Ponderosa pine
Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws. · Softwood · North America
Properties
| Janka hardness | 460 lbf (2,046 N) |
|---|---|
| Average dried weight (est.) | 25 lb/ft³ (400 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity | 0.40 |
| Modulus of rupture | 9,400 psi (64.8 MPa) |
| Modulus of elasticity | 1.29 million psi (8.89 GPa) |
| Crushing strength | 5,320 psi (36.7 MPa) |
| Shrinkage — radial | 3.9% |
| Shrinkage — tangential | 6.2% |
| Shrinkage — volumetric | 9.7% |
| Shrinkage T/R ratio | 1.6 |
Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5-3 p. 5-13; shrinkage Table 4-3 p. 4-8.
Ponderosa pine is a western pine (specific gravity 0.40, Janka hardness 460 lbf) whose clear wood is a standard material for sashes, doors, blinds, moulding, and paneling. Most of the cut goes into lumber, with knotty and low-grade stock going to interior woodwork and boxes and crates.
Appearance & grain
The heartwood is light reddish brown. The sapwood is wide and nearly white to pale yellow. The grain is generally straight and the texture quite uniform, with little tendency to warp and twist.
Workability
The outer wood of sawtimber-size trees is moderately light, moderately soft, and moderately stiff, and moderately low in strength and shock resistance. Shrinkage is moderately low.
Common uses
- Lumber
- Sashes
- Doors
- Blinds
- Moulding
- Paneling
- Interior woodwork
- Built-in cases and cabinets
- Piles
- Poles
- Posts
- Mine timbers
- Veneer
- Railroad crossties
- Boxes and crates
Conservation: IUCN Red List: Least Concern (checked 2026-10-24).
Work with Ponderosa pine
Similar woods
Photo: Gene Daniels · Public domain (source)
Property data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282 (2021).