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Color/Appearance: Heartwood is reddish brown, sapwood is yellowish white.
Grain/Texture: Straight grained with a fine to medium texture.
Endgrain: Large resin canals, numerous and evenly distributed, mostly solitary; earlywood to latewood transition abrupt, color contrast relatively high; tracheid diameter medium-large.
Rot Resistance: The heartwood is rated as moderate to low in decay resistance.
Workability: Overall, Spruce Pine works fairly well with most tools, though the resin can gum up tools and clog sandpaper. Spruce Pine glues and finishes well.
Odor: Has a distinct smell that is shared among most species in the Pinus genus.
Allergies/Toxicity: Working with pine has been reported to cause allergic skin reactions and/or asthma-like symptoms in some people. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicityand Wood Dust Safetyfor more information.
Pricing/Availability: Spruce Pine has a lower density than most other species in the Southern Yellow Pine grouping, hence its distribution is more generally restricted to local lumber needs and plywood production. The wood is sometimes sold as Southern Yellow Pine for a moderate price.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, and is reported by the IUCN as being a species of least concern.
Common Uses: Southern Yellow Pine is used for heavy construction, such as: bridges, beams, poles, railroad ties, etc. It’s also used for making plywood, wood pulp, and veneers.
Comments: Spruce Pine is one of the least common species of pine found in the southeastern United States, and is usually only found in scattered groups or as isolated trees within a mixed forest.
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