- Common name: Soft Pine, 3 main trees - Sugar Pine, Eastern White Pine and Western White Pine (Western White Pine is also referred to as Idaho White Pine and is sometimes stamped IWP)
- Scientific name: Pinus lambertiana (Sugar Pine), Pinus strobus (Easter White Pine) and Pinus monticola (Western White Pine)
- Where does it grow: Sugar Pine (the mountains of Oregon and California into Baja California); Eastern White Pine (mainly in New Engand and southern Canada, but it also grows in the Great Lakes region and as far south as northern Georgia); Western White Pine (northern Idaho, eastern Washington, western Montana and British Columbia)
- How tall does the tree grow: Sugar Pine (200 ft), Eastern White Pine (65 to 100 ft), Western White Pine (100 to 160 ft)
- Tree trunk diameter: Sugar (5 ft), Eastern (2 to 4 ft) and Western (3 ft)
- Color of lumber: Heartwood is light brown. Sapwood is pale yellow to nearly white. Sugar Pine tends to have streaks of brown along resin canals. Western and Eastern White Pine tend to darken over time while Sugar pine does not.
- Grain: Straight. Of the 3, Eastern White Pine has the finest texture and the smallest resin canals. Sugar Pine has the coarsest texture and the largest resin canals. Western White Pine falls in the middle.
- Janka hardness: All 3 are very soft - Sugar (380), Eastern (380), Western (420)
- Cost per board foot: $3.25 (5/20/2025)
Notes: Soft pines are significantly softer than hard pines (Janka hardness of 380 to 420 vs 690 to 870). While not as strong or dense as hard pines, soft pines are more dimensionally stable.
Historical fact: the long, straight trunks of Eastern White Pine were once prized for use as ship masts. The king of England's habit of reserving ALL of the biggest and best trees for use by his navy led to the Pine Tree Riot of 1772 and played a role in the events leading up to the US Revolutionary War.
Sugar Pine
|
Sugar Pine Lumber
|
Eastern White Pine
|
Eastern White Pine Lumber
|
 Western White Pine
|
Western White Pine Lumber
|