n the early days of the American South, cotton may have been king, but southern yellow pine (SYP) was—and still is—the crown prince. Early European settlers used the lumber for everything from houses and ships to railroad ties. The trees and roots were also tapped for chemical “naval stores,” such as pitch, rosin, and turpentine. Today SYP is in high demand as utility poles, framing lumber, pressure-treated lumber, plywood, and flooring; and for
