Pine trees give people far more than boards. Almost every part of the tree, from trunk and sap to seeds, bark and needles, gets put to use. Pine forests are among the world’s most widely planted, so pine supplies a large share of everyday lumber and paper. Some of its most valuable uses are invisible, because its sap is refined into ingredients hidden inside glues, inks and perfumes.
Pine as Lumber and Building Material
Boards cut from the bottom of a pine trunk are noticeably denser and stiffer than boards from the top.1PubMed Central. The Usefulness of Pine Timber (Pinus sylvestris L.) for the Production of Structural Elements. Part I: Evaluation of the Quality of the Pine Timber in the Bending Test In one evaluation, top-of-tree boards fell below the C20 strength grade, middle boards reached C24 to C27, and butt-end boards rated above C30.2PubMed Central. The Usefulness of Pine Timber (Pinus sylvestris L.) for the Production of Structural Elements. Part I: Evaluation of the Quality of the Pine Timber in the Bending Test A single tree can therefore yield both weak, light-duty boards and strong structural timber. The reason is mechanical: the lower trunk carries the weight of the whole tree and bends most in wind, so its wood grows denser and stiffer. Upper wood includes more young growth and branch knots, and both weaken a board.
Ring width predicts stiffness well only in clean, knot-free logs. In knotty, lower-grade logs, defects matter more than rings.3BioResources. Influence of Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Growth Rings Width on the Strength Properties of Structural Sawn Timber So when you buy pine lumber, the grade stamp is the dependable guide to what a board can safely carry, not its look, price or how tight the growth rings are. Studs and joists are graded for strength, while boards sold for crafts or shelving may be sorted mainly by appearance, so check which kind you are holding. Large knots, especially near the edges, reduce strength, which is why a board with a few big knots can be graded lower than a clean one.
At a hardware store, most framing studs and inexpensive boards are pine or a related softwood. Southern yellow pine is a common choice where strength is needed, as in decks and joists, and is often pressure-treated. Clear, knot-free pine costs more and goes into trim and furniture.
Pine is also made into large panels. Cross-laminated timber, or CLT, is made by gluing three to seven layers of lumber, each laid crosswise to the one below.4Texas A&M Forest Service. Southern Yellow Pine cross-laminated timber (CLT) debuts in Texas Wood is strongest along its grain and weak across it, so alternating the direction lets the panel resist bending and swelling both ways. CLT panels are big and strong enough for walls, floors and roofs, even whole timber buildings.5Texas A&M Forest Service. Southern Yellow Pine cross-laminated timber (CLT) debuts in Texas They are used in low- and mid-rise buildings as an alternative to concrete and steel.6Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. Mechanical Properties of Southern Pine Cross-Laminated Timber
Pine panels still have a weak spot. Southern pine CLT tested strong in bending and stiffness yet fell short on resisting separation of its glued layers.7Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. Mechanical Properties of Southern Pine Cross-Laminated Timber Manufacturers are still adjusting press pressure, pressing time and glue conditions to improve pine panels.8Construction and Building Materials. Effect of manufacturing parameters on mechanical properties of southern yellow pine cross laminated timbers
Pine Resin, Turpentine and Rosin
The sticky sap pine trees ooze has two parts: a light oil that evaporates and a solid that stays behind.9Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy. Extraction of turpentine essential oil from Pinus pinaster ait: Comparison of yield and composition between conventional- or microwave assisted-hydro-distillation and vacuum distillation Heating it separates turpentine, the evaporating oil, from rosin, the hard amber resin left over.10Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy. Extraction of turpentine essential oil from Pinus pinaster ait: Comparison of yield and composition between conventional- or microwave assisted-hydro-distillation and vacuum distillation In two tropical pines, resin was about three-quarters rosin and only about 15% turpentine.11PubMed Central. Characterization and determination of the quality of rosins and turpentines extracted from Pinus oocarpa and Pinus patula resin
Collecting resin doesn’t require felling the tree. Workers cut or scrape a shallow wound in the bark, and sap drips into a cup or bag over weeks. The tree keeps living and producing for years. Rosin from tapped living trees is called gum rosin, and it is only one of several kinds sold. Another kind comes from the leftovers of paper pulping, which ties resin products to the paper industry.
Rosin’s tacky nature makes it a key ingredient in many glues and adhesives.12Quimidroga. Rosin Derivatives for Adhesives13Monomers, Polymers and Composites from Renewable Resources. Monomers, Polymers and Composites from Renewable Resources Rosin-based chemicals are also used in printing inks, in sizing paper so ink doesn’t bleed, and in making plastics.14Monomers, Polymers and Composites from Renewable Resources. Monomers, Polymers and Composites from Renewable Resources Pine bark contains tannins that are being tested as a replacement for petroleum-based phenol in wood glues.15PubMed Central. Pine Bark Tannin-Based Resins for Wood Composite Applications You may have touched rosin already. Violinists rub it on bows so they grip the strings, and dancers and athletes use the powdered form for grip.
Turpentine’s main component gives pine its familiar smell.16Foreverest Resources Ltd. Turpentine Derived Scheme It is used as a starting material for perfumes, cleaning products and some medicines.17Foreverest Resources Ltd. Turpentine Derived Scheme It can also be chemically converted into camphor, used in rubs and topical creams. At home, turpentine is sold as a paint thinner and brush cleaner, especially for oil paints. Its fumes are irritating, so use it with ventilation.
Paper, Fuel and Chemicals From Pine Wood
Pine’s long wood fibers make strong paper and cardboard. Pine pulp is often used where strength matters, such as packaging, cardboard and shipping boxes. Mills often blend it with shorter-fibered hardwood pulp, which makes smoother paper for printing. Lodgepole pine fibers are longer and narrower than Scots pine fibers, so they bond better and make paper that resists bursting.18BioResources. Comparison of the properties of wood and pulp fibers from lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) Pine cellulose can be refined further into very fine crystals studied for new materials.19PubMed. Nanocrystalline cellulose extracted from pine wood and corncob20Preprints. A New Microwave-assisted Protocol for Cellulose Extraction from Eucalyptus and Pine Tree Wood Waste
Chemical pulping of pine leaves behind crude tall oil.21Ecofys. Crude tall oil low ILUC risk assessment Comparing global supply and demand It can be distilled into fatty acids or refined into renewable diesel.22Ecofys. Crude tall oil low ILUC risk assessment Comparing global supply and demand The fatty acids go into soaps, lubricants and coatings, and the rosin portion joins the same uses as tapped rosin, so a waste stream becomes a product. Diverting it to fuel competes with its long-standing use for making chemicals.23Journal of Industrial Ecology. Greenhouse Gas and Energy Life Cycle Assessment of Pine Chemicals Derived from Crude Tall Oil and Their Substitutes
Leftover wood has a second life too. Pine sawdust and shavings can be pressed into pellets or briquettes for heating.24Forests. Evaluation and Characterization of Timber Residues of Pinus spp. as an Energy Resource for the Production of Solid Biofuels in an Indigenous Community in Mexico Pellets for energy are commonly made from pine from forests and sawmills.25Fuel. LCA of a multifunctional bioenergy chain based on pellet production Even fallen pine needles can be made into fuel pellets.26Renewable Energy. Utilization of waste pine needles for the production of cellulolytic enzymes in a solid state fermentation bioreactor and high calorific value fuel pellets from fermented residue: Towards a biorefinery approach Pine pellets are also sold as horse bedding and cat litter because they absorb moisture.
Eating Pine Nuts
All pine seeds are edible, but only about 18 species make seeds big enough to be worth collecting.27Precision Nutrition. Pine Nuts Recipe & Nutrition – Precision Nutrition’s Encyclopedia of Food Stone pine of the Mediterranean is one of the most prized sources.28Agriculture. An Agronomic Approach to Pine Nut Production by Grafting Stone Pine on Two Rootstocks Cones take two to three years to mature, and the seeds must be extracted and shelled, often by hand.
One ounce of pine nuts, about 28 g, has 191 calories, 19.4 g fat and 3.9 g protein.29Precision Nutrition. Pine Nuts Recipe & Nutrition – Precision Nutrition’s Encyclopedia of Food They are an excellent source of manganese and phosphorus and a good source of vitamin E, magnesium and zinc.30Precision Nutrition. Pine Nuts Recipe & Nutrition – Precision Nutrition’s Encyclopedia of Food Their main fat is linoleic acid, followed by oleic acid, the type found in olive oil.31CyTA – Journal of Food. Chemical composition of pine nut (Pinus pineaL.) grown in three geographical macrozones in Chile A small handful on salads or in pesto adds a lot of nutrition, but also a lot of calories.
Other parts of the tree have been eaten as well. The Sami of Scandinavia and many North American Indigenous peoples ate pine inner bark, especially in hard times.32Journal of Ethnobiology. Bark-peeling, Food Stress and Tree Spirits – the Use of Pine Inner Bark for Food in Scandinavia and North America Pine needles contain vitamin C and other nutrients and are sometimes brewed as tea.
A few cautions apply. Some people get a temporary bitter or metallic taste after eating certain pine nuts. People with tree-nut allergies should be careful. And don’t brew needle tea without certain identification, because some look-alikes, such as yew, and ponderosa pine are toxic.
Pine Tar and Skin Care
Pine tar is made by heating pine wood at high temperature without oxygen.33PubMed Central. Topical pine tar: History, properties and use as a treatment for common skin conditions Traditionally the wood was stumps and roots rich in resin, heated in a closed space with little air so it breaks down instead of burning. The tar drips out as a dark liquid and is collected. Resin is the tree’s natural sap, while tar is made by heating wood, so the two look similar but are different products.
Pine tar was one of Sweden’s most important exports for centuries, used to protect ship decks and rigging.34PubMed Central. Topical pine tar: History, properties and use as a treatment for common skin conditions Mixed with turpentine and linseed oil, it still seals wooden boat hulls.35Wikipedia. Pine tar Baseball hitters use it on bat handles for grip.36PubMed Central. Topical pine tar: History, properties and use as a treatment for common skin conditions It is also used as a flavoring in some candies and drinks.37PubMed Central. Topical pine tar: History, properties and use as a treatment for common skin conditions
On skin, pine tar soaps and creams have been sold for over a hundred years for eczema and psoriasis.38PubMed Central. Topical pine tar: History, properties and use as a treatment for common skin conditions If you try a tar product, look for ones labeled for eczema or psoriasis, and patch-test first, since tar can irritate sensitive skin. It has a strong smoky smell and can stain fabric. See a doctor for flares that don’t improve.
Pine Bark Supplements
Pycnogenol is a concentrate of plant compounds from French maritime pine bark.39PubMed. Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans The extract is a mix of polyphenols, which act as antioxidants in lab settings. Studies, including human trials, show antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.40PubMed Central. Pycnogenol® French maritime pine bark extract in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical studies In one small human study it improved the ability of blood vessels to widen.41PubMed. Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humans Still, effects in small studies don’t prove it treats disease.
Supplements aren’t reviewed for effectiveness the way drugs are. If you take blood thinners or blood pressure drugs, ask a doctor first. Brands with third-party testing are the better buy.
Pine in the Garden
Pine straw lowered soil pH from 5.0 to 4.4 over a year, more than other mulches tested.42Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF). A Comparison of Landscape Mulches: Chemical, Allelopathic, and Decomposition Properties It also supplies nitrogen and phosphorus to plants.43Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF). A Comparison of Landscape Mulches: Chemical, Allelopathic, and Decomposition Properties That suits acid-loving plants such as azaleas, blueberries and camellias, which prefer lower pH soil. Vegetables and many other garden plants prefer something closer to neutral, so check pH if you mulch them heavily with pine. If a soil test shows the pH has fallen too low for what you grow, lime raises it again.44Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF). A Comparison of Landscape Mulches: Chemical, Allelopathic, and Decomposition Properties
The change in potting mixes is small. Mixed into potting soil, pine bark and straw shifted pH only trivially for most crops.45Journal of Applied Horticulture. Effect of pine bark, pine straw and red oak amendments on pH of potting medium
Straw interlocks and stays put on slopes, while bark nuggets last longer and look tidier. Lay about 2 to 3 inches, keeping it off trunks, and test soil pH yearly if you mulch heavily.
Pine also fills the Christmas tree lot. Virginia pine grows a 6 to 8 foot Christmas tree in 3 to 5 years on acidic soils.46PLANTanswers. GROWING CHRISTMAS TREES IN TEXAS Afghan pine fills the same role on alkaline soils.47PLANTanswers. GROWING CHRISTMAS TREES IN TEXAS
Pine Forests and the Environment
Pines planted on damaged land help stop erosion, protect water sources and restore wildlife habitat.48Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. Pine afforestation on degraded lands: a global review of carbon sequestration potential Mature ponderosa pine stands can store up to about 175 metric tons of carbon dioxide per hectare.49The Earth Scientist. Carbon Sequestration Through Ponderosa Pine Reforestation In managed plantations, though, extra carbon is stored mainly in wood and long-lasting wood products, not soil.50Journal of Applied Ecology. The effects of management on soil and plant carbon sequestration in slash pine plantations
A growing pine pulls carbon dioxide from the air and builds it into wood. When the wood becomes lumber, much of that carbon stays stored for as long as the product lasts. If the wood is burned or the products decay, the carbon returns to the air, so how the wood is used matters.
Part of pine’s appeal is practical. Pines grow fast, tolerate poor soils and regrow after harvest. Plantations can supply lumber while natural forests are spared.