Loblolly, Longleaf or Shortleaf

[DixieReb31]

I know Loblolly pine is good, but what about Longleaf and shortleaf and maybe Slash pine for dimensional lumber?  I thought before I put forth the effort to cut any down I would tap into this vast resource of knowledge.

[WV Sawmiller]

  Aren't they all just listed as SYP with pretty much the same characteristics?

[Wudman]

Longleaf and Shortleaf tend to grow slower and will have tighter growth rings producing better quality lumber.  Slash grown in it's native range tends to have better form as well.  However it has been planted in areas that it wasn't native and rust issues can be significant.  Loblolly grows faster and puts on more volume across the spectrum, so that is the major reason it is planted so widely.  Given my preference, Shortleaf produces the best lumber in the Piedmont of Virginia.  Your mileage may vary.

Wudman

[Texas Ranger]

Wudman is right on.  Around here we are at the far end of shortleaf, what used to be longleaf country,lob pine, and planted slash.  Slash pretty much no productive and slowly disappearing.  Longleaf is being planted again, but still small acreage.  Short leaf has compact rings and is dimensionally more stable than plantation lob.  But fast growth and quick turn around is the new management technique in Texas.

[firefighter ontheside]

Shortleaf is the only pine native to MO and it produces nice lumber.  I have used a lot of it.  On my property I have Lobl olly, shortleaf and virginia.  There are originals that were planted here 60 years ago and many volunteers.  I have milled only a few of my trees.  The big lobl olly I milled had very wide growth rings and did not produce very good lumber.  I'm sure the shortleaf would produce better lumber.

[Magicman]

I saw more Shortleaf than the others.  it is very stable and also my favorite to saw. 

Plantation planted Loblolly can deal you misery with fast growing stress related movement. 

I have a 64 log Longleaf job later this month and they generally go well.  Thankfully this has been felled and bucked a couple of months so it should not be so pitch sticky.

I have never knowingly sawn Slash.

[Stumpjump]

I'm hand-clearing 3 to 4 acres right now and will be planting loblolly there in March and April.  Not for the wood, but for screening against an area between our farm and the highway, where a house was recently built.  Loblolly makes a great screen at least until it ages north of 15 years or so.  The lumber gets a bad rap but IMO it's fine for general construction, at least if it hasn't been grown too ridiculously fast.  I was lucky to get longleaf lumber for a barn I built a few years back.  The wood gets so hard when seasoned you can't push a pushpin into it without a hammer!  I put a tin roof on that barn and it'll last 100 years with a little care.  We have some gorgeous shortleaf scattered through our woods.  The wood is similar to longleaf but not quite as hard.  Very tight growth rings.  I've taken some of it for lumber but I will leave most of it.  I bought 100 shortleaf seedlings (the very last ones the VDOF had, at least when I bought them) along with the 1700 loblolly seedlings and will plant them along edges where it can compete better with the loblolly.  I also bought 25 longleaf seeds and will be sprouting them and planting them as an experiment.

[Don P]

Welcome aboard Stumpjump .

 Aren't they all just listed as SYP with pretty much the same characteristics?

I think everyone is saying the same thing. When there is a species grouping, the weakest species or particular strength value amongst them controls the strength assigned to all. So yes, they are all similar, lob controls.

[TroyC]

I recently took down a loblolly that was slightly over 20" at the base, 20 years old. Rings were real easy to count.