Wood Species Database

Open-grained tropical hardwood (Khaya species) with a warm reddish-brown color and interlocked grain. The affordable mahogany used in fine furniture and boatbuilding.

Brilliant scarlet-orange heartwood that darkens to purplish-brown over time. Heavy, strong, and open-grained. Used for accent work, flooring, and turning.

Light, fine-grained softwood-like hardwood from the Pacific Northwest. Pale tan to light brown. The go-to affordable hardwood for painted cabinetry and furniture.

Soft or Hard Maple with gray, blue, and green streaks created by the ambrosia beetle's fungal pathways. Unique figure at an accessible price.

Very hard, dense wood with a fine, tight grain and small ray flecks. Pale cream to light brown. Excellent for bent work, tool handles, and chairs.

Interlocked-grain hardwood with outstanding shock resistance. Light tan with wavy figure. Historically prized for chair seats and wheel hubs.

Pale tan hardwood with distinctive ray-fleck figure (lacewood-like when quartersawn). Moderate hardness, often used for butcher blocks and interior paneling.

Lightweight, fine-grained, nearly white softwood-like hardwood. The preferred carving wood in North America. Also good for jigs and small boxes.

Hard Maple exhibiting a rare small, rounded eye-like figure caused by stress during growth. Creamy white with golden highlights. Used for premium furniture and turning.

Extremely hard, dense, ring-porous wood. Tan to yellowish-green. Excellent natural rot resistance makes it ideal for outdoor furniture and fence posts.

Rich chocolate-brown hardwood prized for its beauty and workability. Ideal for fine furniture and gun stocks.

Brilliant scarlet-red heartwood from South America that holds its color better than Padauk. Very dense and hard. Used for accent pieces, turning, and inlays.

Striking Mexican hardwood with yellow to golden-brown background and dramatic dark brown streaks and swirls. Used for handles, small boxes, and accent work.

Soft maple relative that frequently produces dramatic red or pink streaking from ambrosia beetles. Highly sought-after for turning and decorative work.

Heavy, dense African hardwood ranging from pinkish to reddish-brown with purple veins. Stunning figure in quartersawn boards. Used for furniture, turning, and musical instruments.

Light brown, coarse-grained relative of Black Walnut. Softer and much easier to work. Great for carving, furniture, and trim.

Fine-grained, reddish-brown hardwood that darkens beautifully with age. Excellent for cabinets and furniture.

Rich orange-red to deep red Nicaraguan rosewood with dramatic swirling grain. Dense, oily, and aromatic. Premium turning and handle wood.

Extremely light, soft, fine-grained hardwood. White to pale gray. Used primarily for carved decoys, boxes, and painted work where weight matters.

Hard Maple with a wavy, three-dimensional "flame" or "tiger" figure caused by rippled grain. Used for instrument necks, premium furniture, and veneers.

Strong, straight-grained softwood from the Pacific Northwest. Reddish-brown with pronounced grain. Widely used for structural work, workbenches, and rustic furniture.

Dense, aromatic softwood with red and cream coloring. The classic closet liner wood. Also used for chests, small furniture, and pencils.

Soft, light wood easy to work with hand tools. Ideal for rustic furniture, cabinets, and trim.

Lightweight, fine-grained spruce from high-elevation western mountains. White to pale yellow. Similar to Sitka Spruce; used for musical instruments and light construction.

Black Walnut exhibiting exceptional crotch, curl, burl, or other figure. Deep chocolate-brown with dramatic movement. Commands a premium for high-end furniture.

The blackest natural wood on earth. Dense, fine-grained, and takes an exceptional high polish. Used for piano keys, chess pieces, jewelry, and inlays.

Pale creamy-white wood, extremely hard and durable. Perfect for workbenches, flooring, and kitchen items.

Among the hardest and toughest North American hardwoods. Cream to tan with brown streaks. Classic choice for tool handles, chair rungs, and flooring.

The original "genuine" mahogany — straight-grained, easy to work, and beautiful. Medium reddish-brown, lightens with age. CITES Appendix II regulated.

Reddish-brown, coarse-grained hardwood with exceptional hardness. Rings are visible and beautiful. Used for furniture and turning.

Purple-brown to dark chocolate with black grain lines and a rose-like scent. Classic guitar back-and-sides wood. Rich, dense, and beautiful.

Also called "Brazilian Walnut." Extremely dense, dark olive-brown to blackish-brown tropical hardwood. The benchmark for outdoor decking and furniture durability.

African hardwood often used as a sustainable alternative to Teak. Olive-brown to dark brown, good natural rot resistance, and reasonable workability.

Also called "Brazilian Cherry." Salmon-pink to orange-red when freshly cut, darkening to rich reddish-brown. Very hard and durable. Widely used for flooring.

Also called Leopardwood (Roupala species) for its spotted ray-fleck pattern. Reddish-brown with large silvery rays creating a scaly, decorative figure.

The heaviest, hardest, and most self-lubricating wood in the world. Dark greenish-brown with interlocked grain. Used for bearings, mallets, and specialty turning.

Dense, interlocked-grain tropical hardwood from Southeast Asia. Dark reddish-brown with yellow streaks. Very durable and rot-resistant; popular for flooring.

Dense, hard, reddish-brown to golden-brown hardwood from the desert Southwest. Beautiful irregular grain and extreme hardness. Often available as live-edge slabs.

Dense golden-yellow to olive-brown hardwood — one of the hardest domestic species. Historically used for tool handles, bows, and fence posts.

A species of hickory with similar hardness. Reddish-brown heartwood with cream sapwood, often sold together as "hickory/pecan." Good for flooring and furniture.

Rare South African hardwood with a striking hot-pink to red color. Historically reserved for Zulu royalty. Dense and fine-grained; polishes brilliantly.

Light, soft, straight-grained pine from western North America. Cream to light yellow with red-brown knots. Good for rustic furniture, trim, and painted work.

Fine-grained, aromatic softwood from Oregon and northern California. Light yellow-white, very stable and rot-resistant. Also an excellent tonewood.

Striking purple-colored exotic wood from South America. Used for decorative accents and turning.

The most widely available and affordable hardwood in North America. Open-grained with a distinctive ray pattern. Excellent for furniture, cabinetry, and flooring.

Straight-grained, naturally rot-resistant softwood from California. Deep reddish-brown, lightweight, and easy to work. Excellent for outdoor furniture and decking.

Not a true mahogany but a dense, reddish-brown South American hardwood (Myroxylon species). Harder than true mahogany, with good rot resistance. Widely used for flooring.

Ribbon-striped African hardwood with a coppery-red color and interlocked grain that produces distinctive ribbon figure on quartersawn faces.

Light, ring-porous hardwood with an aromatic scent. Light brown with a coarse grain similar to White Ash. Historically used for furniture and boat building.

The highest strength-to-weight ratio of any softwood. Pale cream with straight grain. The premier tonewood for acoustic guitar tops, piano soundboards, and aircraft.

Lighter and slightly softer than Hard Maple but still durable. Pale cream color with a fine, uniform grain. Often used as a more affordable maple alternative.

Dense, resinous softwood prized for strength and hardness. Cream to light orange with dark latewood bands. Used for flooring, structural work, and heavy furniture.

Maple with unique fungal patterns creating dramatic figure. Used for decorative pieces and turning.

The largest pine species; produces wide, knot-free boards with very straight grain. Soft, light, and easy to work. Used for pattern making, drawing boards, and trim.

Tropical hardwood with natural oils making it extremely weather-resistant. Perfect for outdoor furniture.

Also called Goncalo Alves. Golden-tan to reddish-brown with dramatic dark streaks. Hard, oily, and visually stunning. Used for flooring, decking, and turning.

West African mahogany relative (also called Sipo) with deep reddish-brown color and ribbon figure. Easier to work than Sapele and widely used for furniture and doors.

Very dark brown to near-black African hardwood with pale yellowish veins. Striking contrast, used for flooring, furniture accents, and turned work.

Lightweight, aromatic, naturally rot-resistant softwood. Reddish-brown with a straight grain. Classic choice for outdoor projects, siding, and closet linings.

Strong, shock-resistant hardwood with excellent bending properties. Great for tool handles and sports equipment.

Dense, ring-porous hardwood with exceptional durability. Excellent for furniture, flooring, and cabinetry.

American Chestnut killed by the chestnut blight; reclaimed from old barns and structures. Warm tan with distinctive worm holes adding character.

Pale golden-yellow hardwood with a fine, uniform grain. Moderately hard and strong, good for furniture, cabinetry, and plywood cores.

Lightweight, fine-grained wood with a greenish tinge. One of the easiest North American hardwoods to work. Used for painted furniture, drawer boxes, and secondary wood.

Bright, uniform yellow heartwood from Brazil. Color is stable and holds well over time. Used for accents, inlays, and decorative turning.

Dramatic pale golden wood with dark brown to black streaks resembling a zebra pattern. From Central and West Africa. Used for accents, veneer, and turned items.