PONDEROSA PINE HARDWOOD IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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PONDEROSA PINE HARDWOOD IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

An In-Depth Look at Ponderosa Pine's Characteristics, Color, Grain & More

Ponderosa Pine

OTHER COMMON NAMES

Ponderosa pine is sometimes referred to as yellow pine, Arizona pine, British soft pine, California white pine, heavy-wooded pine, knotty pine, longleaf pine, and western pitch pine. [1]

LATIN NAME

Ponderosa pine’s scientific name is Pinus ponderosa. It is commonly referred to as yellow pine for its yellow heartwood. Additionally, the bark and needles turn a yellow color as the tree ages. [2]

CHARACTERISTICS - PONDEROSA PINE

While Ponderosa pine lumber’s heartwood is a reddish-brown color, its sapwood appears yellowish-white, earning its “yellow pine” nickname. The wood’s color can vary based on age and ring spacing. Its end-grain has multiple medium to large resin canals that are typically evenly distributed. After it’s cut, ponderosa pine quickly transitions from earlywood to latewood. [3]

The wood has a light weight. Because it is a softwood, it’s moderately weak in bending and shock resistance. In general, it has a straight grain but may have dimpling on the surface. [4] The ponderosa pine lumber’s resin may produce a slight odor while it’s worked on.

MAIN USES - PONDEROSA PINE

Despite being classified as a hard pine, it has a low density and many common characteristics of soft yellow pine. It has many different uses, including veneers, plywood, sheathing, subflooring, boxes, crates, poles, interior trim, cabinetry, and construction lumber. [3] It has also been used for window frames, sashes, doors, molding, shelving, paneling, kitchen cabinets, and architectural woodwork. [4] Knotty ponderosa pine is a popular choice for interior woodwork. [5]

Ponderosa pine is easy to work with and can be used in a variety of projects. It can be used with both hand tools and machines. Additionally, it glues and finishes well. [3] While it has average nail-holding ability, it will not split when nailed. [4]

MOULDINGS
DOORS
CABINETRY
DIMENSIONAL LUMBER
SHELVING

MILLING PROPERTIES - PONDEROSA PINE

Ponderosa pine dries easily with low shrinkage, whether kiln dried or air dried. [4] If air seasoning, sapwood can begin to stain blue. It’s uniform in texture and has a little tendency for warping and twisting. Its low moisture content helps avoid shrinkage and maintains a range of 3.2-9.7% volumetric shrinkage. Older timber may have a brown stain as a result of wetwood. Young growth may warp as a result of compression wood. [1]

HARDWOOD PROPERTIES - PONDEROSA PINE

Ponderosa pine boards hold a stain and finish very well. However, it may be hard to stain knotty parts. It also has great workability and can be worked with both hand and machine tools. It will also maintain its shape and will not warp, shrink, or split when nailed. No matter the process for drying, ponderosa pine’s low moisture level ensures a quick dry while maintaining its shape. However, watch for discoloration if air seasoning.

Kiln-dried ponderosa pine will not discolor the same way. Like other pine species, ponderosa gives off a slight odor while being worked on. [4] Ponderosa pine lumber’s texture, uniform cell structure, and hardness (for a softwood) aid in its ability to finish exceptionally well. [6]

Janka Hardness Scale

ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE - Ponderosa Pine

Ponderosa pine trees were described as ponderous and heavy (when compared to other pine species), thus giving them the “ponderosa” name. Ponderosa is a western pine commonly found in western North America. Much like the other 35 pine species native to America, they have needles on their branches. Ponderosa needles grow up to ten inches long and in packs of three. The tree also produces six-inch-long brown cones.

100-year-old ponderosa pines are considered “young”. These young trees have a darker bark, appearing dark brown or black. Older ponderosa trees have a light brown bark with a hint of orange. 100 is considered young because these trees can live for 500 years.

Ponderosa trees prefer to grow on mountain slopes and well-drained uplands. In these conditions, they can grow up to 200 feet high. Its trunk can be up to eight feet in diameter. Ponderosa pines have one of the greatest ranges of any commercial tree in America. They can be found growing in approximately one-third of the United States (11 western states), British Columbia, and Mexico. [6]

The tree has a large, straight trunk. It has a unique cylindrical crown that flattens and loses branches as it ages. Its thick bark resists destruction from forest fires. They grow best in full sun areas with moist, well-drained soil. However, it will still grow in a wide range of soils, including alkaline, dry, low humidity, wind, and high elevation. Frost and shade will cause damage to the tree. [2]

PONDEROSA PINE PRODUCTS AT BAIRD BROTHERS

Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods is happy to assist with any questions you have regarding ponderosa pine lumber and products.

 

Please call 1-800-732-1697 or Contact Us if you need help with our extensive inventory.

COMPARISON TO OTHER WOOD SPECIES

Source: The Department of Agriculture's Wood Handbook

LumberSpecific GravityJanka HardnessModulus of Elasticity (MPa)Impact Bending (mm)Grain
African Mahogany --- 830 lb 9,700 --- Medium/Coarse
Alder 0.41 590 lb 9,500 510 Fine
Ash 0.6 1,320 lb 12,000 1,090 Fine
Basswood 0.37 410 lb 10,100 410 Fine
Beech 0.64 1,300 lb 11,900 1,040 Fine/Medium
Birch, Yellow 0.62 1,260 lb 13,900 1,400 Fine
Cedar, Western Red 0.32 350 lb 7,700 430 Fine
Cherry, Brazilian 0.91 2,350 lb 22,510 --- Medium
Cherry 0.5 950 lb 10,300 740 Fine
Cypress 0.51 510 lb 6,300 --- Medium
Douglas Fir 0.48 710 lb 12,300 660 Medium/Coarse
Hemlock 0.4 540 lb 8,300 530 Coarse
Hickory 0.66 1,820 lb 11,900 1,120 Medium
Maple, Hard 0.63 1,450 lb 12,600 990 Fine
Maple, Soft 0.47 700 lb 7,900 640 Fine
Oak, Red 0.63 1,290 lb 12,500 1,090 Coarse
Oak, White 0.68 1,360 lb 12,300 940 Coarse
Pine, Eastern White 0.35 380 lb 8,500 460 Medium
Pine, Ponderosa 0.4 460 lb 8,900 480 Medium
Pine, Yellow (Shortleaf) 0.51 690 lb 12,100 840 Fine/Medium
Poplar 0.42 540 lb 10,900 610 Medium
Sapele 0.67 1,410 lb 15,930 --- Fine
Teak 0.66 1,070 lb 10,700 --- Coarse
Walnut (Black) 0.55 1,010 lb 11,600 860 Medium

*Data is based on a moisture content of 12%.

GLOSSARY

Impact Bending — In the impact bending test, a hammer of given weight is dropped upon a beam from successively increased heights until rupture occurs or the beam deflects 152 mm (6 in.) or more. The height of the maximum drop, or the drop that causes failure, is a comparative value that represents the ability of wood to absorb s hocks that cause stresses beyond the proportional limit.

Janka Hardness — Defined as resistance to indentation using a modified Janka hardness test, measured by the load required to embed a 11.28-mm (0.444-in) ball to one-half its diameter. Values presented are the average of radial and tangential penetrations.

Modulus of Elasticity — Elasticity implies that deformations produced by low stress are completely recoverable after loads are removed. When loaded to higher stress levels, plastic deformation or failure occurs.

Specific Gravity - A measure of the ratio of a wood's density as compared to water. If a wood species had the same density as water, the specific gravity would be 1.00.

SOURCES

  1. “Softwoods of North America”. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. esf.edu.
  2. "Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)". Arbor Day Foundation. Arborday.org.
  3. “Ponderosa Pine”. The Wood Database. Wood-database.com.
  4. R.S. Boone. “Wood Species Guide”. Furniture Design & Manufacturing.
  5. "Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material". SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Esf.edu.
  6. "Ponderosa Pine". WOOD Magazine. wood.magazine.com.
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