical and Chemical Properties
- Color: Heartwood is light brown; sapwood is pale yellow to white. Color darkens with age
- Grain/Texture: Grain is straight with an even, medium texture.
- Durability: Decay resistant is low to moderate
- Odor: Faint, resinous smell when worked
- Density = 25 ppcf
Working Properties
- Easy to work with both hand and machine tools
- Glues and finishes well.
Resources and Citations
- The Wood Database: [https://www.wood-database.com/eastern-white-pine/ Eastern White Pine}
- Schoch, W., Heller, I., Schweingruber, F.H., Kienast, F., 2004:Wood anatomy of central European Species: White Pine,Pinus Strobus L.
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_strobus (accessed April 2020)
- R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 612
- Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- Northern Pine Manufacturers: air-dry weight = 25 pcf
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Pine." Accessed: 18 Aug. 2004