What does Old-Growth Mean and Why does it matter?

What Does “Old-Growth” Really Mean?

Old-growth wood is often talked about, but rarely understood. To know why it looks and feels different, you have to understand the forests it came from—and the world that existed before modern building practices.

Old-growth is a term commonly used to refer to trees that come from a different generation than the forests we have today. While some old-growth trees still stand—particularly in protected areas like national parks, military bases, and historic sites—they are no longer harvested for timber products.

Old-growth forests represent a landscape that existed prior to large-scale European settlement and industrialization in North America. Before the late 18th and early 19th centuries, much of the eastern United States was covered in dense, continuous forests shaped primarily by natural forces rather than human production.

As America expanded westward, timber became a foundational resource. Between roughly 1800 and 1920, vast portions of old-growth forests were logged to build homes, barns, ships, railroads, factories, and rapidly growing cities. The rise of sawmills, steam power, and rail transport made it possible to harvest trees faster and at a scale that had never existed before. What once took centuries to grow could be cut, milled, and shipped in a matter of days.

By the early 20th century, most accessible old-growth forests had been cleared or heavily fragmented. What followed was the birth of modern forestry—managed forests grown for speed, uniformity, and yield rather than longevity.

Once upon a time, our forests were full of giants standing hundreds of years old. Even the trees we consider ancient in our woods today are usually youngsters by comparison. Old-growth forests predominantly consisted of trees over 150 years old, and many far exceeded that.

That reality leads to a few important questions.

Are Today’s Trees the Same Species as Before?

Generally speaking, yes. For the most part, we still harvest and use the same species that were used historically. However, there are some very important exceptions.

One of the most notable examples is longleaf pine in the American South. While longleaf pine still exists in protected sanctuaries and managed habitats, the prolific 100+ year-old monoliths that defined its legendary heart pine qualities are gone.

Although the species survives, the old-growth examples that made it so distinct do not. It will take generations—perhaps centuries—before restored longleaf forests once again produce material with those same characteristics.

What Makes Old-Growth Wood So Special?

The answer depends on how the wood is being used.

If you’re framing a bathroom wall, modern soft pine 2×4s from a home center are cheaper, easier to work with, and more renewable. For hidden structural applications, modern lumber makes complete sense.

But when the material is meant to be seen and admired, old-growth wood shines.

Why?

Trees that stood for hundreds of years before harvesting developed tighter growth rings. Each growth ring represents one year of the tree’s life—the tighter and more numerous the rings, the older and slower-grown the tree. This creates a depth, texture, and visual richness that simply doesn’t exist in younger wood.

Seeing Time Written in the Grain

I’m reminded of a moment during a reclaimed beam installation, while sifting through material with a client. Studying the grain patterns and growth rings, I told him—almost affectionately—that the wood we were holding was over 100 years old at the time it was harvested, and very possibly a 200-year-old tree before that.

That means this tree could have been an acorn before the Revolutionary War.

And now, it was headed for his ceiling—ready for another hundred years of life.

That’s something no modern material can replicate.

Is Old-Growth Wood More Valuable?

There’s some subjectivity in that question. I can certainly source new lumber that costs more than reclaimed wood. After all, price is the servant of supply and demand.

But on average, yes—old-growth lumber is more valuable, and it continues to trend that way as historic barns, factories, and homes are reclaimed and supplies begin to dwindle. In fact, some makers and lumber specialists treat exceptional old-growth material almost like a fine wine—storing it away for years, waiting for the right project or the right moment to bring it out.

Unlike new-growth lumber, which can be replanted and harvested on relatively short timelines, reclaimed old-growth wood takes an extraordinary amount of time to create. And no manufacturing process can recreate the story of material that existed when the founding fathers were putting pen to paper.

In that sense, reclaimed old-growth wood becomes something of an investment. Like other precious materials, it is finite and increasingly scarce.

That realization has sparked something of a modern gold rush—as more people develop an appetite for the old ways of building, and the beauty that came with them.

Curious how reclaimed old-growth wood could work in your home? We’re always happy to talk through ideas and possibilities.

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