Heart pine comes from the incredibly hard center (heart) of old growth longleaf and yellow pine trees, most of which were trees that were 200-300 years old. Pine trees have to get quite large to develop that hard heart section in the middle. Which is it’s hard to find new heart pine. We’ve already torn down a lot of the older pine trees, and the existing ones that are old enough to have the heart wood are often protected. Making actual heart pine very valuable.

I think it depends on the house. Mine stays pretty cool– we did have the AC on last week but most of the time we can get by without it. On the other hand, my last place because a stuffy unbearable hellhole if the AC wasn’t running.