Shortleaf pine
Pinus echinata Mill. · Softwood · North America
Properties
| Janka hardness | 690 lbf (3,069 N) |
|---|---|
| Average dried weight (est.) | 32 lb/ft³ (510 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity | 0.51 |
| Modulus of rupture | 13,100 psi (90.3 MPa) |
| Modulus of elasticity | 1.75 million psi (12.07 GPa) |
| Crushing strength | 7,270 psi (50.1 MPa) |
| Shrinkage — radial | 4.6% |
| Shrinkage — tangential | 7.7% |
| Shrinkage — volumetric | 12.3% |
| Shrinkage T/R ratio | 1.7 |
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.
Shortleaf pine is one of the four major southern pines graded together and marketed as Southern Pine. Along with loblolly it is usually somewhat lighter in weight than longleaf, and its lumber serves both structural uses and general building material.
Appearance & grain
The southern pines are quite similar in appearance, with yellowish-white sapwood and reddish-brown heartwood. The sapwood is usually wide in second-growth stands, though in old, slow-growth trees it may be only 2 to 5 cm wide.
Workability
All of the southern pines have moderately high shrinkage but are dimensionally stable when properly dried. A density rule based on latewood percentage and growth rates is specified for structural timbers, and the denser, higher-strength material is the stock used for heavy structural members.
Common uses
- Stringers, beams, posts, and joists
- Roof trusses
- Piles
- Interior woodwork
- Sheathing and subflooring
- Boxes, pallets, and crates
- Tight and slack cooperage
- Railroad crossties
- Poles
- Mine timbers
- Exterior decking (preservative-treated)
- Structural plywood
Conservation: IUCN Red List: Least Concern (checked 2026-10-24).
