Origin
The yellow pine, also known as loblolly pine, melis pine or new mobile in Spain, is a native tree species from the New World, belonging to the family of conifers. It also grows up in the southeast of USA, from Texas to Virginia, besides to the plantations of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador or Nicaragua. In the last years, it has also been extended to other South American countries, Africa and Australia for the exploitation of its marketing in the timber industry.
Colour
The yellow pine sapwood has a whitish or pale yellow colour, although it can also tend to have a coffee reddish tone. Meanwhile, the heartwood differs with an orange or brown reddish shade. The growing rings of the surface are visible and their colour changes with the year season, with a contrast between spring and summer.
Texture
Yellow pine wood is a material with a straight vein qualified as semi-hard or hard.
Durability
The yellow pine wood has enough weather resistance, as well as wear and fungal attack endurance, although it is sensitive to termites’ action.
Feautures
Its high quality has allowed it to be used in buildings and furniture in Levante Spanish area since a long time ago. Now it is used the new mobila, less heavy, cheaper and with a lighter colour. The sapwood is impregnable and the heartwood is little or not impregnable at all, so it is normally applied in its natural colour with additional varnishes.
Applications
Besides the conventional applications similar to other kinds of pinewood, in Spain it is specially appreciated in general carpentry. It is a wood, which presents an easy job and a fine finish to any kind of equipment for interior or exterior. Wood southern yellow pine is suitable especially for applications that must stand a high traffic, such as wooden floors, pedestrian walkways and floors, doors, platforms, friezes and mouldings, plus boat masts.