Domestic Hardwood Species

Scientific Name:

Populus Tremuloides, Populus grandidentata

Common Names:

Aspen, Popple, Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen, Bigtooth Aspen

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4. Limited availability in 5/4 – 8/4

Common Uses:

Furniture, giftware

Regional Differences:

Aspen is exclusively a northern species

Color Specifications:

Unselected, Limited Red Heart

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Stain, red heart

Alternatives:

Basswood, Cottonwood, Yellow Poplar

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 2690 lbs/MBF (517 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.35, Green 0.33

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 370 psi Quaking, 450 psi Bigtooth

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 350 Quaking, 420 Bigtooth

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Scientific Name:

Tilia americana

Common Names:

Basswood, American Linden, American Lime

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 8/4. Limited availability in 9/4 – 16/4

Common Uses:

Venetian blinds, piano keys, picture frame mouldings, carvings, giftware

Regional Differences:

Northern region Basswood is generally lighter in color than Appalachian region Basswood

Color Specifications:

Unselected, Winter Sawn Basswood is occasionally specified due to the brighter white color of lumber when sawn in winter

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

tain, sticker indentation

Alternatives:

Aspen, Yellow Poplar, Cottonwood

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 2580 lbs/MBF (496 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.38, Green 0.32

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 370 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 410

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Scientific Name:

Prunus serotina

Common Names:

Cherry, Black Cherry, Wild Cherry

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 8/4. Limited availability in 10/4 – 12/4

FSC Availability:

Yes

Common Uses:

Flooring, cabinets, furniture, mouldings

Regional Differences:

Northern and Appalachian Cherry are similar. Cherry from Pennsylvania is generally believed to have the best color and lowest gum pocket content

Color Specifications:

Unselected, Unlimited Sapwood, Red 1 Face, The red heartwood content of each face is often specified as a percentage

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Gum pocket

Alternatives:

Soft Maple, White Birch (when both are stained)

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 3760 lbs/MBF (723 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.51, Green 0.45

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 690 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 950

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Scientific Name:

Carya Ovata

Common Names:

Hickory, Shagbark Hickory, Pecan

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 & 5/4. Limited availability in 6/4 & 8/4. Many mills avoid producing hickory in summer due to risk of stain

Common Uses:

Flooring, cabinets, tool handles

Regional Differences:

Hickory from northern states displays a higher percentage of heartwood and mixed heartwood/sapwood (Calico). Southern Appalachian hickory tends to have a relatively high sapwood content. Pecan hickory is often found mixed in hickory lumber from Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee & Kentucky

Color Specifications:

Sap 1 Face, Unselected, Calico (mixed heartwood & sapwood), Brown

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Stain, sticker shadow

Alternatives:

Ash, Oak

Shipping Weight:

Kiln dried: 4200 lbs/MBF (807 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.64, Green 0.60

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 1760 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1820

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Scientific Name:

Juglans nigra

Common Names:

Walnut, Black Walnut, Eastern Walnut

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 8/4. Limited availability in 10/4 – 16/4

Common Uses:

Flooring, cabinets, furniture, mouldings, trophies, giftware

Regional Differences:

Walnut from the north often shows a more uniform chocolate brown color. Walnut from the southern end of the growing range may exhibit a wider range of color with some green or purple hues

Color Specifications:

Steamed, unsteamed. Nearly all walnut is steamed prior to kiln drying. Steaming darkens the sapwood through caramelization of the plant sugars in the wood fiber. Although walnut sapwood darkens considerably during steaming, after planing it will remain lighter in color than the heartwood

Grade:

Walnut is graded per NHLA Walnut grade rules. These rules are generally considered to be more lenient than NHLA Standard grade rules

Defects to consider:

Poor steaming, honeycomb (in thick stock)

Alternatives:

Rosewood, Wenge

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 3660 lbs/MBF (703 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.55, Green 0.48

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 1010 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1010

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Scientific Name:

Liriodendron tulipifera

Common Names:

Yellow Poplar, Poplar, Tulipwood

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 8/4. Limited availability in 10/4 – 16/4

Common Uses:

Furniture, mouldings

Regional Differences:

Yellow Poplar is primarily an Appalachian and Central Region species

Color Specifications:

Unselected, Restrictions on mineral & dark heartwood are sometimes specified. A light celery green to white color is often preferred

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Stain, purple heart, mineral

Alternatives:

Basswood, Cottonwood, Yellow Poplar

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 2800 lbs/MBF (538 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.38, Green 0.36

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 500 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 540

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Scientific Name:

Pinus strobus

Common Names:

Eastern White Pine, White Pine

Market Availability:

Widely available in 4/4 – 8/4

Common Uses:

Joinery, mouldings, cabinets, paneling

Regional Differences:

Available from forests in the Northern Midwest, Northeast and Carolinas

Color Specifications:

Unselected

Grade:

Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA) Eastern White Pine grade rules; From highest to lowest: C Select, D Select, Finish common, Premium common, Standard common, Industrial common

Defects to consider:

Stain, pitch

Alternatives:

Basswood, Aspen, Cottonwood, Yellow Poplar

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 2300 lbs/MBF (442 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.42

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 350 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 380

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Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 8/4. Limited availability in 10/4 – 16/4

Scientific Name:

Quercus alba, Quercus spp.

Common Names:

The White Oak family includes White Oak, Chestnut Oak, Mountain Oak, Burr Oak, Blue Oak, Chinkapin Oak, Emory Oak, Gambel Oak, Live Oak, Overcup Oak, Stave Oak, Post Oak, & Swamp Oak

Common Uses:

Flooring, furniture, cabinets, mouldings, handles, barrel staves

Regional Differences:

Northern White Oak has tight growth rings, less sapwood and slightly darker heartwood. 6’-8’ lengths are more widely available in the North. White Oak is most abundant in Appalachian/Central region states including Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee & West Virginia. White Oak from Southern states is often the least expensive and exhibits larger average board sizes. Sapwood and wide growth rings are more prevalent in Southern White Oak

Color Specifications:

Unselected, Heart 1 Face

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Surface checking, honeycomb, sapwood stain

Alternatives:

Red Oak, White Ash, Hickory

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 4190 lbs/MBF (805 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.67, Green 0.59

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 1070 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1360

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Scientific Name:

Fraxinus Americana

Common Names:

White Ash, Green Ash, Brown Ash, Tough Ash, Swamp Ash

Market Availability:

Usually plentiful in 4/4 – 8/4 thickness

Common Uses:

Flooring, furniture, cabinets, handles, baseball bats, mouldings

Regional Differences:

Ash from northern regions will have a higher heartwood content than Appalachian or Southern Ash. Swamp Ash from far Southern states may be too soft in texture for furniture or flooring. However, Swamp Ash weighing less than 2.8 lbs per board foot is in high demand for guitar stock.

Color Specifications:

Sap 1 Face & Better, Unselected, Brown

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Glass worm, sticker shadow, stain

Alternatives:

Oak, maple, hickory

Shipping Weight:

Kiln dried: 3700 lbs/MBF (711 kg/m3) net tally

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.62, Green 0.52

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 1160 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1320

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Scientific Name:

Acer Rubrum, Acer Saccharinum

Common Names:

Red Leaf Maple, Silver Leaf Maple

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 8/4. Limited availability in 10/4 – 16/4

Common Uses:

Cabinets, furniture, mouldings

Regional Differences:

Soft Maple from Northern & Eastern regions is more often the Red Leaf variety. Central region Soft Maple, especially from the states of Iowa, Missouri & Illinois are often mainly the Silver Leaf Maple variety. Central Region Silver Leaf Soft Maple often shows a higher heartwood content than Northern Red Leaf Soft Maple

Color Specifications:

Unselected, Sap 1 Face, Brown

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Stain, sticker shadow

Alternatives:

Hard Maple, White Birch, Yellow Birch. Soft Maple is often used as a substitute for more expensive species such as Cherry or Walnut

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 3600 lbs/MBF (692 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.42, Green 0.42

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 1000 psi Red, 740 psi Silver

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 950 Red, 700 Silver

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Scientific Name:

Quercus rubra, Quercus spp.

Common Names:

The Red oak family includes Red Oak, Northern Red Oak, Southern Red Oak, Pin Oak, Turkey Oak, Willow Oak, Black Oak, Blackjack Oak, Cherrybark Oak, Laurel Oak, Nuttail Oak & Scarlet Oak

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 8/4. Limited availability in 10/4-16/4

Common Uses:

Flooring, cabinets, furniture, mouldings

Regional Differences:

Northern Red Oak features tight growth rings, less sapwood and relatively even light heartwood. Red Oak from southern states is often the least expensive and exhibits larger average board sizes. Sapwood, heartwood color variation, mineral streak and wide growth rings are more prevalent in Southern Red Oak. Appalachian Red Oak is a compromise between the northern and southern features

Color Specifications:

Unselected, sorted for uniformity of heartwood color

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Surface checking, honeycomb, sapwood stain, mineral streak

Alternatives:

White Oak, White Ash, Hickory

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 3870 lbs/MBF (744 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.62, Green 0.56

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 1010 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1290

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Scientific Name:

Acer Saccharum

Common Names:

Hard Maple, Northern Hard Maple, Rock Maple, Sugar Maple

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 8/4. Limited availability in 10/4 – 16/4

Common Uses:

Flooring, cabinets, furniture, mouldings, bowling pins, piano actions

Regional Differences:

Hard Maple from the North shows higher sapwood content and a brighter sapwood shade versus Hard Maple from Appalachian & Central regions. Hard Maple is not commercially available from the South

Color Specifications:

Unselected, #1&2 White, Sap 1 Face, Brown

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Sticker stain, stain, pinking (dark board cores), heart checking

Alternatives:

Soft Maple, White Birch, Yellow Birch, Beech

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 4190 lbs/MBF (805 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.55, Green 0.48

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 1470 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1450

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Scientific Name:

Betula alleghaniensis

Common Names:

Yellow Birch, Red Birch (heartwood)

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 5/4. Limited availability in 6/4 – 8/4

Common Uses:

Flooring, furniture, cabinets

Regional Differences:

Yellow Birch is exclusively a northern species

Color Specifications:

Unselected, Red 1 Face (Red Birch), Sap 1 Face

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Stain, sticker shadow

Alternatives:

Hard Maple, Soft Maple, White Birch, Beech, Cherry

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 4300 lbs/MBF (826 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.57, Green 0.50

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 970 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1260

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Scientific Name:

Betula papyrifera

Common Names:

White Birch, Paper Birch

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4. Limited availability in 5/4

Common Uses:

Furniture, cabinets, mouldings, dowels

Regional Differences:

White Birch is exclusively a northern species

Color Specifications:

Unselected

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Stain, sticker shadow, fleck

Alternatives:

Yellow Birch, Soft Maple, Hard Maple

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 3870 lbs/MBF (744 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.50, Green 0.43

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 600 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 910

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Scientific Name:

Betula alleghaniensis

Common Names:

Yellow Birch, Red Birch (heartwood)

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 5/4. Limited availability in 6/4 – 8/4

Common Uses:

Flooring, furniture, cabinets

Regional Differences:

Birch is exclusively a northern species

Color Specifications:

Unselected, Red 1 Face (Red Birch), Sap 1 Face

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Defects to consider:

Stain, sticker shadow

Alternatives:

Hard Maple, Soft Maple, White Birch, Beech, Cherry

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 4300 lbs/MBF (826 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.57, Green 0.50

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 970 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1260

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Scientific Name:

Fagus grandifolia

Common Names:

American Beech

Common Uses:

Lumber, veneer, flooring, crates/pallets, railroad ties, musical instruments, furniture, turnery, and other small wooden objects

Color Specifications:

Beech is typically a pale cream color, sometimes with a pink or brown hue. Veneer tends to be slightly darker colored, as slicing the veneer usually requires the wood to be prepared with steam, which gives the wood a more golden tone. Flatsawn surfaces tend to be very plain, while quartersawn surfaces exhibit a silvery fleck pattern

Grade:

NHLA Standard Grade Rules

Dried Weight:

46 lbs/ft3 (730 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

.54

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 1,300 lbf (5,780 N)

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Scientific Name:

Alnue rubra

Common Names:

Red Alder, Alder

Market Availability:

Usually available in 4/4 – 5/4. Limited availability in 6/4 – 8/4

Common Uses:

Flooring, furniture, cabinets

Regional Differences:

Alder grows in the Pacific Northwestern region of the USA and Canada

Grade:

NHLA Alder grade rules. From highest to lowest: Superiors, Cabinet Grade, Custom Shop, Com-Shop, Frame Grade, #3 / Econo Frame Grade

Defects to consider:

Stain, sticker shadow

Alternatives:

Soft Maple, White Birch, Beech, Cherry

Shipping Weight:

Kiln Dried 2750 lbs/MBF (440 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity:

Kiln Dried 0.41

Compressive Strength:

(Perpendicular to grain) 440 psi

Janka Hardness:

(Pounds-force) 590

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