A mode I fracture criterion applicable for cracks oriented in the transverse plane in softwood is studied at the mesoscopic scale, i.e. the annual ring scale. Numerical investigation combined with digital image correlation help to obtain wood fracture parameters into the annual ring. These parameters give additional knowledge and understanding for wood fracture according to local specificities such as crack tip position into an annual ring and notch orientation related to wood natural orientation and solicitation orientation. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of ICM11