Woodcraft's Wood Species Guide
Without Wood, It's Just Working...
Wood is the essential ingredient in our passionate pursuit. For the true woodworker, there is nothing more important than creating a project from the right wood stock. From MDF to Zebrawood, Woodcraft carries a full selection of domestic wood and exotic wood. Woodcraft also carries a wide selection of wood veneers, like Mappa Burl and Ash Burl. Woodcraft means wood. It's right in our name. Additional project supplies include felt or plastic craft sheets, engravable planes, lithophane stock, nuts, gourds, sign making polymer sheets, large exotic wood slabs and ebony gaboon, solders and metals.
Wood is a product of nature, and as such, no two pieces are alike to start with, while the same wood growing in different locales can vary greatly even though it is the exact same species.
Our Wood Species Guide will help you navigate the world through the eyes of the forest and assist you in choosing the best species for your project.
Because... without wood, it is just working!
Explore Wood by Species
A
Amazakoue
(Guibourtia ehie) is also called Shedua and Mozambique. Its heartwood is yellow brown to dark brown with gray to almost black stripes.
West Africa.
Amboyna Burl
(Ptercarpus indicus) Heartwood is a full spectrum of colors ranging from golden brown to deep blood red.
South East Asia.
Angelique
(Dicorynia guianensis). Heartwood is reddish to brown and shows wide purplish band.
Surinam and Guyana.
Anigre
(Aningeria Superba): Color is Yellowish-white to pale brown. Flat Cut, Clear,
Western Africa.
B
Baltic Birch
Light in color but may contain knot pattern or mineral streaks.
This plywood is a functional grade material composed of birch from parts of Russia.
Bamboo
Two main colors: Natural and Carbonized (or Carmelized). A grass and not a hardwood, Bamboo is a green product – fast growing and renewable.
China.
Banksia Pod
Pods are hard and solid with seed pod cavities running from the outside toward the center core.
Australia
Basswood
Creamy white in color and lighter in weight than the related European Lime.
Canada and USA.
Birch
(Betula Papyrifera): Wide sapwood, creamy white in color with a pale brown heartwood. Rotary Cut.
Canada and Eastern USA.
Birch w Phenolic Plywood
Attractive Brown color. Manufactured material glued together with exterior glue, the birch plies are sandwiched between a top and bottom layer of phenolic-impregnated
Blackwood Burmese
(Dalbergia cultrata) The heartwood is dark blackish brown with sections of dark red with black or purple streaks.
South East Asia.
Bloodwood / Satine
(brosimum paraense) or "cardinal wood" is a medium to hard wood with a bright, vivid red color and tight straight interlocking grain.
South America.
Bocote
(Cordia spp.) has a yellowish brown body with dramatic dark brown to almost black stripes. Color tends to darken with age.
Mexico, Central/South America, & Africa.
Boxwood
(Calycophyllum multiflorum) Colors range from creamy yellow to variegated brown/olive-like heartwood that is generally only on one face.
Paraguay, South America
Briar
Briar root, the burlwood of the Heath Tree, is also known as French bruyère. The wood is light brown to reddish brown, often beautifully textured.
Butternut
(Juglans cinera) Common Names: Butternut, white walnut, oil-nut. Color is medium brown to dark brown heartwood, sometimes with a reddish tint. Butternut is closely related to Black Walnut.
Canada and USA.
Beli
(Julbernardia pellegriniana) The heartwood is light brown with alternating darker stripes throughout. Native to Cameroon and Gabon in Africa.
C
Camelthorn
(Acacia erioloba) wood is dark reddish-brown in color and extremely dense and strong. Camelthorn seeds can be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee beans.
Southern Africa.
Canarywood
(Centroloblum orinocense) Color can vary from a pale yellow-orange to a darker reddish brown, usually with darker streaks throughout. The color tends to darken with age.
Mexico
Cebil
(Anadenanthera collubrina) or Patagonian Rosewood is a very attractive wood. Similar to black cherry, but more figured and richer in color.
Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil
Cedar Aromatic
(Juniperus virginiana) Sapwood is white to cream and is intermixed and contrasts with the salmon to dark red of the heartwood.
USA
Cherry
(Prunus serotina) features heartwood in reddish brown to deep red, with brown flecks, and will naturally darken with age.
USA
Cherry Brazilian
(Hymenaea courbaril) also known as jatoba can vary in color, from a lighter orange-brown, to a darker reddish brown, which tends to become darker with age. Central America, southern
Mexico, northern South America, and the West Indies.
Cocobolo
(Dalbergia sp) can be seen in a kaleidoscope of different colors, ranging from yellow, orange, red, and shades of brown with streaks of black or purple.
Central America.
Coolibah Burl
This burl wood offers unmatched color and grain patterns in a deep reddish-brown.
Northern Australia
D
E
Ebiara
(Berlinia grandiflora) also known as red zebrawood. The heartwood varies from pink-red to dark red-brown. Dark-purplish-brown irregular streaks or stripped veins are sometimes visible on quartered surfaces.
Africa.
Ebony Black and White
(Diospyros embryopteris) is an exotic wood with color that will vary, usually uniformly black with light-colored bands, pale to medium brown zones, or with marked contrast between almost white and black wood.
Southeast Asia and Laos.
Ebony Gaboon
(Diospyros spp.) is usually jet black, with little to no variation or visible grain. Occasionally dark brown or grayish-brown streaks may be present.
Africa
Ebony Macassar
(Diospyros celebica) has a dramatic striped appearance, somewhat similar to zebrawood. Dark brown to black heartwood with contrasting bands of yellow to golden brown.
Southeast Asia.
Elm Burl
(Ulmus campestris) also known as Carpathian elm has swirling grain and a wonderful range of colors.
France, England, Netherlands.
F
G
Goncalo Alves
(Astronium graveolens) is a medium reddish-brown with irregularly spaced streaks of dark brown to black. The color will darken with age, and the color variations on a board can often be dramatic.
Granadillo
(Platymiscium ulei) also known as Coyote, Macacauba or Trebol, is an extremely hard, satiny, reddish–brown wood with charming light cream colored highlights and swirling grain. Central and South America, particularly Suriname, Honduras and Venezuela.
Guanacaste Slabs
(Enterolobium cyclocarpum) Reddish-brown. Mexico and Central America and are especially abundant in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica.
H
Hickory / Pecan
(Carya glabra): The heartwood is brown or red with the sapwood being creamy white. Eastern North America.
American Holly
(Ilex Opaca) is a close grained, moderately heavy, creamy white wood with almost indistinct growth rings. Eastern United States.
Hormigo Negro
(platymiscium dimorphandrum) has a dense, hard, reddish-brown heartwood with dark stripes. Central America.
I
J
Jatoba
Jelutong
(Dyera costulata) is white or straw colored, and there is no differentiation between heartwood and sapwood. Malaysia.
Jobillo
Astronium Graveolens) pronounced (Ho be yo) has a light reddish brown heartwood streaked with sharply contrasting dark reddish to black band that resemble burn marks. Central America.
K
Kiaat
(Pterocarpus angolensis) color can vary widely from a light golden brown to a dark reddish- or purplish- brown. South Central Africa.
Kingwood
(Dalbergia ceaserensis) is a rich violet brown background shading to almost black. Streaks of black, violet black, and brown appear throughout the material. Sapwood is off-white. Brazil.
Koko
(Albizia lebbeck) also called Lebbeck, Frywood and Woman’s Tongue tree is a light yellowish-brown to light brown heartwood. Indonesia, New Guinea and northern Australia.
L
Lati
(Amphimas pterocarpoides) is also known as “white Wenge”. Although the color is nothing like Wenge, the grain can be strikingly similar to Wenge. The heartwood is yellowish-brown, often with whitish markings that darken with age. Cameroon.
Leopardwood
(Roupala montana) is a medium to dark reddish-brown with grey or light brown rays, which resemble the spots on a leopard.
Lignum Vitae
(Guaiacum officinale) Dark greenish brown to almost black and sharply demarcated from the pale yellow or cream-colored sapwood.
Argentinean Lignum Vitae
(Bulnesia Sarmientoi) An olive-green to rich brown wood with straight grain, it has a satiny feel and a spicy-sweet fragrance.
M
Madre Cacao
(Gliricidia sepium) Heartwood can be shades of red mixed with light and dark brown, while sapwood is cream in color. Dense, extremely hard exotic wood. Guatemala.
Mahogany
(Swietenia macrophylla) is also known as Tropical Mahogany, South American Mahogany, Caoba and Chiculte.
Mallee Burl
(Eucalyptus socialis) Red Mallee Burl is prized for its vibrant color and heavy concentration of burl eyes. Australia.
Maple
(Acer saccharum) sapwood color ranges from nearly white, to an off-white cream color, sometimes with a reddish or golden hue. The heartwood tends to be a darker reddish brown.
Ambrosia Maple
Ambrosia maple is technically not a specific species of maple, but rather a general description of any type of maple that has been infested by ambrosia beetles.
Birds Eye Maple
Birds Eye Maple is so named because the figure resembles small bird's eyes. Canada and North Eastern USA.
Maple Burl
(Eucalyptus socialis) Red Mallee Burl is prized for its vibrant color and heavy concentration of burl eyes. Australia.
Mappa Burl
Mappa Burl (Populus nigra): Creamy white with reddish brown knots and open knots. Europe.
Marblewood
(marmaroxylon racemosum) has heartwood in an orange-yellow color with black wavy streaking that gives it a marble appearance. South America.
Melamine
Pre-coated with heat-activated glue, just iron these melamine strips for a permanent bond. Black and white.
Mimosa
(Albizia julibrissin) is native to Asia and is widely planted as an ornamental tree. The color can vary from a light brown to a deeper golden, even a reddish brown.
Myrtle Burl
Myrtle Burl (Umbellularia californica): The heartwood color is a rich golden brown to yellowish-green, ranging in hue from light to dark. Burl. Oregon and California, USA.
Macacauba
Platymiscium spp.) ranges from bright
red to a darker reddish- or purplish-brown color, commonly with darker strips.
Sapwood is clearly demarcated yellow to white.
Central and South America.
MDF Medium Density Fibreboard
This engineered wood product is made by compressing wood fibers into a wax and resin binder.
N
O
Red Oak
Red oak (quercus rubra). Straight grained wood with a coarse texture that varies according to rate of growth. Color ranges from light cream, pinkish-red to dark tan or golden brown. USA
White Oak
White Oak (Quercus alba): Beige to medium brown, which finishes to a rich honey color. Canada and USA.
Whiskey White Oak
Whiskey White Oak is made from whiskey barrels once used by the Jack Daniel Distillery. Also in red wine oak barrels which cast a red hue to the wood. USA
African Olivewood
(olea capensis) The heartwood is often pale to medium brown with irregular streaks that vary from brown to dark-brown and dark grey. The sapwood is generally pale yellow. Africa
Roman Olivewood
Olivewood is dense, oily and beautiful golden grown lumber with brown and black streaks running through it. Italy
Argentinian Osage Orange
(maclura tinctoria) Deep golden orange color. The heartwood is accentuated by bands of darker and lighter grain. Argentina
P
Padauk
(pterocarpus soyauxii) Medium to hard wood, color can vary, ranging from a pale pinkish orange to a deep brownish red. Central and tropical west Africa.
Black Palm
(Borassus flabellifer) This wood has a brown background streaked with elongated dark brown and black vascular bundles. Southeast Asia m
Red Palm
(Cocos nucifera) or Coconut Palm has reddish brown fibers that are embedded in a lighter tan or light brown colored body. Southeast Asia
Pau Rosa
(Swartzia Madagascarensis). Pau Rosa is also called snake bean. Heartwood is a beautiful yellow-brown with a subtle to pronounced striped figure in varying shades of brown and reddish-brown. Native to Tanzania.
Poplar
(Liriodendron tulipifera) Poplar, Tulip Poplar or Yellow Poplar is light cream to yellowish brown with some occasional streaks of gray or green. It has a straight uniform grain. USA
Purpleheart
(Peltogyne spp). Bright purple when cut, it darkens to a deep purplish brown. Central and South America.
Q
R
Redheart
(Erythroxylon mexicanum) The bright red background of Redheart is host to a number of very interesting streaks and closed knots. Mexico / Central America.
Rosewood
(Guibourtia coleosperma) This rosewood has the same grain structure and density but is more of a Salmon pink with black veining. Africa
Bolivian Rosewood
(machaerium scheleroxylon) This wood is deep, dark, chocolate brown to purple-black in color with occasional strips of even darker grain patterns. South America
Burmese Rosewood
(Dalbergia olivera) Like most rosewoods, the heartwood has variegated colors from burgundy to light brown. Southeast Asia
Honduras Rosewood
(dalbergia stevensonii) Heartwood color can range from a deep brownish-purple to a light-brown. Central America.
Patagonia Rosewood
Color ranges from cream to orange tones and over time changes to deep orange/reddish brown. Argentina
Rosewood Yucatan
(Dalbergia yucatensis) Is a hard, light-reddish cinnamon brown wood with darker stripes. Central and South America
S
Sapele
(Entandrophragma cylindricum) is a genuine substitute for Mahogany. Our Sapele comes from the Congo Basin in Africa.
Satinwood Figured Asian
(Lagerstroemia spp.) Heartwood is cream-tan in color with an unbelievable grain pattern ranging from curly to fiddleback. Native to Southeast Asia. gured Asian
Snakewood
(Piratinera Guianensis) The heartwood is a dark red or reddish brown with conspicuous, irregular black speckles or stripes resembling skins of certain snakes. South America.
Southeast Asian Gmelia Burl
(Gmelina arborea) is pale yellow to cream colored when fresh, turning yellowish-brown (often with greenish hues) upon exposure.
Southeast Asian Piynma / Sindora Burl
Burls yield a very peculiar and highly figured wood, its rarity also adds expense. It is very sought after. Southeast Asia
T
Tagua Nuts
The natural nut of the Tagua Palm Tree is a practical alternative to animal ivory. South America
Tamarind
(Tamarindus indica) has a spectacular heartwood with background colors of ivory, yellow and black lines, which gives an unpredictable landscape effect. Native to Laos.
Tamboti
(Excoecaria Africana) heartwood is dark brown with darker longitudinal streaks that create beautiful markings. Native to Swaziland.
Teak
Wood is a product of nature, and as such, no two pieces are alike to start with, while the same wood growing in different locales can vary greatly even though it is the exact same species.
Thuya Burl
Its color varies from a rich, lustrous golden brown to nearly black. The eyes, perfectly round, are scattered about in some burls like the figure in bird's-eye maple. Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Timborana
(Pseusopiptadenia psilostachya.) Timborana has interlocking grains, brilliant burnt orange and deepening reds with a golden glow beneath.
Tineo
Tulipwood
(Dalbergia frutescens) Hard dense wood with a pinkish to yellowish heartwood with pronounced stripes of violet, salmon, and rose. Brazil
Burmese Teak
(Tectona grandis) Burmese Teak heartwood is a uniform golden brown without markings. Native to Southeast Asia.
W
Walnut
(juglans nigra) Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. Color can have a grey, purple, or reddish cast. Canada and USA.
Walnut Burl
(Juglans nigra): Dark brown with some lighter streaks, fading toward the edges with a faint purple hue, Flat cut. USA and Canada.
Peruvian Walnut
(Juglans spp.) Heartwood is darker than domestic walnut, with a deep chocolate brown color, and may contain streaks of lighter colored wood. Native to Mexico.
Wenge
(millettia laurentii) Very dark brown in color with very close, straight grain and fine black veins. Africa.
Y
Z
Zapote
(Pouteria sapota), also known as Chico Zapote. Its color varies from a deep, solid reddish-brown to a light reddish-orange.
Zebrawood
(Microberlinia brazzavillensis) has a light golden yellow heartwood with streaks of dark brown to black. Africa
Ziricote
(Cordia dodecandra.) A rich dark brown color, with irregular thin, wavy black lines. Mexico
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When it comes to interior renovations that add a ton of value, wood is always a good place to start. Expertly finished wooden renovations are highly prized by potential home buyers and are very likely to boost your property value. There are plenty of options to choose from in terms of interior wooden renovations as well, so in case you want a beautiful new wood addition that’s going to add home value, here are a few of our favorites.
