Southern Heart Pine is one of the most beautiful and the most sought after of all american species. It is unique in appearance, quality and durability. When colonists first arrived in the New World, they found vast stands of these Southern Heart Pines ranging from 150 to 450 years old. Some of them where up to five feet in diameter and 180 feet tall. These pines were magnificent and their supply appeared to be endless. Many were fully mature and consisted predominantly of dense grained heartwood. It was because of this unique heartwood that the trees came to be known as “Heart Pine”. As the colonists took control of the land, Southern Heart Pine quickly established itself as their “wood of choice” and was used to build virtually everything from fence posts to furniture. Fully mature Longleaf, Loblolly, and Shortleaf Pines all had dense grained heartwood and were considered to be “Heart Pine”. Other subspecies such as Slash Pines were frequently used as well.