Wood Species Reference

Interlocked grain makes it almost unsplittable, superb for steam-bending and chair seats. Once everywhere before Dutch elm disease; still a tough, handsome utility wood.

830
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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American Holly

Ilex opaca

The whitest of all domestic woods, nearly ivory when properly dried. Fine and even-grained, it's the go-to for inlay, marquetry, and anything that needs to read pure white.

1020
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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American Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

Prized quartersawn for its freckled 'lacewood' figure. Affordable and easy to work, but moves a lot, so quartersawn stock is the way to go.

770
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Apple

Malus domestica

A hard, fine-grained fruitwood prized by turners and carvers for its smooth texture and warm color. Small, often gnarly stock, and it moves and checks readily.

1730
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Bald Cypress

Taxodium distichum

A swamp-grown softwood famed for rot resistance and strength, stronger than cedar, ideal for anything that gets wet. Old-growth 'pecky' cypress has a prized pocketed figure.

510
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Balsa

Ochroma pyramidale

One of the lightest, softest commercial woods, used for models, prototypes, and lightweight cores rather than structural work.

90
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Basswood

Tilia americana

The carver's wood, soft, fine, and nearly grainless, it cuts like butter in any direction. Too soft for furniture, but unmatched for detail carving.

410
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Bigleaf Maple

Acer macrophyllum

The West Coast's answer to soft maple, often prized more for its quilted and curly figure than its modest hardness.

850
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Black Ash

Fraxinus nigra

Softer and more pliable than white ash, with a long history in basketry and snowshoes thanks to its splittable growth rings. Lighter and easier to work than its cousin.

850
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Black Cherry

Prunus serotina

A joy to work and ages into a deep reddish patina. Classic American furniture wood that rewards a simple finish.

950
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Black Locust

Robinia pseudoacacia

One of the most rot-resistant woods on earth and brutally hard, a domestic answer to tropical decking. Tough to work but lasts for decades outdoors.

1700
Janka: Fair
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Black Walnut

Juglans nigra

America's premier furniture wood. Rich chocolate color straight off the tree, a dream to work, and stable once dry.

1010
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Black Willow

Salix nigra

A soft, lightweight utility hardwood historically used for boxes, crates, and artificial limbs.

420
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Bloodwood

Brosimum rubescens

An intensely saturated red hardwood used almost exclusively as a bold accent in small doses.

2900
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Boxelder

Acer negundo

A soft maple relative famous for dramatic red mineral streaking. Cheap and soft, but the flame-red figure (when present) makes it a turner's prize.

720
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Bubinga

Guibourtia spp.

A dense, richly figured African hardwood used for high-end furniture, tabletops, and electric guitar tops.

2410
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

A white oak group member with a coarser texture, commonly sold interchangeably with white oak.

1360
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Butternut (White Walnut)

Juglans cinerea

Walnut's soft, pale cousin, buttery to carve and warmly colored. A carver's favorite, though too soft for hard-wearing surfaces.

490
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Canarywood

Centrolobium spp.

A vividly multicolored exotic streaked with orange, red, and black, used as a bold statement accent wood.

2170
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Catalpa

Catalpa speciosa

Light, soft, and surprisingly rot-resistant, with a coarse oak-like grain. Easy to work and stable, an underrated outdoor and carving wood.

550
Janka: Excellent
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Claro Walnut

Juglans hindsii

A West Coast walnut prized for dramatic figure and color variation, often sold as premium slabs and veneer.

900
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Cocobolo

Dalbergia retusa

An extremely dense, oily rosewood prized for knife handles and turning, with a strong known allergen risk.

2960
Janka: Difficult
To work: No
Outdoor

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Douglas Fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii

The structural softwood, stiff, strong, and dimensionally stable. Common in framing, increasingly popular for sturdy shop furniture.

660
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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East Indian Rosewood

Dalbergia latifolia

A classic instrument-grade rosewood, dense and richly colored, commonly used for guitar backs and sides.

2440
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Eastern Cottonwood

Populus deltoides

Soft, cheap, and lightweight, used for crates, pallets, and utility work. Tends to be fuzzy and woolly to cut, and it moves a lot, a true secondary wood.

430
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Eastern Hemlock

Tsuga canadensis

A rustic construction softwood with a coarse, uneven texture, often chosen for barn timbers and reclaimed-look projects.

500
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Eastern Red Cedar

Juniperus virginiana

The aromatic cedar of closets and chests, its scent repels moths, and it's highly rot-resistant. Hard for a softwood, knotty, and beautifully two-toned.

900
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Eastern White Pine

Pinus strobus

Soft, light, and cheap, the classic for rustic furniture and learning projects. Easy on tools and on the wallet.

380
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Engelmann Spruce

Picea engelmannii

A lighter, softer cousin of Sitka spruce, also valued as a tonewood for its bright, responsive sound. Pale and even, with a slightly warmer look than Sitka.

390
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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European Beech

Fagus sylvatica

A pale, fine-grained European hardwood favored for hand tools, workbenches, and steam bending.

1450
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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European Walnut

Juglans regia

The classic walnut of European furniture and gunstocks, slightly harder and lighter in color than American black walnut.

1220
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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European Yew

Taxus baccata

An unusually dense, flexible softwood historically prized for longbows and now for turning and fine furniture accents.

1520
Janka: Fair
To work: Yes
Outdoor

Compare

Flowering Dogwood

Cornus florida

Exceptionally hard and shock-resistant with a smooth wearing surface, historically the wood for shuttles and bobbins. Small trees mean small, pricey stock.

2150
Janka: Difficult
To work: No
Outdoor

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Gaboon Ebony

Diospyros crassiflora

The classic jet-black ebony used for fingerboards and fine accents; scarce, expensive, and sold in small pieces.

3080
Janka: Difficult
To work: No
Outdoor

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Hackberry

Celtis occidentalis

A pale, ash-like wood that bends well and costs little. Spalts readily, which turners love. Not rot-resistant, so keep it indoors.

880
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Hard Maple (Sugar Maple)

Acer saccharum

Dense, pale, and extremely tough. The standard for butcher blocks, workbenches, and anything that takes a beating.

1450
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Hickory

Carya spp.

One of the toughest, hardest domestic woods. Incredible shock resistance, the classic choice for tool handles and rustic, hard-wearing furniture.

1820
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Honey Locust

Gleditsia triacanthos

Hard, strong, and warmly colored, often confused with black locust but less rot-resistant. A handsome, underused furniture wood.

1580
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Hophornbeam (Ironwood)

Ostrya virginiana

One of the hardest, strongest domestic woods, true to its 'ironwood' nickname. Pale, dense, and tough, used where wear resistance matters most.

1860
Janka: Difficult
To work: No
Outdoor

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Ipe

Handroanthus spp.

One of the hardest decking woods available, prized for exterior durability but brutal on tools without pre-drilling.

3510
Janka: Difficult
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Iroko

Milicia excelsa

Sold as "African teak" for its decay resistance and similar look, at a lower price than genuine teak.

1260
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Jarrah

Eucalyptus marginata

A deep red Australian eucalyptus hardwood valued for flooring, decking, and turning, with occasional decorative gum veins.

1910
Janka: Fair
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry)

Hymenaea courbaril

A dense, reddish-brown flooring staple, popular under the trade name Brazilian cherry despite being unrelated to true cherry.

2350
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Koa

Acacia koa

Hawaii's signature hardwood, prized by ukulele and guitar builders for its warm color and occasional curly figure.

1170
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Lacewood

Panopsis spp. / Roupala spp.

Named for the distinctive lace-like fleck pattern seen on quartersawn faces, used mainly as a decorative veneer and accent.

1600
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Lignum Vitae

Guaiacum officinale

Among the hardest and densest woods in the world, naturally self-lubricating and historically used for ship propeller-shaft bearings.

4390
Janka: Difficult
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Live Oak

Quercus virginiana

One of the hardest and heaviest North American oaks, historically prized for shipbuilding.

2680
Janka: Fair
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Loblolly Pine

Pinus taeda

One of the primary Southern yellow pine species, the backbone of construction lumber in the American South.

690
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Mahogany

Swietenia macrophylla

The legendary furniture wood, stable, easy to work, and beautiful. Increasingly costly and subject to sourcing/sustainability concerns.

800
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Merbau

Intsia bijuga

A decay-resistant Southeast Asian hardwood used widely for decking, with natural tannins that bleed on first exposure to rain.

1925
Janka: Fair
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Mesquite

Prosopis glandulosa

A very stable, decay-resistant Southwestern hardwood, popular for rustic furniture, flooring, and smoking wood.

2340
Janka: Fair
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Monkeypod

Samanea saman

A rich brown tropical hardwood popular for large single-slab tables and bowls thanks to its wide trunk diameter.

1780
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Norway Spruce

Picea abies

The classic European tonewood spruce, used for guitar and piano soundboards for its stiffness-to-weight ratio.

380
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Osage Orange

Maclura pomifera

Brilliant golden-yellow, extremely hard, and famously rot-resistant, the traditional bow wood. Vivid but demanding, and it darkens to amber over time.

2040
Janka: Difficult
To work: Yes
Outdoor

Compare

Pacific Madrone

Arbutus menziesii

A hard, fine-grained West Coast wood with a warm reddish tone, prized for turning and burl. Beautiful but notoriously unstable, it warps dramatically as it dries.

1460
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Paper Birch

Betula papyrifera

A pale, straight-grained birch best known for its papery white bark, commonly used for plywood and turning.

910
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Paulownia

Paulownia tomentosa

An extremely lightweight, fast-growing hardwood used for surfboards, guitar bodies, and lightweight boxes despite low hardness.

245
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Pear

Pyrus communis

A fine, even fruitwood with a soft rosy hue, beloved for carving, turning, and fine detail. Often steamed to a pink-blush tone. Stable for a fruitwood.

1660
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Pecan

Carya illinoinensis

A member of the hickory family with the same toughness but often a warmer, more reddish tone. Hard-wearing and handsome.

1820
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

America's only native ebony relative, extremely hard, dense, and smooth-wearing. The traditional golf club head wood, now prized for tool parts and turning.

2300
Janka: Difficult
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Pin Oak

Quercus palustris

A red oak group member, often sold mixed with red oak at the lumberyard with essentially identical working properties.

1210
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Ponderosa Pine

Pinus ponderosa

Soft, even, and easy to work, the classic knotty pine for paneling, shelving, and casework. Stable and inexpensive, the all-purpose Western pine.

460
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Port Orford Cedar

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

A fragrant, fine-grained, decay-resistant cedar with exceptional stiffness, prized for arrow shafts, boatbuilding, and fine joinery. One of the best-working conifers.

720
Janka: Excellent
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Purpleheart

Peltogyne spp.

Vivid purple, extremely hard and dense. A showpiece accent wood, striking, but tough on tools and on your patience.

2520
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Quaking Aspen

Populus tremuloides

Very soft, pale, and odorless, the classic sauna and matchstick wood. Cheap and light, it stays cool to the touch and resists splintering, but dents easily.

350
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Radiata Pine

Pinus radiata

A fast-growing plantation pine widely used for furniture-grade finger-jointed panels and budget furniture.

710
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Red Alder

Alnus rubra

The Pacific Northwest's go-to affordable hardwood, soft, even, and easy to work. Takes stain well and often mimics cherry. A great beginner wood.

590
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Red Elm (Slippery Elm)

Ulmus rubra

Interlocked grain makes elm nearly impossible to split, wonderful for steam-bending and seats. Warm reddish tone and a handsome, coarse grain.

860
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Red Mulberry

Morus rubra

A durable, golden-yellow hardwood related to Osage orange, valued for boat building and outdoor furniture.

1680
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Red Oak

Quercus rubra

The workhorse American hardwood, strong, affordable, everywhere. Coarse open grain takes stain readily but reads busy.

1220
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Redwood

Sequoia sempervirens

Lightweight, stable, and famously rot-resistant, with a rich red color, the classic premium decking and outdoor wood. Soft and easy to work, but splinters and dents.

420
Janka: Excellent
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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River Birch

Betula nigra

A softer, less common birch with attractive curly figure sometimes found in flooded bottomland trees.

780
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Sapele

Entandrophragma cylindricum

A widely available mahogany substitute with a reddish-brown color and, on quartersawn stock, a striking ribbon figure.

1410
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Sassafras

Sassafras albidum

Light, soft, and aromatic, resembling a lightweight ash or chestnut, with good decay resistance. The spicy root-beer scent is unmistakable. An underused outdoor wood.

630
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Scots Pine

Pinus sylvestris

Europe's most widely used construction and furniture pine, similar in character to Eastern white pine.

680
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Sitka Spruce

Picea sitchensis

The premier strength-to-weight wood, light, stiff, and strong. The traditional choice for aircraft, ladders, and especially acoustic guitar and piano soundboards.

510
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Snakewood

Brosimum guianense

One of the most expensive and hardest woods sold, prized for its snakeskin-like grain pattern in small turned and carved pieces.

3800
Janka: Difficult
To work: No
Outdoor

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Soft Maple

Acer rubrum (and others)

Hard maple's more affordable, easier-working relative. Still plenty strong for most furniture, at a friendlier price.

950
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Southern Magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora

A mild, even-grained wood similar to poplar, often with greenish-streaked heartwood. Easy to work and affordable, good for painted work and secondary parts.

1020
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

Southern Yellow Pine

Pinus taeda

The strongest common construction softwood, dense, resinous, and stiff. Great structural strength for the price, though the hard latewood bands can fight your tools.

690
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Spanish Cedar

Cedrela odorata

A lightweight, aromatic, decay-resistant hardwood long used for cigar boxes, humidors, and closet linings.

600
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

Compare

Sugar Pine

Pinus lambertiana

The premier pattern and carving pine, soft, fine, exceptionally stable, and uniform in all directions. The wood of choice for foundry patterns and detailed work.

380
Janka: Excellent
To work: No
Outdoor

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Sweetgum (Redgum)

Liquidambar styraciflua

Affordable and fine-textured, with attractive figured heartwood ('redgum'). Prone to warping, so dry stock and stable construction matter.

850
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Teak

Tectona grandis

The gold standard for outdoor and marine furniture. Natural oils shrug off water and rot without any finish at all.

1000
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Wenge

Millettia laurentii

Nearly black, dense, and dramatic. A premium accent and contrast wood, gorgeous, but splintery and demanding to finish.

1930
Janka: Fair
To work: No
Outdoor

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Western Hemlock

Tsuga heterophylla

A pale, even-grained construction softwood, often sold as 'hem-fir.' Decent strength for the weight and price, but it decays readily, keep it dry and indoors.

540
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

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Western Larch (Tamarack)

Larix occidentalis

An unusually hard, strong softwood with decent decay resistance, a deciduous conifer. Tough and stiff like Douglas fir, good for flooring and exterior work.

830
Janka: Fair
To work: Yes
Outdoor

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Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata

Lightweight, aromatic, and naturally rot-resistant, the go-to for outdoor projects that won't see hard wear.

350
Janka: Good
To work: Yes
Outdoor

Compare

White Ash

Fraxinus americana

Strong, shock-resistant, and springy, the baseball-bat wood. Looks like oak but lighter in tone. Threatened by the emerald ash borer.

1320
Janka: Good
To work: No
Outdoor

Compare

White Fir

Abies concolor