see Cedar, South American

Other common names:  
Distribution:  
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Tallowwood heartwood is pale to darker yellow-brown with a noticeably lighter, almost white sapwood. This wood has a fairly coarse texture with an interlocking grain. As the word tallow suggests, the timber of this species feels waxy to the touch. Tallowwood is highly resistant to decay in-ground and will withstand damp and wet conditions quite well. Suitable for most external uses. Sapwood is susceptible to lyctid attack, and heartwood is resistant to preservative impregnation. 1000 kg/cu.m 
Working Characteristics: Tallowwood is reasonably easy to work. Gluing can be difficult due to the greasy nature of the timber. To resolve this problem, it may be necessary to wash the surface with a 10% sodium hydroxide solution before applying glue. Fixing with standard fixings and fasteners presents no problems. Tallowwood accepts paint, stain and polish readily. 
Common Uses:   Structural, Flooring, Internal lining, External cladding, joinery Tallowwood has a wide variety of uses including decking, flooring, cladding, linings, exposed structures, poles, piles, bridge timbers, joinery, turnery, out door furniture, boat building, and plywood. 
General :

From Japan Attains height of 90 feet and diameter of 9 feet. Harder than camphor wood and makes a good substitute for mahogany when stained. 

see Larch, European   see Western Larch

see Western Larch

Brazil & other areas in South & Central AmericaTamarind is a wood very similar in color and graining to Brazilian Cherry except that it is more uniform in color, which is an orangish brown. Tamarind is very uniform in color with little variation when sourced from Brazil. Tamarind will darken over time from a tan salmon color when fresh milled to a darker reddish brown.

See Balsa

Sapwood is not differentiated by colour from the heartwood, which is light yellow-brown, and darkening to brown with a purple-red or orange-yellow tinge. Grain is straight or shallowly interlocked. Texture is moderately fine but uneven due to the presence of the large rays. 

see PurpleHeart

Other common names:  
Distribution: Tanbark oak, sometimes called simply tan oak, is found only in the mountains of California and southwestern Oregon, being most abundant in the Coast counties, often associated with the Coast redwood. 
Tree Data: Sometimes 150 ft. high and over 4 ft. in diameter.
Timber Properties : The wood is softer than that of the true oaks, but resembles it closely, especially when quarter-sawed. It is not a durable wood. 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses: The cutting of this oak for its bark, used in tanning, is an important industry but the logs after peeling are ordinarily left in the woods. The wood has been used with some success for flooring and furniture. 
General : It bears an acorn like an oak but is not regarded as a true oak by botanists. It is evergreen.

Distribution : New Zealand

Very flexible. Clear light coloured wood without much grain detail. Easy to use, plan and sand. Takes a reasonably good finish.

610 kg/cum

Attains a diameter of over 4 feet. A light and soft to moderately hard wood. Splits and works easily. Abundant. Excellent for furniture and interior finish. It is also used in boat building, boxes, canoes and cabinets. Under the name "Philippine Mahogany" it is sold as a substitute for the true mahogany. Naval airplane propellers were made of this wood during World War I. It is the hardest, finest-grained, and, except for red lauan, the reddest of the lauan class.

see Tree daisy

650 kg m-3

Other common names: Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum, Blue Gum 
Distribution: South Eastern Australia, mainly Victoria and Tasmania. This specie's natural habitat is eastern coastal Tasmania. Tasmanian Blue Gum has been planted in many overseas countries e.g. California, and is one of the world's most widely planted eucalypt. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Tasmanian Blue Gum is pale straw to brown, often with blue green tones. Sapwood is paler than heartwood, but often difficult to distinguish. Tasmanian Blue Gum is a reasonably durable specie and combined with it's strength, makes it a very good structural timber. 900 kg/m3 Sapwood is susceptible to lyctid borer 
Working Characteristics: It is often used in an unseasoned condition, as it is difficult to dry and work. This timber is best when quarter sawn. 
Common Uses: It's appropriate for flooring in high traffic areas, especially where a pale colour is required. Tasmanian Blue Gum established a reputation for it's toughness and durability, particularly for bridge construction, railway sleepers, mine timbers and wharf piling. 
General : Oils extracted from blue gum leaves were also exported for use in medicines and varnishes.

Other common names: Southern Blue Gum 
Distribution:  
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Heartwood and sapwood of Tasmanian Blue gum are often indistinguishable being pale brown with an occasional pinkish tinge. Texture is medium to fairly even with an interlocking grain. Heartwood is moderately durable, but sapwood is susceptible to lyctid attack. 950 kg/cu.m 
Working Characteristics: Some difficulty in working may occur due to the dense interlocked nature of the wood. Tasmanian blue gum is a bendable wood if carefully chosen for straightness of grain. 
Common Uses: Structural, Flooring Tasmanian blue gum is a timber used in general building construction. Commonly used in above ground framing under protected circumstances. A valuable pulpwood and firewood species. 
General :  

Other common names: Botonallare, Peonia (Venezuela), Tatabu, Aramatta (Guyana), Zwarte kabbes (Surinam), Coeur dehors (French Guiana), Sapupira, Supupira, Sucupira (Brazil). 
Distribution: Uplands of the Guianas and in para and Amazonas in Brazil. Fairly common in parts of Brazil and French Guiana, infrequent in Surinam and Guyana. 
Tree Data: Commonly 90 to 100 ft in height and 16 to 24 in. in diameter, occasionally up to 40 in. The bole is usually straight, cylindrical, unbuttressed, and clear to lengths of 60 to 70 ft. 
Timber Properties : General Characteristics: Freshly cut heartwood is generally chocolate brown turning to a lighter brown when dry, occasionally greyish brown, with fine lighter parenchyma stripes; sharply demarcated from whitish or yellowish sapwood. Texture coarse; grain usually straight to slightly interlocked or slightly wavy; lustre medium to high and golden, often with a waxy appearance; without distinctive odour or taste. Weight: Basic specific gravity (oven-dry weight/green volume) 0.78; air-dry density 58 pcf.  Drying and Shrinkage: The wood is moderately difficult to air season and rapid drying results in some checking and warping. Considerable checking and warping will occur in kiln-drying unless a mild schedule is used. In laboratory evaluations, the heartwood is rated very durable in resistance to both white-rot and brown-rot fungi. Other evaluations rate the wood as moderately durable; highly resistant to attack by dry-wood termites; not resistant to marine borers. Preservation: If there is good end-grain exposure, absorption and penetration of preserving solutions are adequate using either open-tank or pressure-vacuum systems. .795 kg cum 
Working Characteristics: The wood is moderately difficult to work and resulting surfaces, especially in planing, are fair to poor due to the coarse texture and frequent grain irregularity. The wood turns well and takes a good finish if filler is first applied. 
Common Uses: Uses: Heavy construction work, boat building, flooring, furniture components, turnery, railroad crossties, and tool handles 
General :

Tree of 10 to 20 meters of height,found in Southeastern the Amazon region and. Its wood is used for civil and naval construction, pisos, boxes and packings, furniture, compensated, etc. 620 kg low resistance

Other common names: Malugay (Philippines), Matoa (PNG) 
Distribution: Taun has a wide natural distribution throughout Papua New Guinea, South East Asia,and in the Pacific as far as Fiji and Samoa. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Taun is a moderately hard and heavy timber. The heartwood ranges in colour from a pale or pink brown to a dark red brown, while the sapwood is pale brown to pink. The grain is usually straight or slightly interlocked, with a moderately coarse texture. The timber is non-siliceous, strong and stiff. Heartwood is reddish-brown with hints of pink which darkens with age. Sapwood is not always distinguishable from heartwood, and is commonly pale pink to buff. Texture is uniform and medium to coarse, with an interlocking grain. Taun heartwood is only moderately durable and should not be used in contact with ground. It may however be used externally. The sapwood is susceptible to borer attack and is very difficult to impregnate with preservative. The timber is moderately durable but is susceptible to attack by Lyctus Borer, pinhole borer, marine borer and blue stain. The heartwood cannot be preservative treated satisfactorily by pressure methods. The sapwood is moderately resistant to impregnation. 680 to 730kg/m3 Moderately durable Stable 
Working Characteristics: Taun is suitable for bending, turning an d gluing While taun is reasonably easy to work, dust from sanding may be an irritant to mucous membranes. Taun is readily sawn with little blunting effect. It planes well, but has a slight tendency to chip at cross grain junctions. It has good bending properties and peels smoothly, particularly after hot water conditioning. It also slices easily 
Common Uses: Flooring, Internal lining, External cladding, joinery, veneer Taun is used for cladding, fascia and barge boards, lining, panelling, internal flooring, cooperage, cabinet work, turnery, veneers, and plywood. It has also been used in boat building.. Typical end uses joinery, furniture, turnery, flooring, panelling cabinet work, musical instruments and boat building being some uses. 
General :

Other common names:  
Distribution: One of the few hardwood trees of commercial importance in New Zealand, Tawa is a native of New Zealand.  While the vast majority of the species is grown in the central North Island, the total forested area is now small. 
Tree Data: The Tawa tree is a medium to tall forest tree reaching a height of 25 metres and a trunk diameter of up to 1 metre developing buttress roots as it matures.
Timber Properties : The heartwood is creamy brown, sometimes containing dark brown or black streaks, the sapwood an even white. 720 kg/m3 Non durable 
Working Characteristics: The timber machines very well, and is one of the traditional timbers used in high quality flooring and panelling. Both sapwood and heartwood need to be preservative treated to inhibit insect attack. 
Common Uses: Tawa makes attractive and hardwearing flooring. Flooring, panelling, dowel manufacture, and other turning applications. Today used for papermaking, floors, paneling and furnishing. Same family as Bay tree (laurel). The fruit (plums) was soaked and pulped to use as food by the Maori people.
General : Its ability to be burnt from green undoubtedly accounted for the loss of large volumes of this timber in the early days. Tawa cannot be exported without a licence.

New Zealand

Distribution: New Zealand

Other common names:  Beech,  Silver beech

Tree Data: Cherry-like bark on young trees. Greyish white and furrowed on old trees.Cherry-like bark on young trees. Greyish white and furrowed on old trees. Grows to a height of 30m

Timber Properties : Reddish, even, compact straight grain. Straight grained, durable, not resistant in water.

Common Uses: Past – wharf and bridge building, railway sleepers. Present – furniture and decorative work.

Other common names:  Beech, Red Beech, Hard beech

Distribution: New Zealand

Tree Data: Grows to a height of 30m has smooth whitish bark when young torning grey and becoming deeply furrowed with age. Bright red leaves turning leathery.

Timber light to medium brown heartwood and light brown sapwood

Uses - structural and fencing - most dyrable of new Zealands beeches

see also Leptospermum scoparium 

see Kanuka

see Manuka

Tree of 20 to 35 meters of height, found in Southeastern the Amazon region and. Its wood is used for civil construction, pisos, would marcenaria, internal finishings, etc. 770 kg moderately durable 

Other common names: Burma teak, Rangoon teak, moulmein teak, gia thi, jati sak, kyun, mai sak, rosawa, and many other local names. 
Distribution: Grows in Indonesia, India, and Central America. 
Tree Data: Teak is very fast growing, and on favourable sites may reach 130 to 150 feet in height with clear boles of 80 to 90 feet. The trunks are cylindrical to fluted and may reach 3 to 5 feet in diameter. 
Timber Properties : Generally straight grained with a coarse, uneven texture, medium lustre and an oily feel. Yellow brown to dark golden brown heartwood and greyish or white sapwood. Moderately hard and heavy, with low stiffness and shock resistance, moderate bending strength, moderate steam bending, and excellent decay resistance and dimensional stability. Good acid resistance. Teak is a beautiful golden to dark brown, sometimes reddish brown, with a straight grain, sometimes wavy. Teak is rich in natural oils, is easily worked, and dresses to a very smooth finish. Because of its natural oils, teak is very durable and resistant to moisture and the drying effects of exposure to weather. Teak is unique in that it does not cause rust or corrosion when in contact with metal True Teak exhibits a wide range of colours when fresh cut, from pale yellows to orange browns with darker striping, all of which mellows into medium brown tones. True Teak undergoes an extreme degree of colour change with pronounced colour change from the highly variegated colouring found in material fresh sanded which then darkens to a golden brown with substantial muting of the initial colour range over time. Costa Rica Brazilian Teak is usually colour sorted into medium and dark range selections in which the tan brownish tones are offered in the regular (or medium) selection while the dark reddish browns are offered in the dark selection. Brazilian Teak colour range will slightly mute over time into a more uniform colour in the range offered.  
Working Characteristics: Works reasonably well with hand or machine tools but silica in wood is tough on cutting edges and machine dust can be an irritant. Good turning and carving properties. Gluing best done on freshly cut surfaces due to oily nature. Pre-drilling recommended for screwing and nailing. Stains and finishes well although natural oils can cause adhesion difficulties. 
Common Uses: Has numerous uses including ship building (especially decks), indoor or outdoor furniture, high class joinery, flooring, panelling, plywood, decorative veneers, turnery, carving, chemical tanks and vats Teak is a very valuable wood and is prized throughout the world. It is sought for the decks, trim and detail work in expensive boats, and fine furniture, flooring, carving, joinery, cabinetwork, paneling, turnery and veneer. Teak is famous the world over as a superior shipbuilding wood. It combines ease of working with strength, resistance to decay and to warping and checking with changes of moisture and temperature. It is used for decking, deck housings, armor backing, furniture, porch floors, interior trim, wood carving, cabinets, etc. Teak comes principally from Burma and Thailand. 
General : Teak has been heavily exploited for more than a century and is increasingly difficult to obtain. It is listed as endangered. Teak has been prized for centuries as one of the worlds most durable and stable woods for outdoor use. Brazilian Teak, Cumaru Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Brazilian Teak & Brazilian Chestnut are the same species

see Teak, Burmese

see Teak, Burmese

Other common names: Zambesi redwood, umgusi, mukushi and mukusi. 
Distribution: Grows in Zambia and Zimbabwe. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Fine even texture, straight or slightly interlocked grain, red-brown heartwood, often with black flecks, and much paler sapwood. Very heavy and hard with a high resistance to abrasion. Rates high in bending and crushing strength, decay resistance, and stability in service. 
Working Characteristics: Has excellent turning properties but is otherwise difficult to work. Has a severe blunting effect on cutting edges and tends to burn during machining. Pre-drilling required for screwing and nailing. Glues, stains, and finishes well 
Common Uses: Used for turned objects, flooring, furniture, wagons and railroad construction. 
General :

Other common names:  
Distribution: B. plurijuga is found growing in Kalahari sand areas, where it is extensively protected by large areas of National Park and Forestry Reserve within Zimbabwe 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : An attractive, even-textured hardwood which is extremely durable. Dark red-brown in colour and fine grained, 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses:  
General :. 

BrazilGolden Teak, Ruby Teak and Brown Teak as their names depict there true colors. Aging produces no significant color change.

BrazilGolden Teak, Ruby Teak and Brown Teak as their names depict there true colors. Aging produces no significant color change.

Sapwood is not well-defined from the heartwood, which is light yellow-brown, darkening on exposure to deep golden or orange-brown. Grain is straight to slightly wavy. Texture is fine and even. Suitable for heavy construction, bridges, wharves, heavy-duty flooring, parquet flooring, panelling, heavy-duty furniture, turnery, wooden mathematical instruments and drawing boards. 

see Honeylocust

A relative of the cedar family, Thuya is indigenous to the hot, dry climes of Morocco and Algeria. Thuya burls are actually outgrowths on the roots of Thuya trees, not part of the trunk or branches. Above ground, most of the Thuya trees are long gone in Morocco, having been cut down to build houses (although there is a new tree-planting project in the works).Below ground, however, lies a treasure trove of Thuya burls.

Cabbage Tree

12 – 20m. – flowers mainly October / November – a distinctive plant with tall straight trunk with a dense rounded head of long straight flax like leaves.  The clusters of flowers have a strong scent and carry nectar which attracts insects in large numbers.

The fruit is ripe in late summer.

A very important source of food for many birds but especially the saddlebacks who collect insects from the leaves as well.

The Cabbage Tree was used by the Maori people and early settlers.  The pith and inner roots were used to make a kind of porridge.  The early Europeans used hollowed out trunks as chimneys as they do not burn.

These have been planted in large numbers.

see Sitka Spruce

see Lime, European

OTHER COMMON NAMES:   Timbauba, hevio   SOURCE:   Argentina, Bolivia, Southern Brazil DESCRIPTION:   Heartwood is light yellowish tan in color, sometimes with dark brown streaks, medium texture. A relative of guanacaste, but much heavier; comparable to cocobolo in density. Dust is a potential irritant to mucous membranes. DURABILITY:   Very durable

New Zealand Oak

10m. A handsome shiny leaved tree that frequents coastal and lowland forests.  Flowering is in spring and the seeds take up to a year to mature.  The colourful seeds are initially contained in a hairy woody capsule which splits revealing bright red and black fruit.  The black portion being the seed.

South AmericaLight brown wood with beautiful natural patterns produced by the growth rings. The grain is fine and straight. No significant color change occurs over time. 

Horse chestnut From Japan Attains height of 120 feet and diameter of 12 feet. Used for carvings and for cabinet making. Wood of old trees is used as a substitute for maple. 

see Walnut, Black

see also Borassus flabellifer   Phoenix sylvestris 

White Fir From Japan Height 120 feet and diameter 35 inches. Wood is soft, and used in house and ship building, cabinet making and paper pulp. 

(Hondo Spruce) From Japan Attains a height of 75 feet and diameter of 26 inches; wood is soft, tough and elastic; used in bent wood ware and in paper pulp. 

see Agba

see Agba

Other common names:  
Distribution: This variety, with its yellowish brown colour, is fairly widespread in Central Africa 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Natural pink yellowish brown colour that darkens with exposure to light. Medium to coarse texture. Straight grain to slight countergrain. Fine silver grain 750-850 kg / m3 
Working Characteristics: soft and easy to work. 
Common Uses: It is perfectly suited to all interior joinery work, responds well to rotary cutting (plywood) and provides pleasant looking mouldings. Interior joinery: mouldings, interior fittings, furniture. Exterior joinery. Rotary cutting. Plywood 
General : Forest production is fairly significant and stable.

see Cedar, AUstralian Red

See Balsa

Other common names:  

Tree data : 30m conifer tree with Bark thick, stringy deeply furrowed. Red/grey.

Distribution: New Zealand

Timber : Red, straight grained

Properties : Easy to work but brittle, resistant to toledo worm, durable in ground contact.

Uses: Past – house piles and frames, fence posts, bridges, railway sleepers, piles for early wharves. Present – only for Maori cultural purposes.

Limited availability - New Zealand's answer to Cedar. Light (sapwood), easily worked and very durable. It was the wood of choice for Waka's and carving during pre-European times.

Other common names: Tawhero
Distribution:  New Zealand - North cape to Bombay Hills
Tree Data: Tall - to 30m White Flowers in Racemes

Other common names: Trebol, macacauba, or macawood Cristobal 
Distribution:  
Tree Data: Trebol is a medium-sized to large canopy tree, up to 100 feet in height in the natural rainforest, with trunk diameters of up to 3 feet, with a clear, straight, cylindrical bole to 60 feet above a buttress. Trebol is leguminous or nitrogen-fixing. 
Timber Properties : Trebol is a beautiful wood, ranging in color from bright mahogany red to reddish brown, with handsome irregular figuring, sometimes with streaks of light or pinkish brown. It is hard and strong, with a uniform medium texture, and a medium to high luster. 
Working Characteristics: Trebol works easily, finishes smoothly, takes a high polish, and responds well to hand tools. It glues, nails and screws well, and is rated highly durable.  
Common Uses: Trebol is used for fine furniture and cabinetry, decorative veneers, flooring, musical instruments, turnery, joinery and specialty items such as violin bows and billiard cues. 
General : Because of the great beauty and high value of its wood, trebol has been heavily exploited and is now in danger of extinction outside of national parks and preserves. It is listed as threatened in "Arboles Maderables en Peligro de Extinción en Costa Rica." 

Akepiro, Tanguru

New Zealand

see Basswood

see also Terminalia arjuna 

see Cedar, True

see Mahogany (So. Amer)

 see also Tecoma capensis 

(Hemlock) From Japan Attains a height of 90 feet and diameter of 40 inches. Wood is strong; used in houses and shipbuilding, boxes, paper pulp, etc. 

Sapwood is well-defined. Heartwood is reddish brown to deep brick red-brown when fresh, weathering to a deep chocolate brown. Grain is interlocked, often deeply interlocked. Texture is rather coarse but even except in areas where included phloem occurs. 

see Iroko

see Yellow Poplar

see Yellow Poplar

Cream with pinkish red stripes see Yellow Poplar

Other common names: pau rosa, jacaranda rosa, pau de fuso, pinkwood, and bois de rose. 
Distribution: Grows in Brazil 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Typically interlocked, irregular grain with medium to fine texture. Very striking heartwood - straw colored with irregular streaks of shades of yellow rose, pink and violet. Fades with age. Very hard, heavy, compact, splintery wood. Low shock resistance, stiffness, and bending strength. Stable in use. 
Working Characteristics: Very hard to work due to splintering and dulling effect on tools. Pre-drilling required for screwing or nailing. Glues well and polishes to a beautiful natural luster. 
Common Uses: Once used extensively for classical 18th century furniture; now used mainly for inlaying, marquetry, bandings, turnery, brush backs, and various decorative, fancy goods. 
General :

An abundant species in the moist bottomlands and swamps of the southeastern U.S. Reaches a size of 3' x 100' occasionally. Also known as Tupelo gum. Because it is rather difficult to season without warping, the wood has been avoided, but it posseses such toughness and wear resistance that it is highly suitable for trucking floors, implement parts, vehicle bodies. Also used for paper pulp. 

see Tupelo, Black

Other common names: black gum, tupelo gum, yellow gum, lau tau, resak, sour gum, pepperidge, and wild pear tree. 
Distribution: Grows in eastern half of United States. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Close, interlocked grain with a fine uniform texture. Light brownish gray heartwood and a very wide, lighter colored sapwood. Tough, moderately heavy, hard, and strong with low stiffness, steam bending, shock resistance, and decay resistance. 
Working Characteristics: Challenging to work due to interlocked grain. Tends to burn during turning. Difficult to split and nail - pre-drilling recommended. Glues satisfactorily. Finishes easily to a smooth, shiny surface. 
Common Uses: Used for inexpensive furniture, furniture components, boxes, crates, baskets, cooperage, food containers, industrial flooring, rollers, caskets, sash, doors, blocks, gun stocks, railroad crossties, and pulp. 
General :

Karo

New Zealand

9m. – A shrub or small tree which favors stream sides and forest margins especially – near the coast.  Withstands wind and is used extensively for shelter for regeneration and domestic situations.  The leaves have adapted to these locations with thickened leaves which have a felt like covering of hairs on the under surface to reduce moisture loss.  The dark red flowers are heavily scented – especially noticeable in the evening and are attractive to insects as well as birds.

see also Musanga cecropioides  Cussonia spicata  Sophora japonica  Schefflera actinophylla  Thespesia populnea  Maesopsis eminii 

see Teak, Rhodesian

See BAGTIKAN:

Other common names: Chibitan, urbitan 
Distribution: Southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Very durable Urundel is related to goncalo alves, but the heartwood color tends to be less marbled and more of a solid rusty red. Texture is extremely fine and uniform with an oily natural luster. Exceptionally dense and heavy, with excellent decay resistance. Dust is irritating to mucous membranes and a potential allergen. 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses:  
General : 

Other common names: abebay, afau-konkonti, assie, efuodwe, kosi-kosi, mebrou zuiri, okeong, and sipo. 
Distribution: Grows throughout tropical regions of central Africa, particularly Ghana and Ivory Coast. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Interlocked, irregular grain with medium texture. Often produces a striped ribbon figure. Light brown sapwood and reddish brown, mahogany-like heartwood. Hard and moderately heavy with relatively high bending and crushing strength, medium stiffness, low shock resistance, and medium movement in service. Moderate to high (heartwood only) decay resistance. Very poor steam-bending rating. 
Working Characteristics: Works well with both hand and machine tools. Reduced cutting angle recommended to reduce tearing. Turns, routs, and bores satisfactorily. Glues easily and holds screws and nails well. Sands, stains and polishes satisfactorily but grain-filling sometimes recommended. 
Common Uses: Used for furniture, cabinets, turnery, interior and exterior joinery, interior construction, flooring, office fixtures, stair rails, boat building, muscial instruments, sports equipment, plywood, and veneer. 
General :

see Mesquite

"Maracaibo Lignum Vitae". Virtually identical to Lignum Vitae except for less oil and a lighter color to the wood. It is also available in much larger sizes due to the growth of the tree. It is the only tree of the Lignum Vitae family that grows to timber size.80+lbs per cubic foot.

see African Padauk

see Oak, Australian

see Kingwood

see Kingwood

see Kingwood

see PurpleHeart

Other common names: Ibiraro, guiaro 
Distribution: Extreme southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Moderately decay resistant 660 kg cum Heartwood is reddish brown, figure resembles mahogany, but often displays dark stripes and is more lustrous. Turns well and has good steam bending properties. 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses:  
General : 

light / medium – 530 kg m-3 - interior carpentry furniture, mouldings 

see European Hornbeam

Other common names: Vitex also known as Vasa 
Distribution: Found in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : The sapwood is usually about 50mm wide in the log and pale yellowish brown in colour. The heartwood is darker yellowish brown or walnut brown. The grain is straight to interlocked, and commonly appears as a ribbon-like pattern in the timber. The texture is fine and even, and the overall appearance slightly lustrous. Freshly sawn boards have a leathery colour. The timber is greasy to the touch. Vitex dries well with little degradation occurring provided stacks are weighted and fillets closely spaced. The timber is difficult to treat under pressure because the sapwood is narrow and the heartwood highly resistant to treatment. The sapwood is not susceptible to powder-post beetle (Lyctus species) attack. 705 kg/m3 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses:  
General :

Other common names: Palo machete (Venezuela), Wallaba (Guyana), Walaba Bijhout (Surinam), Wapa (French Guiana), Apa’, Apazeiro, Jebaro (Brazil). 
Distribution: Centered in the Guianas but extends into Venezuela and the Amazon region of northern Brazil. Generally occurs in pure stands or as dominants, mostly on acid white sandy soils. Also common in creek valleys and in high savanna forests.   
Tree Data: The Tree Usually 80 to 90 ft high with trunk diameters 16 to 24 in. above the low buttresses. Boles straight, cylindrical, and clear to 40 to 60 ft. Heart rot common. 
Timber Properties : Heartwood light to dark red to reddish- or purplish-brown with characteristic dark gummy streaks; sharply demarcated from the narrow grayish-or brownish- white sapwood, also streaked with gum. Texture rather coarse; grain typically straight; luster absent; taste not distinctive but with rancid odor when fresh which disappears on drying. Weight: Basic specific gravity (oven-dry weight/green volume) 0.78; air-dry density 58 pcf.. Wood dries very slowly with a marked tendency to check, split, and warp; honeycomb may develop in thick material. Heartwood is reported to be very durable, resistant to subterranean termites, and fairly resistant to dry-wood termites. Resistance to marine borers is low. Preservation: Extremely resistant to preservation treatments. 
Working Characteristics: Though the wood has a high density, it is easy to work with hand and machine tools; however, high gum exudation clogs saw teeth and cutters. Once kiln dried, gum exudates are not a serious problem in machining; glues and polishes well 
Common Uses: Heavy construction, railroad crossties, poles (sapwood peeled), industrial flooring, tank staves, and highly favored for charcoal. 
General : 

see Queensland Walnut

see Walnut, Black

see Walnut, Black

Growing in canyon bottoms and along creeks, this tree can be found from the mountains of the ponderosa pine zone through the foothills in the margins of riparian zones. It grows in the southwest quarter of New Mexico, in the southeast and central mountains of Arizona, and south into Mexico. Arizona walnut may reach up to 80' in height and three feet in diameter, but is generally much smaller and grows in scattered stands. It has little commercial value due to its scattered occurrence, but provides important cover, while the small nuts are important to squirrels.

see Queensland Walnut

Other common names: walnut, American black walnut, American walnut, Canadian walnut, black hickory nut, gun wood, canaletto, nogal, and tocte. 
Distribution: Grows in United States and Canada. Originally found from southern Ontario and southwest New England south to Florida and west to Minn., Kansas and Texas, being found only on the richer soils. Many old walnut stumps are now being dug up and made into veneer. American black walnut can be found with both a straight grain, or a distinctive, highly figured grain. Curly and wavy figures can produce interesting looks in veneers such as walnut butt, crotches, burls, fiddleback, leaf, and straight stripe 
Tree Data: Maximum size of the tree is 6' x 150' 
Timber Properties : Generally straight grained with a moderately coarse, uniform texture. Rich dark brown heartwood and nearly white sapwood. Moderately heavy, hard, strong, and stiff, with good decay resistance and dimensional stability. Works very well with machine or hand tools. Excels at turning, molding, routing, shaping, carving, and drilling. Sands easily and finishes to a velvety, natural-colored sheen. 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses: Prized in North America for high-end cabinetry and furniture. Ideal for gun stocks due to dimensional stability and ability to absorb recoil. Also used for decorative panels and veneer, interior joinery, novelties, carving, turnery, boat building, clockcases, and musical instruments. For gunstocks, fine furniture, cabinets and interior finish, it is unsurpassed. Very few woods lend so much dignity to furniture and interiors. 
General : At one time it was very abundant and was used for railroad ties and fence posts and rails, but the supply is now very limited. Besides being a beautiful cabinetry wood, walnut is an excellent choice for carving and lathe work. It is also a common choice for gunstocks. Because of the woods' weight, elasticity and smoothness of touch, walnut handles a gun's recoil better than any other wood. Walnut is a tough and hard wood. Works well with machine and hand tools. Has mostly straight grain and is sometimes coarse. Nails and holds screws well. Glues well. Finishes well. Can be polished to a high sheen.

see Walnut, BlackBrazilian Walnut is very hard dense wood with a deep rich brown coloration and exceedingly fine graining. Brazilian Walnut color range varies considerably based on where it grows.  It can vary from a light yellowish tan color with greenish overtones to an almost blackish brown.  WFI offers Brazilian Walnut in the medium brown tones. Brazilian Walnut when freshly milled will exhibit a large range of coloration, which will quickly mute into a more uniform range which then will darken over time to a medium to dark brown color.

Other common names: Bolivia, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, & MexicoPeruvian 
Distribution:  
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Walnut is a rich medium to dark brown wood from the same family as North American Walnut and is similar in appearance.  Offered in a select grade without the cream colored sap wood so prevalent in N. American Walnut, Peruvian Walnut is more uniformly colored choice. Color Range: Peruvian Walnut is more uniform in color and has less of the golden tones than found in N. American Walnut. Color Change: Peruvian Walnut exhibits medium degree of color change. In fresh milled stock, “a milky blotchy color” may be seen which quickly darkens to true walnut color.  This change happens quickly over a few month period.  Then Peruvian Walnut exhibits a medium degree of muting of the color range darkening to a dark brown and does not amber as much over time as N. American Walnut. 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses:  
General :

see Queensland Walnut

see Sweetgum

see Birch, European

see Sycamore

see Elm, American

see Maple, Red

see Muhuhu

see Blackwood, Australian

Welaby Wood comes from South African peat bogs, where it has lain curing for 100's of years and even longer.  It has been treated and pressure washed, and is ready to work. there are three sizes.  WELABY WOOD ALSO KNOWN AS MALAYSIAN DRIFTWOOD

Other common names:  
Distribution: Central Africa 
Tree Data:  
Timber Properties : Dark brown, coarse grain This deep brown and black colored wood is heavy and dense with straight grain. Wenge is a uniform dark chocolate brown color that is used primarily for contrasting accent strips or in those areas desiring such bold dark look. Wenge is offered in selected straight grain for a very uniform look or in mixed graining, where the flat sawn figure yields a visible “flower” look. A related species from East Africa, Panga Panga, is also offered in the trade. It has the same graining as Wenge but with a more yellowish tone to it and never darkens as much as Wenge. Wenge, once aged is very uniform in color.  Selected straight grain yields the most uniform selection. Wenge exhibits a large degree of color change with pronounced darkening from the yellowish color it is when freshly milled to a deep chocolate/black brown when aged.  This process happens within a few months. 
Working Characteristics: Wenge has good workablity, but make sure your blades are very sharp. Wenge has a course texture and must be filled to ensure best finishing results. Disadvantages: does not glue well, often splinters and bleaches out. 
Common Uses: Interior fittings furniture, stairs, 
General : Wenge Although difficult to work with, wenge offers a great visual appeal.

tall tree common to the American tropics

Not easy to work, but finishes smooth

non durable

Sapwood is pink to yellow in colour, heartwood is orange to dark brown with a pronounced silver grain

Used in cabinetry, furniture ship building

See Alder, Red

Other common names: goldenleaf chinquapin and locally as "chinquapin oak." 
Distribution: A tree of the Pacific Coast region from Columbia River (along western slope of Cascades and Sierra) to San Jancinto Mts., Calif. 
Tree Data: Reaches its greatest size in Mendocino County where it is often over 100 ft. high and over 40" in diameter, with a straight, clear trunk. Only a shrub in the Sierras. 
Timber Properties : Wood is hard, heavy and strong, 
Working Characteristics:  
Common Uses: used locally for wagon repairs, and similar work. Has possibilities for flooring and furniture when problems of seasoning are solved. 
General :

Other common names: larch, tamarack, western tamarack, hackmatack, Montana larch, and mountain larch. 
Distribution: Unfortunately not very abundant.Grows in British Columbia and northwestern United States. Found native in B.C., Alberta, western Montana, northern Idaho, central and northeastern Washington and northern Oregon. 
Tree Data: Maximum size 8'x250', averaging 2'-2 1/2 'x150'. 
Timber Properties : Straight grained with a coarse texture and oily appearance. Reddish brown heartwood and yellowish white sapwood. Moderately heavy and hard with high stiffness, bending and crushing strength, and moderate decay resistance. One of the harder, stronger, and heavier softwoods. Stable in service. 
Working Characteristics: Works fairly well although stringy grain can cause problems when planing. Turns, routs, and bores well. Glues satisfactorily. Holds nails and screws well but pre-drilling recommended to prevent splitting. Primer recommended for paints and other finishes. Wood is heavy, hard and strong, close-grained and durable. 
Common Uses: Used for construction lumber, interior finish, sash, flooring, doors, boxes, crates, pallets, casks, veneer, plywood, and glue-laminated beams. 
General : Most important and valuable of the Larch timber species. Properties are similar to those of Douglas-fir and is often marketed and sold as "Doug fir-Larch".

see Maple, Bigleaf

Other common names: arborvitae, giant arborvitae, giant cedar,canoe cedar, Pacific redcedar, and shinglewood.
Distribution: Grows in western United States and Canada. The species grows naturally in British Columbia in Canada, and in the Pacific North West of USA.  
Tree Data: Maximum size is 15' x 200', average 3-8' x 100- 150' 
Timber Properties : Straight and even grained with a uniform, coarse texture. Pinkish brown to dull brown heartwood and nearly white sapwood.durable  350 - 390 kg m-3 Light, moderately soft, low strength and shock resistance, very good decay resistance, and good stability in service. Poor steam bending rating. One of the best United States softwoods for outdoor applications. Heartwood variable from pale to dark brown with yellowish-white sapwood. Grain is straight with a fine and even texture. Heartwood is quite durable but difficult to preservative impregnate. 
Working Characteristics: Turns, bores, cuts, and otherwise works well with hand or machine tools. Glues, nails, and screws satisfactorily. Finishes well, especially with natural finishes. Western Red Cedar is soft and easy to work. It glues well. Care need to be taken when planing because of softness of the material, and when cutting the end grain because of its brittleness . Damp wood causes corrosion in iron, so it is advisable to use galvanised nails. Care should be taken to ventilate the work area as the dust is an irritant. 
Common Uses: conservatories, external joinery shingles Commonly used for shingles due to decay resistance and predictability of splitting. Also used for poles, posts, boxes, crates, caskets, siding, boat building, porch columns, saunas, canoes, and decorative veneers. Western Red Cedar is used for internal and external cladding and joinery. It is also used for windows, garden furniture, shingles and shakes 
General : Sometimes known  as America's overcoat wood because it is so widely used, more so than any other wood, for shingles and siding. The resource is large, but international demand for Clear grades of Western Red Cedar continues to exceed the sawmillers' ability to supply

see Western Larch

Other common names: Idaho white pine, mountain pine, white pine, and silver pine. 
Distribution: Grows in western United States and Canada. Known to foresters and botanists as western white pine. The most valuable tree of Montana and Idaho. Very similar to the famous eastern white pine. Brings very high price as lumber. Although its range extends from Vancouver south to Southern California, and east to the Continental Divide in Montana, its production centers in Idaho and Montana. 
Tree Data: Maximum size 7' x 200', average 30"x150'. 
Timber Properties : Straight and even grained with a medium to coarse texture. Cream colored to light reddish brown heartwood that darkens on exposure and yellowish white sapwood. Similar to easern white pine in appearance. Light, soft, moderately stiff, low strength and shock resistance, moderately low decay resistance, and good stability in service. 
Working Characteristics: Turns, planes, and generally works very well with machine or hand tools. Steam-bends quite well. Glues satisfactorily. Holds nails and screws well without need to pre-drill. Paints and finishes fairly well but beware of blotchiness when staining. 
Common Uses: Used for building construction, boxes, crates, matches, carvings, patterns, millwork, fixtures, caskets, paneling, and plywood. 
General : Wood is light, soft, straight-grained, easy to work and holds its shape well. 

see Ponderosa Pine

see Yew, Pacific

see Pine, Eastern White

New Zealand

6m. A handsome shrub or small tree with shiny yellowish green leaves.

These have a distinctive strong citrus smell when crushed as Melicope belong to the citrus family.

Small yellowish green flowers in early spring followed by brown capsules each with 4 small pods containing one black seed from late spring to late summer.

New Zealand Mulberry, Corkwood

6m. A shrub or small tree with large soft attractive leaves giving a tropical appearance. Found in low forest along the coast and inland.

The flowers are white and occur early spring to mid summer. The dry fruit capsules are very distinct brown and covered with spines not unlike in appearance to thistle.

The wood is very light and was used by the Maori as fishing floats.  It is thought to be as light as balsa wood.

Rapid shade producer.

pale straw non Durable 670 kg m-3 furniture, interior joinery shopfitting flooring kitchens Noted for its excellent strength and shock resistance. It is not hard to imagine why the earliest windmills were made of ash Today, it is highly regarded in athletic equipment, such as baseball bats and tool handles, where strength is important. Ash is an excellent choice for flooring because it has a pronounced grain pattern, finishes to a bright luster, and its color varies from white to light brown. Ash is very similar to red oak in grain quality. Floors made of white ash will bring years of enjoyment. Excellent appearance with light variations of sapwood and heartwod. Occasional pin knots and character marks. Average length 3'4", minimum 18" Small tight knots. Variations in color from light to dark. Average length 3', minimum 15".

see Beech, American

see Birch, Paper

see Birch, Paper

see Cedar, Alaska   see Cedar Atlantic White    see Cedar, Port-Orford  see Cedar, Northern White  

See Baldcypress

Persimmon

see Elm, American

Other common names: western fir, concolor fir, Colorado fir, silver fir, white fir, lows fir, and white balsam. 
Distribution: One of six commercial species of fir grown in western United States. Others are Subalpine fir, California red fir, grand fir, noble fir, and Pacific silver fir. A beautiful tree of increasing commercial value. Occurs in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado west to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the inner California Coast ranges, north into Oregon and south into New Mexico and Arizona. 
Tree Data: Sometimes exceeds 200 ft. in height and reaches a diameter of 6 ft. 
Timber Properties : Generally straight and quite even grained with medium to coarse texture. Whitish to yellowish brown heartwood, indistinguishable from sapwood. Light, soft, moderately stiff, low strength, low shock resistance, and low decay resistance. 
Working Characteristics: Works satisfactorily with hand or machine tools. Turns easily. Exceptional gluing, nailing, and screwing properties. Stains, paints, and varnishes well. 
Common Uses: Used primarily for general construction, as well as boxes, crates, sash, doors, trim, plywood, and pulpwood. 
General : The wood is soft, light in weight and colour, not durable, but makes good general utility lumber, plywood, and pulp chips. In early days used for the manufacture of butter firkins due to its lack of resin and odour

see Guarea

see Hickory, Shagbark

see Holly, American

see Maple, Bigleaf

see Albizia

see Oak, White

see Pine, Eastern White  see Western White Pine

see Yellow Poplar

See BAGTIKAN: