Graphical Construction Glossary >>
Woodwork. >> Hardwoods List
- Hardwoods List
- The commonly used hardwoods in woodworking
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| A giant rainforest hardwood tree, a Bombax at Ta Prom temple in Cambodia. |
"Bombax is a genus of mainly tropical trees in the mallow family. They are native to western Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, as well as sub-tropical regions of East Asia and northern Australia. Common names for the genus include Silk Cotton Tree, Simal, Red Cotton Tree, Kapok and simply Bombax."</p>
I am indebted to the folks at Wikipedia for the above paragraph and I use it simply as an illustration that even a list as the one here (also from Wikipedia) is by no means complete, It seem that one would have to write a very large book to list them all and their various local names.
Hardwoods (Angiosperms)
- Afzelia or Doussie (Afzelia africana)
- Agba or Tola (Gossweilerodendron balsamiferum)
- Alder (Alnus)
- Black alder (Alnus glutinosa)
- Red alder (Alnus rubra)
- Applewood or crabapple (Malus sylvestris)
- Ash (Fraxinus)
- Black ash (Fraxinus nigra)
- Blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata)
- Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
- Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica lanceolata)
- Oregon ash (F. latifolia) [1]
- Pumpkin ash (F. profunda) [1]
- White ash (Fraxinus americana)
- Aspen (Populus)
- Bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata)
- European aspen (Populus tremula)
- Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
- Australian Red Cedar (Toona ciliata)
- Ayan or Movingui (Distemonanthus benthamianus)
- Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale)
- Basswood
- American basswood (Tilia americana) [1]
- White basswood (T. heterophylla) [1]
- Beech (Fagus)
- European Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
- American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
- Birch (Betula)
- American birches
- Gray birch (Betula populifolia)
- River birch (B. nigra)
- Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
- Sweet birch (Betula lenta)
- Yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis syn Betula lutea) - most common birch wood sold in N.Am.
- European birches, also Baltic birch (N.Am.)
- Silver birch (Betula pendula)
- White Birch (Betula pubescens)
- Blackbean (Castanospermum australe)
- Blackwood
- Australian Blackwood also Tasmanian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon)
- African Blackwood or Mpingo (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
- Bocote (Cordia alliodora)
- Boxelder (Acer negundo)
- Boxwood or Box (Buxus sempervirens)
- Brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata)
- Bubinga (Guibourtia)
- Buckeye (Aesculus)
- Common Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
- Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
- Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava syn. Aesculus octandra)
- Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
- Carapa (or Andiroba, Carap, Crappo, Crabwood and Santa Maria) (Carapa guianensis) .
- Catalpa (Catalpa)
- Cherry (Prunus)
- Black cherry (Prunus serotina)
- Red cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica)
- Wild cherry (Prunus avium)
- "Brazilian Cherry" Not a Cherry See Jatoba below
- Chestnut (Castanea dentata)
- Cape Chestnut (Calodendrum capense)
- Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum)
- Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
- Corkwood (Leitneria floridana)
- Cottonwood
- Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)
- Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
- Plains cottonwood (Populus sargentii)
- Swamp cottonwood (Populus heterophylla)
- Cucumbertree (Magnolia acuminata)
- Dogwood (Cornus spp.)
- Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
- Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii)
- Ebony (Diospyros)
- Andaman marble-wood (India) (Diospyros kurzii)
- Ebène marbre (Mauritius, E. Africa) (Diospyros melanida)
- Gabon ebony, Black ebony, African ebony (Diospyros crassiflora)
- Elm
- American elm (Ulmus americana)
- English elm (Ulmus procera)
- Rock elm (Ulmus thomasii)
- Slippery or Red elm (Ulmus rubra)
- Wych elm (Ulmus glabra)
- Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus)
- Lyptus
- Karri (W. Australia) (Eucalyptus diversicolor)
- Mahogany eucalyptus, (New South Wales) (Eucalyptus)
- Ironbark Eucalyptus sideroxylon
- Jarrah or West Australian eucalyptus (Eucalyptus marginata)
- Tasmanian oak or Mountain ash, (Eucalyptus regnans Eucalyptus obliqua Eucalyptus delegatensis)
- River Red Gum
- Blue Gum Eucalyptus saligna
- Greenheart (Guyana) (Chlorocardium rodiei)
- Grenadilla (Mpingo) (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
- Gum
- Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica)
- Blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
- Redgum or Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
- Tupelo gum (Nyssa aquatica)
- Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
- Hickory (Carya)
- Mockernut hickory (Carya alba)
- Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)
- Pignut hickory (Carya glabra)
- Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata)
- Shellbark hickory (Carya laciniosa)
- Hornbeam (Carpinus species)
- Hophornbeam, Eastern (Ostrya virginiana)
- Ipê or Poui (Tabebuia)
- Iroko (Milicia excelsa syn Chlorophora excelsa)
- Ironwood refers to the wood of many tree species noted for the hardness of their wood. Trees commonly known as ironwoods include:
- Bangkirai, also known as Balau.
- Carpinus caroliniana - also known as American hornbeam
- Casuarina equisetifolia - Common Ironwood from Australia
- Choricbangarpia subargentea
- Copaifera spp.
- Eusideroxylon zwageri
- Guajacum officinale and Guajacum sanctum - Lignum vitae
- Hopea odorata
- Ipe also known as Brazilian Walnut.
- Krugiodendron ferreum - Black Ironwood
- Lebombo ironwood Androstachys johnsonii
- Lyonothamnus lyonii (L. floribundus) - Catalina Ironwood
- Mesua ferrea - also known as Rose Chestnut or Ceylon Ironwood, from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia
- Olea spp. - various olive trees
- Olneya tesota - Desert Ironwood
- Ostrya virginiana - Hop hornbeam
- Parrotia persica -Persian Ironwood
- Tabebuia serratifolia-Yellow Lapacho
- Jacarandá, Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)
- Jatobá (Hymenaea courbaril)
- Lacewood from the Sycamore(N.Am.) or Plane(UK) trees (Platanus species)
- Laurel, California (Umbellularia californica)
- Limba (Terminalia superba)
- Lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale and Guaiacum sanctum)
- Locust
- Black locust or Yellow locust (Robinia pseudacacia)
- Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
- Mahogany
- Maple (Acer)
- Hard Maple (N.Am.)
- Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
- Black maple (Acer nigrum)
- Soft Maple (N.Am.)
- Manitoba maple (Acer negundo)
- Red maple (Acer rubrum)
- Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
- European Maples
- Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
- Meranti (Shorea spp.)
- Merbau (Intsia bijuga)
- Mpingo (Grenadilla) (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
- Oak (Quercus)
- American White Oak includes wood from any of the following species of trees:
- Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
- White oak (Quercus alba)
- Post oak (Quercus stellata)
- Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor)
- Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana)
- Swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii)
- Chestnut oak (Quercus prinus or Q. Montana)
- Chinkapin oak (Quercus muhlenbergii)
- Canyon live oak (Quercus chrysolepis)
- Overcup oak (Quercus lyrata)
- English oak, also French and Slavonian oak barrels (Quercus robur and sometimes Quercus petraea)
- Red oak includes wood from any of the following species of trees:
- Red oak (Quercus rubra)
- Black oak (Quercus velutina)
- Laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia))
- Southern red oak (Quercus falcata)
- Water oak (Quercus nigra)
- Willow oak {Quercus phellos)
- Nuttall's oak (Quercus texana or Q. nuttallii)
- "Tasmanian oak"; Not an oak see Eucalyptus above
- Australian "Silky oak"; Not an oak see Silky Oak below
- Obeche or Samba, Ayous, Arere, Wana, Abache (West Africa) (Triplochiton scleroxylon)
- Okoumé or "Gaboon" (Aucoumea klaineana)
- Olive (Olea europaea)
- Oregon Myrtle or California Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica)
- Padouk (Pterocarpus soyauxii)
- Palisander (Dalbergia)
- Pear (Pyrus communis)
- Pernambuco is another name for Brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata)
- Poplar (Populus; in N.Am, wood sold as poplar is usually Yellow-poplar - see below)
- Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)
- Black poplar (Populus nigra)
- Hybrid poplar (Populus canadensis)
- Yellow poplar or Tulip (Liriodendron tulipifera)
- Ramin
- Red cedar (Toona ciliata)
- Rosewood (Dalbergia spp.)
- Sal (Shorea robusta)
- Sandalwood (Santalum)
- Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
- Southern Sassafras or Australian (Atherosperma moschatum)
- Satinwood (Ceylon) (Chloroxylon swietenia)
- Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) - Sold as Lacewood in North America
- Silver Wattle Acacia dealbata
- Snakewood
- Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
- Spanish-cedar (Cedrela odorata)
- American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
- Tambotie (Spirostachys africana)
- Teak (Tectona grandis)
- Walnut (Juglans)
- Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
- Persian Walnut (Juglans regia)
- Brazilian walnut; Not a walnut see Ipe above.
- Wenge (Millettia laurentii)
- Panga-panga (Millettia stuhlmannii)
- Willow (Salix)
- Black willow (Salix nigra)
- Cricket-bat willow (Salix alba 'Coerulea')
- White willow (Salix alba)
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