Wood Encyclopedia

Search and identify wood species from around the world — with origin, Janka hardness, grain and color, working properties, common uses, and how to tell them apart.

Douglas Fir

Douglas Fir

A strong, stiff Pacific Northwest softwood — cream to tan with bold growth rings and reddish bands — the backbone of North American structural timber.

Softwood
Bloodwood

Bloodwood

The intensely red South American hardwood: very dense, hard, and fine-textured, prized for its vivid blood-red heartwood in turning, inlay, and accents.

Tropical & Exotic
African Padauk

African Padauk

The brilliant orange-red African hardwood: hard, heavy, and durable, prized for its vivid vermillion color, medium interlocked grain, and easy working.

Tropical & Exotic
Padauk

Padauk

Dense, durable Southeast Asian hardwood famous for vivid orange-red heartwood that ages to a deep purple-maroon, prized for furniture, flooring and turning.

Tropical & Exotic
Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry / Courbaril)

Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry / Courbaril)

A dense, very hard tropical hardwood in golden-honey to red-brown tones — the classic 'Brazilian cherry' flooring wood, prized for durability and toughness.

Tropical & Exotic
Xylia

Xylia

A dense, very durable Southeast Asian ironwood, tan to pinkish-brown darkening to red-brown — the classic pyinkado of sleepers, bridges, and heavy construction.

Tropical & Exotic
Beech Fossil Wood

Beech Fossil Wood

Fossilized (petrified) beech — the original Fagus wood turned to stone yet still showing cream, tan, red, and brown growth rings. A collector specimen, not workable lumber.

Hardwood
Yew

Yew

A dense, springy European softwood prized for its rich orange-brown heartwood, knotty figure, and the legendary spring that made English longbows.

Softwood
Australian Blackwood

Australian Blackwood

Australia's premium acacia cabinet timber — golden to dark reddish-brown, often boldly figured, and a close cousin of Hawaiian koa.

Hardwood
White Mulberry

White Mulberry

A tough, golden-hued fruit-tree hardwood prized by turners and carvers for its ripple figure, though sawn samples often read pale cream to light tan.

Hardwood