How much money can you get from pine trees?
Case studies show existing pine stands can earn an average of about $100 to $150 per acre per year. "That doesn't mean you plant the trees and get $100 to $150 a year -- landowners must properly manage the timber, thinning a few times over the 35-year lifespan.
Longleaf pine produces poles, the highest valued timber product, in proportions far exceeding other pine species. By age 40 and 50, half of all trees in a longleaf stand may meet the standards for utility poles.
Mature Size: The loblolly pine grows to a height of 60-90' and a spread of 25-35' at maturity. Growth Rate:This tree grows at a fast rate, with height increases of more than 24" per year.
A Loblolly pine plantation earns about $1,000 per culled acre in year 11 from the sale of fence posts. Pine straw revenue averages $200 per acre in years, 7, 14 and 21. Harvesting mature wood in year 22 averages $3,000 an acre.
Again, this can depend on the situation, but a log of pine may be as much as $50 or even $60 per thousand board feet of white pine. A single board foot is often worth less than 10 cents, so you need to be selling a decent amount of pine wood to get much value from it.
The formula is: Tree Value = Base Value x Cross-sectional Area x Species Class x Condition Class x Location Class Base Value is the dollar amount assigned to 1 square inch of a tree's trunk cross-sectional area and is typically based on the cost of the largest available replacement plant of the same species.
| Pine Timber Values/Acre | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Plantation* | Natural |
| 2018 | $1,694 | $1,738 |
| 2019 | $1,566 | $2,055 |
| *Average of all age classes excluding <15 (clearcut) | ||
They have found that a single tree provides $73 worth of air conditioning, $75 worth of erosion control, $75 worth of wildlife shelter, and $50 worth of air pollution reduction. Compounding this total of $273 for fifty years at 5% interest results in a tree value of $57,151.
Cones, which contain the tree's seeds, mature by the second October after flowering begins. Loblolly pines can live as long as 275 years.
Unmanaged loblolly pine stands can take up to 50 years to mature into sawtimber-size trees. Managed stands can generate sawtimber-size trees much faster, often within 25 to 40 years depending on the manage- ment regime.
What are loblolly pines good for?
Loblolly pines are considered the most commercially valuable type of wood in the southern United States. They are used for pulp, mulch and timber.
| Pine Timber Values/Acre | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Plantation* | Natural |
| 2018 | $1,694 | $1,738 |
| 2019 | $1,566 | $2,055 |
| *Average of all age classes excluding <15 (clearcut) | ||
Economic analysis has shown that returns on investment when planting pines on old fields will generate REAL rates of return between 10 and 17 percent, depending on site quality. Yes, planting pines on old fields is an excellent investment for landowners.
The formula is: Tree Value = Base Value x Cross-sectional Area x Species Class x Condition Class x Location Class Base Value is the dollar amount assigned to 1 square inch of a tree's trunk cross-sectional area and is typically based on the cost of the largest available replacement plant of the same species.
As dimension lumber and boards, you'll find red pine at most outlets throughout its range. Boards in common grades (Nos. 1, 2, etc.) cost about $1.25 per foot.
