Radiata pine (Pinus radiata) in numbers: hardness, weight, strength, shrinkage, movement and decay resistance, taken from the tables of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory’s Wood Handbook, followed by what the wood is like to work and what it is used for. The values are averages from small, clear, straight-grained test specimens; real boards with knots, sloping grain or a different moisture content will differ.
| Property | Radiata pine |
|---|---|
| Janka side hardness, 12% moisture | 750 lbf (3,336 N) |
| Janka side hardness, green | 480 lbf |
| Hardness rank | harder than 64 of the 168 woods with a 12% hardness value in our database |
| Density at 12% moisture | 30.0 lb/ft³ (480 kg/m³)† |
| Weight per board foot (12%) | 2.50 lb† |
| Specific gravity (ovendry weight, green volume) | 0.42 |
| Specific gravity at 12% moisture | 0.43† |
| Bending strength (modulus of rupture), 12% | 11,700 psi |
| Stiffness (modulus of elasticity), 12% | 1.48 million psi |
| Crushing strength (compression parallel to grain), 12% | 6,080 psi |
| Shrinkage green to ovendry: radial / tangential / volumetric | not reported |
| Tangential / radial shrinkage ratio | — |
| Dimensional change per 1% moisture (radial / tangential) | not reported |
| Heartwood decay resistance | not rated |
What it is
Radiata pine (Pinus radiata), also called Monterey pine, is rare in its native range on the coast of central California and Guadalupe Island, Mexico, but it is planted on an enormous scale in the southern hemisphere, mainly in Chile, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Plantation trees can reach 80 to 90 ft in 20 years, and most radiata pine in trade is that fast-grown plantation wood.
The heartwood of plantation trees is light brown to pinkish brown, distinct from the paler cream sapwood. Growth rings are mostly wide and distinct, and false rings are common. The texture is moderately even and fine, and the grain is not interlocked.
Working properties
Plantation radiata pine averages about 30.0 lb per cubic foot at 12% moisture content. The Handbook says its strength is comparable with red pine, though location and growth rate cause large variations; in our data its Janka hardness is 750 lbf and bending strength 11,700 psi. It air or kiln dries rapidly with little degrade and machines easily, although the grain tears around large knots. It nails and glues easily and takes paint and finishes well.
The sapwood is prone to stain fungi and vulnerable to boring insects, but because plantation stock is mostly sapwood it treats readily with preservatives. The heartwood is rated durable above ground and is moderately resistant to treatment. The Handbook gives no shrinkage values for it, so the movement section is omitted.
Weight and density
At 12% moisture content radiata pine weighs about 30.0 lb per cubic foot (estimated from its specific gravity and shrinkage), so one board foot (144 cubic inches) weighs about 2.50 lb. An 8 ft board of actual size 3/4 × 5-1/2 in. (a 1×6) holds 0.229 cubic feet and weighs about 6.9 lb; an 8 ft piece 1-1/2 × 3-1/2 in. (a 2×4 size) weighs about 8.8 lb. Green wood is much heavier because of the water it holds.
Density here is ovendry weight plus 12% water, divided by volume at 12% moisture content (Wood Handbook Eq. 4-12: density = specific gravity at 12% × 62.43 lb/ft³ × 1.12).
How it compares
| Species | Janka (lbf) | Density (lb/ft³) | Bending (psi) | Stiffness (Mpsi) | Tangential shrink (%) | Decay resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiata pine | 750 | 30.0† | 11,700 | 1.48 | — | not rated |
| Red pine | 560 | 32.2 | 11,000 | 1.63 | 7.2 | slightly or nonresistant |
| Ponderosa pine | 460 | 28.0 | 9,400 | 1.29 | 6.2 | slightly or nonresistant |
| Eastern white pine | 380 | 24.5 | 8,600 | 1.24 | 6.1 | moderately resistant (old growth only); otherwise slightly or nonresistant |
| Loblolly pine | 690 | 35.7 | 12,800 | 1.79 | 7.4 | slightly or nonresistant |
| Douglas-fir (Coast) | 710 | 33.6 | 12,400 | 1.95 | 7.6 | moderately resistant |
Uses
Radiata pine is used for the same purposes as other pines grown in the US: veneer, plywood, pulp, fiberboard, construction, boxes and millwork. In North American stores it shows up most often as finger-jointed primed moulding, clear pine boards and furniture made in Chile or New Zealand.
Frequently asked questions
Is radiata pine strong?
Its strength is comparable with red pine, according to the Handbook. In the tables it has 11,700 psi of bending strength and 1.48 million psi of stiffness at 12% moisture content.
Is radiata pine good for outdoor use?
Untreated, no: plantation boards are mostly sapwood, which stains and decays. Pressure-treated radiata pine is widely used outdoors in New Zealand and Australia.
How hard is radiata pine?
750 lbf of Janka side hardness at 12% moisture content in the Handbook data, softer than southern yellow pine and harder than eastern white pine.
Where does radiata pine come from?
Almost all of it comes from plantations in Chile, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, although the species is native to coastal California.
Sources
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-190, 2010. Chapter 2 (species descriptions), Chapter 4 (Tables 4-3, 4-4 shrinkage; Eq. 4-7, 4-9, 4-12 density), Chapter 5 (Tables 5-3b, 5-5b strength and hardness), Chapter 13 (Table 13-5 dimensional change coefficients), Chapter 14 (Table 14-1 decay resistance)
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook, 2021 edition (FPL-GTR-282)
Last reviewed: 24 October 2026. Numbers are generated from our parsed copy of the Handbook tables, so every page uses the same data. Values marked * are estimates computed with the Handbook’s own equations. Spotted an error? Please let us know.