The differences between French pine species
Forest pine
| PINE SPECIES | BARK | TRUNK | NEEDLES | CONES | CLIMATE | ALTITUDE |
| Maritime pine | Thick, hollow, reddish brown | Straight, occasionally slightly curved growth, lower part often branch-free | Long (10 to 20 cm), thick and rigid | Large (10 to 18 cm) | Requires a temperate climate; sensitive to extreme cold | Plains |
| Scots pine | Salmon colour towards the top of the trunk | Straight growth becoming crooked towards the top; large tree | Short (4 to 7 cm) and spiral shaped | Small (around 5 cm) | Adapted to drought and extreme cold | Plains and low mountains |
| Corsican laricio pine | Large irregular silver grey patches | Very straight growth, frequent branches | Long (12 to 15 cm), flexible and curled | Small (4 to 7 cm) | Adapted to strong summer droughts; very cold resistant | Plains and low mountains |
| Austrian black pine | Broad, flat scales, yellow-brown to grey, separated by cracks | Very straight growth, frequent branches | Long (8 to 20 cm), dark green | Average (5 to 10 cm) | Adapted to strong summer droughts; very cold resistant | Plains and low mountains |
| Aleppo pine | First smooth and silvery then grey-brown scales | Relatively crooked growth, small tree < 20 m | Average (6 to 10 cm), thin and pointed, brushy at branch ends | Average (6 to 12 cm) held together by a long base | Very drought resistance; not always frost resistant | < 800 m |
| Mountain pine | Grey, thin but solid (similar to spruce bark) |
Adapts to wind and climate. |
Short (4 to 8 cm), gathered in twos |
3 to 7 cm |
Resistant to the extreme cold of high mountain areas | 1400 to 2000 m |
It is important to remember just how different an isolated tree can look when compared with the same tree grown in a forest. That's why we do not include tree growth shape in the table of different features, as this is largely influenced by the tree's immediate environment.
To see a list of the main French pine species and to find out more about each one, visit the page, The different species of French pine
Pine wood
Irrespective of the species, we have to remember that wood is by nature a very heterogeneous and irregular material.
Wide variations are often found within the same species. This is even more the case when we consider that the texture and composition of wood depends on the soil in which it grows and its climate (known as the "site" in Silviculture), as well as on the surrounding trees and any forestry work undertaken.
This phenomenon is more marked in France because our soil and climate are very varied.
That's why labelling a French species requires a long and costly series of trials because a representative sample of the country's entire tree population has to be tested.
Here are the existing data for pine species studied in the laboratory by the FCBA and CIRAD:
| PINE SPECIES | DENSITY kg/m3 (1) |
VOLUME SHRINKAGE % (1) |
MONNIN HARDNESS mm-1 |
GROWTH RING WIDTH mm (1) |
KNOT SIZE mm (2 |
VISUAL GRADING % STI + STII - % STIII (3) |
NATURAL DURABILITY (4) |
IMPROVED DURABILITY AFTER PRESSURE IMPREGNATION |
| Maritime pine | 517 to 611 | 10,4 to 13,4 | 2,3 | 3,0 to 5,0 | 29 to 83 | 38 - 20 | Class 3 | Grade 4 |
| Scots pine | 500 to 614 | 12,9 to 15,3 | 3,0 | 1,2 to 2,8 | 7 to 34 | 37 - 23 | Class 3 | Grade 4 |
| Laricio pine | 506 to 662 | 10 to 14 | - | 1,3 to 3,9 | 12 to 70 | 44 - 22 | Class 2 | Grade 4 |
| Black pine | 521 to 655 | 9,4 to 14,2 | 3,1 | 1,4 to 4,0 | 26 to 78 | 20 - 29 | Class 2 | Grade 4 |
| Mountain pine | 440 | 0,5 to 0,5 | 36 - 25 (5) | Not available | Not available | |||
| Aleppo pine | 550 | 2,8 | Not studied | Not available | Not available |
(1) range of values in which 70% of the tested timber is located
(2) projection of knots on the sides
(3) visual strength grading according to the NF B 52-001 standard
(4) processing the untreated species stripped of its sapwood, termite infection risk not taken into account
(5) for the mountain pine, the correspondence between visual grades and mechanical values is specific
The Aleppo pine study commissioned by CIRAD in 2004 aimed at better understanding the species failed to qualify it from a mechanical grading perspective. However its average elasticity modulus was measured at around 11MPa, an average value for pine. There is currently no analysis grid for visual mechanical grading of Aleppo pine.
As well as the average values indicated in the previous table, it is worth revealing the extreme values, which correspond to only 5% of the population of each species, but which is observable nevertheless.
They show the high variability of wood.
| PINE SPECIES | DENSITY kg / m3 |
GROWTH RING WIDTH mm |
KNOT SIZE mm |
|||
| Mini * | Maxi * | Mini | Maxi | Mini | Maxi | |
| Maritime pine | 470 | 658 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 150 |
| Scots pine | 442 | 672 | 0,7 | 7 | 0 | 50 |
| Laricio pine | 428 | 741 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 147 |
| Black pine | 455 | 722 | 0,3 | 12 | 0 | 146 |
(*) Values below which 95% of the woods studied are located
Finally, each pine species has several specific features to take into account:
|
PINE SPECIES |
VARIABILITY IN APPEARANCE AND DENSITY | RESINE CONTENT | KNOT-FREE WOOD | SAPWOOD/DURAMEN PORTION | AVAILABILITY |
| Maritime pine | High | High | Solid or joined | High, variable | Very high |
| Scots pine | Low | Average | Solid or joined | High | High |
| Corsican laricio pine | Very high | High | Uncommon | Very high | Average |
| Black pine | High | Very high | Uncommon | High | Local |
| Aleppo pine | High | High | Uncommon | Variable | Low |
| Mountain pine | Low | Average | Uncommon | Variable | Low |
Pine wood has a slightly different appearance from species to species. This variation depends mostly on airflow, the position of the tree and the type of soil.
Variations between species are sometimes so subtle that timber from different pine is often grouped together and not differentiated.
More information :
A vital resource
A historic material
Standardised qualities
An extremely durable wood
