Nelsonwood Wood Information

WOODS
All available woods are not listed. If you have a specific wood in mind and don't see it here, send me an email.

This page will hopefully help in deciding what your hook will look like. Wood Grain and color will vary.
This page is a work in progress.....

AFRICAN BLACKWOOD - (Dalbergia melanoxylon) - also known as Grenadilla or Mpingo, native to seasonally dry regions of Africa from Senegal east to Eritrea and south to the Transvaal in South Africa.
Good quality "A" grade African Blackwood commands high prices on the commercial timber market. The tonal qualities of African Blackwood are particularly valued when used in woodwind instruments, principally clarinets, oboes, transverse flutes, piccolos, Highland pipes, and Northumbrian pipes.

AFRICAN OLIVEWOOD BURL - (Olea capensis) - also known as East African Olive, Black Ironwood, Elgon Olive, Ironwood Oliveis
Primarily grows in East Africa, though also occurring as far west as Sierra Leone and south to South Africa.

AFRICAN ROSEWOOD - (Guibourtia coleosperma) also known as Zambian Rosewood,Bastermopane, False mopane, M’chibi, Machibi, Mtjibi, Mucibe, Muxibe, Muzauri, Rhodesian copalwood, Rhodesian mahogany, and Rhodesian Teak and Mukula, is a small to medium sized tree that grows to a height of 35-70 feet tall, 1-3 feet trunk diameter. It is predominantly found in Southern Africa, namely: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia.. The wood is dense and somewhat difficult to work but finishes well and takes a high natural polish. Colors are reddish orange and interesting grain patterns are present. Little is imported to the US as most is bought up by China.

AFRORMOSIA - (Pericopsis elata) Also called Afrormosia, Afromosia, African Teak. Native to West Africa. Afrormosia grows to 100-150 feet tall and 3-5 feet in diameter. Heartwood is yellowish brown, occasionally with a reddish or olive-colored hue, darkening with age. Narrow sapwood is pale yellow and is clearly stands out from the heartwood.
Common uses are boatbuilding, veneer, flooring, and furniture.

AFZELIA BURL - is a genus in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the family Fabaceae (legumes). The thirteen species all are trees, native to tropical Africa and Asia.
Afzelia is commonly referred to as Doussie (Cameroons), Apa, Aligna (Nigeria), Mkora, Mkola, Mbambakofi (Tanzania), Chanfuta, Mussacossa (Mozambique), Beyo, Meli, Azza (Uganda) and Pod Mahogany.
This is a hard, dense exotic wood that ranges from light orange to dark orange/red. Similar to Ambonya. Turns well and takes a high gloss finish. The genus Afzelia is reported to occur both in Africa and in Southeast Asia. But the name afzelia will usually refers to the African variety.

AFZELIA XYLIA LACE - (Xylia xylocarpa) Afzelia wood can have incredible figure and the most outstanding and rare is the xylia figure. It looks like raised alligator skin, which really shows best when the surface is very highly polished. This figure is from Southeast Asia and is very rare.

AMARELA - (Vatairea paraensis) also known as Faveira Amargosa, Gele Kabbes and Faveira Amargosa, is native to tropical rainforests of South America, particularly in Brazil and Venezuela. Grows from 80-100 feet with a trunk diameter from 2-3 feet.
Heartwood is a deep, reddish-brown color with occasional darker streaks. Sapwood is pale yellow.
Common uses are high-end furniture, countertops, and cabinetry, guitar fretboards, violin bows, and other stringed instruments, bowls, pens, jewelry, and other decorative items.

AMBOYNA BURL - Narra (the tree that Amboyna burl comes from) grows extensively in the Philippines, Borneo, New Guinea, Cagayan, Mindoro, Palawan, Cotabato and the Malay Archipelago.
When in the burl form, Narra’s wood is usually referred to as Amboyna Burl , that name coming from Amboyna Island, another place the trees can be found.
Amboyna Burl is one of my favorite woods. Its one of those woods that is pleasing to the eye and the nose. A beautiful flower scent fills the air the whole time I'm turning this wood and can linger in the shop for days.

ANDIRA - (Andira inermis) also known as Cabbage Bark, Angelim vermelho, Mocha and Saint-Martin rouge, native to southern Mexico through Central America to northern South America (Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil). grows from 121 to 115 feet tall and 1.5 to 2.5 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood is brick red to dark (brown) red. Sapwood is easy to distinguish from the heartwood.
Common uses are cabinetwork (high class furniture), Interior joinery, Sliced veneer, Bridges (Parts not in contact with water or ground), Turned goods, Exterior joinery, Heavy carpentry, Industrial or heavy flooring, Vehicle or container flooring,

ANGELIQUE - (Dicorynia guianensis) also known as Basralocus (Netherlands), Angélique (France), Basralokus (Suriname), Angelim Rajado (Brazil) and Angelica (Guyana), Grows from 100–130 feet tall and 2.5–4 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood is reddish-brown to purplish-brown, often with a golden or greenish hue when freshly cut. Sapwood is lighter and well-defined.
Common uses are marine construction (docks, pilings, ship decking), bridges and heavy structural work and industrial flooring.

APPLE - (Malus spp. (Malus domestica, Malus sieversii, Malus sylvestris, etc.)) also known as Crab Apple and Wild Apple grows from 13-30 feet tall with up to 1 foot trunk diameter. Grown in most temperate climates.
Heartwood can vary from a light reddish or grayish brown to a deeper red/brown. The grain of Apple is sometimes seen with streaks of darker and lighter bands of color, similar to Olive. Sapwood is a pale cream color. Apple has a high shrinkage rate and experiences a large amount of seasonal movement in service.
Common Uses include fine furniture, tool handles, carving, mallet heads, turned items, and firewood.

ARARACANGA - (Aspidosperma sandwithianum) also known as Copachi, Gravetillo, Kromanti Kopi, Volador and My Lady, native to Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru. Growing from 100-120 feet tall to 3-4 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood ranges from orange to a pale brown, sometimes with pink rose veins, yellowish sapwood not always clearly visible from heartwood.
Common uses are furniture, general construction (within its natural range), flooring, boatbuilding, and turned objects.
Araracanga is a close relative of more popular Peroba Rosa. Araracanga is slightly heavier, stronger, and of a coarser texture than Peroba Rosa.

ARGENTINE OSAGE ORANGE - (Maclura tinctoria) also known as Yellow Mora and Fustic which grows in Tropical America, West Indies, Central and South America. tree grows from 60-80 feet ) tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Argentine Osage Orange is sometimes called Fustic because the wood contains a yellow dye called fustic which has historically been used in making brown, yellow, and green colored dyes for fabric.
Common uses are Heavy construction (within the tree’s natural range), flooring, furniture, turnings, and other small specialty wood items.

APRICOT - (Prunus armeniaca) Heartwood is light brown, sometimes with a reddish or orangish cast. Darker brown streaks are common. Sapwood is generally thin, and is slightly paler than heartwood. Apricot is related to Cherry (Prunus genus) and is heavier and harder than Cherry and much more scarce. Sizes are very limited, so Apricot tends to be assigned primarily to smaller, more decorative purposes. Common Uses include turned objects, musical instruments, carvings, and knife handles.

ARIPIN - (Caesalpinia velutina), also known as Chaltecoco, Chaperon Blanco, Palo Colorada and Totoposte is a native to Central American, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua
Aripin is a tree with vibrant yellow flowers, bipinnate leaves, and a small trunk. This modestly sized, thornless tree grows to a maximum height of 37 feet with a maximum 16 inch diameter trunk. The trunk is generally straight and will produce small, but usable lumber. Heartwood is dense, hard, bright yellowish orange with sap wood clearly visible being a pale white..
Common uses are tool handles, turned articles, boxes, furniture, and musical instruments.

ASH, BLACK BURL - (Fraxinus nigra) native to Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada grows from 50-65 feet tall and 1-2 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood is a light to medium brown color. Sapwood can be very wide, and tends to be a beige or light brown; not always discernible
from the heartwood. Black Ash tends to be a bit darker in color than White Ash (Fraxinus americana).
Common uses are Flooring, millwork, boxes/crates, baseball bats, and other turned objects such as tool handles.

NOTE on ASH - The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), believed to have been inadvertently introduced from Asia sometime in the 1990s, was first detected in Michigan in 2002. Lacking natural predators, uncontrolled populations of this invasive species spread very rapidly throughout North America, devastating local populations of ash trees. The beetles’ larvae bore into a tree and feed on the inner bark, eventually killing the entire tree. The insects are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of millions of ash trees across the United States and Canada. Green Ash and Black Ash trees are preferentially attacked by the insects, followed by White Ash and Blue Ash.

ASH, BLUE - (Fraxinus quadrangulata) native to Midwestern United States grows from 50-80 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
The heartwood is a light to medium brown color. Sapwood can be very wide, and tends to be a beige or light brown; not always clearly visible from heartwood.
Common uses are flooring, millwork, boxes/crates, baseball bats, and other turned objects such as tool handles.

ASIAN PAN BURL - grows in Southeast Asian countries. It is a large tree with heights up to 160 feet tall and diameters up to 5 feet. The wood color is usually a light pinkish red color in lumber. Burls tend to be a deep red color with more tannin present. Burls are not common and when found usually have large bark incursions, voids and a high cost.
Tannin is a bitter-tasting organic substance present in some galls, barks, and other plant tissues, consisting of derivatives of gallic acid, used in leather production and ink manufacture.

AVODIRE - (Turraeanthus africanus) is found in Western and Central regions of Africa near lakes and streams and grows to 80-115 feet tall and 2-3feet diameter.
Heartwood is a pale yellow or cream, darkening with age to golden yellow. Heartwood and sapwood are usually indistinguishable. Avodire can exhibit a range of grain patterns, such as wavy, mottled, and rippled, with an almost-shimmering chatoyance, making it a popular choice for veneering.
Common uses are veneer, cabinetry, furniture, millwork, and plywood.

BHILWARA - (Albizia odoratissima) Also known as Black siris, Bilwara, Albizia and Ceylon Rosewood. Native to central and Southern Asia; It's also been introduced to East Africa. Tree grows from 65-100 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is medium to dark reddish brown, frequently with bands of lighter and /or darker colored wood. Contrasting sapwood is pale yellow. Heartwood color tends to darken with age.
Common uses are furniture, veneer, tool handles and other turned objects.

BLACK AND WHITE EBONY - (Diospyros malabarica) also known as Pale Moon Ebony, is from Laos and southeast Asia. Heartwood is a pale straw color, with darker black streaks throughout; some pieces may be predominantly black rather than white. Sapwood is a paler white color, not always clearly defined. Common uses include turned objects, inlay, and other small wood projects. Black and White Ebony is an extremely difficult wood to dry, It's very prone to checking, splitting and warping. Once dry wood it's a great wood to work with.

BLOODWOOD - (Brosimum rubescens) from tropical South America, it's heartwood is typically a bright, vivid red but can range from reddish gold to deep, deep red. Well defined sapwood is a pale yellowish color, though given the typically large trunk diameters, it’s seldom seen or included in imported lumber. Also known as Satine, it’s no wonder this wood has grown so popular as an imported wood species. Though it poses some challenges in working characteristics, pronounced blunting effect on cutters and wood tends to be brittle and can splinter easily while being worked. Its hardness, strength, and coloration make this a favorite.

BLOODWOOD BURL - (Brosimum rubescens)

BLUE MAHOE - (Talipariti elatum) Native to Cuba and Jamaica; widely planted throughout the Caribbean.
Heartwood can be highly varied in color, usually grayish or olive brown colored, sometimes with streaks of green, blue, or purple. Sapwood is pale yellow and is clearly demarcated from heartwood.
Blue Mahoe is one of very few woods with an overall gray heartwood appearance, and perhaps the only commercially available wood that can exhibit a bluish hue. Common uses include cabinetry, furniture, turned objects, carvings, musical instruments, inlay, marquetry, and interior trim.

BOCOTE - (Cordia spp) comes from Mexico and Central/South America and has a yellowish brown body with dramatic dark brown to almost black stripes. Bocote has a moderate scent when being worked that resembles dill pickles. Common uses are Fine furniture, cabinetry, flooring, veneer, boatbuilding, musical instruments, gunstocks, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.

BOG OAK - Bog oak is a catchall name for partially fossilized wood. Thousands of years ago, swamps, fens and bogs were often surrounded by huge, primeval forests full of massive oak trees. Due to storms, floods or other natural events, these trees would sometimes fall into these adjacent wetlands.Oak trees are rich in chemical compounds called tannins or tannic acid. Tannins are yellowish to brownish in color, astringent, and acidic in nature. Tannins are renowned for their powers of preservation. In effect, tannins have the ability to mummify organic matter when present in high concentrations. Any tree that fell into a bog and sank quickly had a tendency to be preserved in the tannin-rich waters. Oak being an incredibly tough and rot resistant wood and because it naturally contains a large amount of tannins, oak gets a double-shot of tannins from the bog water. Which lead to preserving the wood, eventually turning it into bog oak.
Most bog oak comes from the British Isles, Northern Europe or Russia. While bog oak can form over as little as 1,000 years, it can also be almost unbelievably ancient. Specimens are regularly radiocarbon dated to between 2,000 and 5,000 BC. This means some trees were alive during the building of the Egyptian pyramids or Stonehenge, at the very dawn of human history!

BOLIVIAN ROSEWOOD - See Morado

BORNEO ROSEWOOD - (Gluta spp. and Melanorrhoea spp.) also known as Rengas, and Tiger Rengasis native to India to Papua New Guinea grows to a height of 100-130 feet and 2-4 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a deep red with darker streaks, while the sapwood is a lighter pinkish-brown to almost white. Heartwood will darken in color upon exposure to light and air. Sapwood especially is said to be highly irritating to some individuals. Striped pieces are sometimes called Tiger Rengas.
This species is used in Burma as a source of lacquer used for producing varnish, water-proof or preservative paint, glue, ceramic and lacquerware.
Borneo Rosewood is used for furniture and inlay work, has a medium to coarse texture and a straight to interlocked grain, which can yield a striped figure. The wood finishes well and has a lustrous quality.

BORNEO ROSEWOOD BURL - (Gluta spp. and Melanorrhoea spp.)

BOX ELDER - (Acer negundo) also know as Manitoba Maple, Ash-Leaved Maple, is native to North America. Sapwood is a pale white, sometimes with a yellow/green hue similar to yellow poplar. The heartwood is a grayish/yellowish brown, frequently with red or pink streaks. The red stain is produced by the tree’s natural defenses when wounded—it is thought that this compound is meant to inhibit the growth of fungus that commonly colonizes the tree.
Common uses are Turned objects, small ornamental objects, wood pulp, charcoal, boxes, and crates.

BRAZILIAN BLACKHEART - (Zollernia spp.) also known as Pau Santo, native to Brazil. Tree grows from 65-100 feet tall, and 2-3 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood is dark brown, sometimes with a grey or green hue. Sapwood is pale yellowish, and is sharply visible from the heartwood.
Common uses are guitars (backs and sides), turned objects, and knife handles.
Picture on the right is an extreme figure of Brazilian Blackheart

BRAZILIAN BLACKHEART - (Zollernia spp.) This is an extreme example of the figure of this wood, very rare.

BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD - (Dalbergia nigra) from Brazil, can vary in color from a darker chocolate brown to a lighter purplish or reddish brown, with darker contrasting streaks. The black streaks can sometimes form a unique grain pattern that is sometimes referred to as “spider-webbing” or “landscape,” very similar to ziricote. Sapwood is clearly yellowish and easily distinguish from the heartwood.

BRAZILIAN EBONY - (Swartzia panacoco) also known as Coracao de negro is grown in South America and gains a height of 100-130 feet tall and 2-4 feet in diameter at trunk.
Heartwood is an orangish brown when freshly sawn, darkening considerably to a reddish brown to nearly black upon exposure to air. Sapwood is sharply visible and is pale yellowish white.
Common uses are inlays, fine furniture and cabinetry, parquet flooring, guitars, turnings, and other small specialty items.

BRIAR BURL, EBAUCHON - (Erica arborea) comes from Europe (Mediterranean region). Briar burl is the tumor-like growths between the roots and stem of the shrub. Briar wood has very good heat-resistance properties, and is favored for use in making the bowls for tobaccos pipes.
In pipe-making, there are two types of burl sections: ebauchon, and plateaux.
Ebauchon burl blocks are usually rectangular in shape and cut from the center of the burl. They tend to have a more random grain pattern and are the least expensive.
Uses are Tobacco pipes, knife handles, and other small specialty wood items.

BRIAR BURL, PLATEAUX - (Erica arborea) comes from Europe (Mediterranean region). Briar burl is the tumor-like growths between the roots and stem of the shrub. Briar wood has very good heat-resistance properties, and is favored for use in making the bowls for tobaccos pipes.
In pipe-making, there are two types of burl sections: ebauchon, and plateaux.
Plateaux burl blocks are cut from the outer edge of the burl, and are usually in a quarter-round shape which still includes the bark on the outside edge. They tend to have a more consistent grain pattern, and are more expensive than ebauchon burl blanks.
Uses are Tobacco pipes, knife handles, and other small specialty wood items.

BROWN EBONY - (Libidibia paraguariensis) from Semi-arid regions of South America. Heartwood is a dark brown, sometimes with a reddish hue. Pale yellow sapwood. Being called “ebony” first color that comes to mind is black.. Brown Ebony is not in the Diospyros genus, and isn’t considered a true ebony. Botanically, the wood is actually more closely related to Brazilwood which is well known for its use in violin bows. Common uses include turned objects; also used for heavy construction within its natural range.

BROWNHEART - (Vouacapoua americana Aubl.) also referred to as Wacapoe is native to Brazil. Other names include Bruinhart, Vacapon, Black Heart, Acapu, Amazon Wood, Sarebebeballi and Partridge Wood. The heartwood color is described as dark brown or reddish-brown. Brownheart has very distinct and lighter colored vessel lines and is similar in appearance to Black and Red Palm, but not nearly as brash. Native to tropical rainforests of South America, particularly in French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana.
Common uses are Flooring, heavy construction, turned objects, furniture, and cabinetry.

BROWN MALLEE - (Eucalyptus socialis) Mallee is the name given to a species of Eucalyptus which grow multiple stems from one bulbous root stock. Mallee are comparatively small Eucalyptus, the largest growing only to 10 meters in height. The naturally occurring Mallee species is native to Australia and are frequently found in poor sandy soiled inland areas.

BUBINGA - (Guibourtia spp.) Native to Equatorial Africa.. Heartwood ranges from a pinkish red to a darker reddish brown with darker purple or black streaks. Sapwood is a pale straw color.. Bubinga is very frequently seen with a variety of figure, including: pommele, flamed, waterfall, quilted, mottled, etc. Common uses are Veneer, inlays, fine furniture, cabinetry, turnings, and other specialty items. Since Bubinga trees can grow so large, natural-edge slabs of the wood have also been used in tabletops and other specialized projects.

BUBINGA, POMELLE

BUBINGA, WATERFALL

BUBINGA, FIGURED

BUCKEYE BURL - There are three Species of Buckeye,
The wood itself is fairly soft and lightweight. It’s low strength and bland appearance limit it to basic utility purposes. The burl sections of buckeye are much more prized, and their light-on-dark knot clusters, and unique, almost black discolorations make them sought after for a variety of specialty and hobbyist applications.

Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra) also called Stinking Buckeye which grows in the Midwest and eastern United States.
Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava) which grows in the Eastern United States.
Horse Chestnut (Aesculur hippocastanum) native to eastern Europe; also cultivated in temperate regions worldwide.

BULLETWOOD - (Manilkara bidentata) also known as Massaranduba is native to Caribbean, Central and South America and crows from 100-150 feet tall and 2-4 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a medium to dark reddish brown. Color tends to darken with age. Pale yellow sapwood is not always sharply defined.
Common uses are heavy construction (within its natural range), decking, flooring, boatbuilding, bent parts, and turned objects.

BURMESE BLACKWOOD - (Dalbergia cultrata) also know as Khamphi Rosewood and Laos Rosewood and comes from Southeast Asia.
Heartwood color is variable, and ranges from a medium olive or reddish brown to a darker purplish brown, frequently with nearly black streaks throughout.
Common uses are Turned objects, carvings, furniture, inlay, musical instruments (percussion), and small specialty wood items.

BURMESE PADAUK - (Pterocarpus macrocarpus) Other names are Pradauk and Asian Tiger Padauk, comes from Myanmar (formerly Burma), and Thailand. Tree grows from 60-80 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Heartwood color can vary, ranging from a pale golden yellow to a deeper reddish brown.
Common uses are Veneer, flooring, turned objects, musical instruments, furniture, tool handles, and other small specialty wood objects.
Burma Padauk is the heaviest and hardest of all types of Padauk (Pterocarpus genus) commercially available.

BURMESE ROSEWOOD - (Dalbergia oliveri) native to Southeast Asia primarily Myanmar (formerly Burma) it grows from 50-100 feet tall with a 1-3 foot trunk diameter.
Heartwood color ranges from an medium orange to a darker reddish brown; sometimes with darker black streaks. Yellow sapwood is clearly visible from heartwood.
Common uses are furniture, flooring, musical instruments (percussion), turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.
Burmese Rosewood is one of the lesser-known rosewoods, though it’s a well-known tonewood within its natural range. The wood is used for the bars of the ranad ek, a traditional Thai xylophone.

BURMESE SAL - (Shorea obtusa) also knoiwn as Siamese Sal, Burma Sal, or Thitya) and sometimes Shorea robusta (Indian Sal) and is native to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
Heartwood that ranges from dark red or light red to brown and sapwood is pale.
Due to high resin content and density, it can be difficult to plan and turn, though it is excellent for structural use.
Common uses are columns, bridges, sleepers (trains), and for other various construction purposes.
Wood will appear very bright pinkish red when freshly cut but will darken to brown with time.

BURMESE SAL BURL - Freshly cut will darken (see above)

BUTTERNUT - (Juglans cinera) - also known as White Walnut or Golden Walnut the wood is a light tan that ages to a nice doeskin color over time. It typically doesn't have a lot of figure or wild grain. It is a member of the walnut family with a similar grain structure and appearance, but a lighter weight or specific gravity. It carves and works very easily, and will take a nice stain, although these days it is chosen more for the fact that its natural color is between the dark and light hardwoods that are generally available.
Historically it was used as a walnut substitute in areas where walnut wasn't readily available, but these days it is sought after where a lighter color is desired.
Butternut is one of North American’s most beautiful timbers. At one time considered “poor man’s walnut” butternut is now blighting and only found in 10% of it’s former range.

CAMATILLO - (Dalbergia congestifolia) is a fantastic and highly sought after Rosewood. Colors vary from violet purple to reddish hues. This dense and naturally oily wood produces a glass-like natural polish. It is increasingly difficult to obtain high quality, colorful burl in this species.
It's seldom available as lumber or wide stock due to the rarity and small size of the tree itself.
Camatillo trees are quite rare, occurring at a ratio of only 1:50 compared with the local cocobolo trees (Western Mexico)

CAMELTHORN - (Vachellia erioloba) also known as Giraffe Thorn is a Hardwood from South Africa. Heartwood is dark reddish brown. Sapwood is yellow. Camelthorn was named for the seeds and pods that camels and giraffes (carefully) eat from this tree, despite its long thorns.
Considered a protected tree in South Africa, Camelthorn isn’t frequently available. It is sometimes sold as small turning squares and smaller craft blanks.
Uses include fence posts, firewood, turned objects, and other small specialty wood objects.

CAMPHOR BURL - (Cinnamomum camphora) also known as Camphor Laurel. Native to Southeast Asia, widely planted throughout tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
Color can be highly variable depending on species and growing conditions; a light brown, frequently with shades of gray, red, or olive green. Burls are also commonly seen, and are considered highly decorative.
Camphor is also cultivated for its aromatic oils, which are used in a variety of culinary and medicinal applications. The scent of Camphor is also reported to inhibit silver from tarnishing and ward off moths. The wood is sometimes used in trunks and chests where valuables are stored.

CANALETE - (Cordia alliodora) also known as Laurel Blanco and Salmwood, it's native to Southern Mexico southward to tropical South America and grows from 100-120 feet tall to 2-3 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood color ranges from light yellowish to medium golden brown, sometimes with darker streaks. Lighter portions of heartwood aren’t always clearly visible from sapwood.
Common uses are veneer, furniture, cabinetry, boatbuilding, and millwork.

CAPE BEECH - (Rapanea melanophloeos), also known Kaapse Boekenhout or IsiCalabi, is a dense, graceful, evergreen tree that is native to the forests of Southern Africa. Outside forests they are also commonly encountered along stream banks and in gullies.

CAROB - (Ceratonia siliqua) native to the Mediterranean region, Middle East, and Northwestern Africa, it grows from a height of 45-50 feet. with diameters of 2-3 feet. Older trees generally have hollow trunks.
Heartwood ranges from tan and warm orange to dark brown and deep chocolate. Freshly cut wood often starts as a pale pink or light salmon, deepening into a rich, lustrous reddish-salmon over time with light exposure.
Carob lumber is exceptionally rare and difficult to find. Because carob trees are slow-growing, drought-tolerant, and beloved for shade and agriculture, they are rarely harvested. Also, the tree naturally grows with a short, twisted trunk that often forks early or develops a hollow center as it ages.
Common uses are boxes, pens, tables, bowls, and other fine woodworking articles.

CEDAR - The name cedar covers many types of trees; Aromatic Red Cedar, Juniper, Spanish Cedar (Cedrela Odorata), Eastern Cedar (Juniperus virginiana).
Cedars are aromatic woods that tend to be natural insect repellents, hence their use in blanket chests and the like. The wood is pink to orange-red with creamy yellow-white sapwood. It is lightweight and rot resistant. Eastern cedar trees are found in the US and Canada. Spanish Cedar from South and Central America is traditionally used in humidors and cigar boxes, and is aromatic and tight grained.

CEDAR ROOT BURL -

CEDAR ELM - (Ulmus crassifolia Nuttor) is native to south central North America, mainly in southern and eastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, growing from 65-100 feet tall and a 3-5 foot trunk diameter.
Heartwood is light to medium reddish brown. Paler sapwood is usually well defined.
Common uses are boxes, baskets, furniture, hockey sticks, veneer, wood pulp, and papermaking.

CEDAR ELM, SPALDED - (Ulmus crassifolia Nuttor)

CEREJERIA - (Amburana cearensis) also known as Amburana and grows in Brazil and Bolivia. Tree grow from 65-130 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Heartwood ranges from pale yellow to medium golden brown. Sapwood is not clearly visible from heartwood.
Common uses are Veneer, furniture, flooring, carvings, windows, doors, and interior joinery.

CEYLON OAK, BURL - (Schleichera oleosa) also known as Kusum, Lac Tree, and Macassar Oil Tree, is a beautiful tree with a broad, shady crown, found widespread in Tropical Himalayas (Punjab to Nepal), India, Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Malaysia. This tree is mostly noticed because of its bright red leaves when they are new. In India this happens around March.
Kusum oil is a type of oil extracted from the seed of the Ceylon Oak tree.
Common uses are agricultural implements, including cartwheels, axles, pestles, ploughs, tool handles, and rice pounders. It is also highly prized as heavy firewood and charcoal.

CEYLON SATINWOOD - (Chloroxylon swietenia) also known as East Indian satinwood which is native to Central and southern India, and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) it grows to 40-50 feet tall and 1-1.5 feet in diameter.
Heartwood ranges from light to golden yellow, to orangish brown. Whitish yellow sapwood generally paler than heartwood, but not always clearly visible from heartwood. Frequently seen with a mottled or rippled grain pattern, resembling ripples in satin fabric, lending to its name satinwood.
Common uses are Veneer, inlays, fine furniture, turned objects, and other small specialty items.

CHAKTE VIGA -(Caesalpinia platyloba) also known as Paela and Mexican Pernambuco is best known for its beautiful, golden orange wood and subtle grain pattern. The sapwood is yellowish to white. The heartwood is reported to vary. It is initially light salmon to reddish orange brown, or pale pink to rich red-brown.
Chakte Viga is dense and polishes to a high luster. It is also known for its excellent carving properties.

CHAKTE VIGA, CURLY - (Caesalpinia platyloba)

CHAKTE VIGA BURL - (Caesalpinia platyloba)

CHECHEN - (Metopium brownei) also known as Chechem, Black Poisonwood and Caribbean Rosewood. Comes from Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, Guatemala, Belize, and southeastern Mexico. Heartwood color is highly varied, with red, orange, and brown contrasted with darker stripes of blackish brown. Well defined sapwood is a pale yellow.
Its alternate name, Black Poisonwood, comes from its toxic sap, which turns black and causes severe skin reactions similar to poison ivy. The wood itself is safe to handle.
Common uses are Veneer, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, turned objects, and small specialty wood items.

CHECHEN BURL - (Metopium brownei)

CHERRY, BLACK - (Prunus serotina) also known as American is native to Cherry Eastern North America and grows from 50–100 feet tall and 3–5 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a light pinkish brown when freshly cut, darkening to a medium reddish brown with time and upon exposure to light. Wide sapwood is a pale yellowish color.
Common uses are cabinetry, fine furniture, flooring, interior millwork, veneer, turned objects, and small specialty wood items.
Black Cherry should not to be confused with Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium), a tree native to Europe and Asia that’s the primary source of edible cherries. Black Cherry is considered a timber species, while the many cultivars of Sweet Cherry are considered fruit trees and are not nearly as widely used for lumber.

CHERRY BURL - is a rare, highly figured wood growth known for its intricate swirling grain patterns, "eyes," and deep reddish-brown tones. Formed by tree stress—such as injury, fungi, or viruses

CHESTSNUT, AMERICAN - (Castanea dentata) heartwood is a light to medium brown, darkening to a reddish brown with age. Narrow sapwood is well-defined and is pale white to light brown. Wormy Chestnut is also seen, which is chestnut that has been damaged by insects, leaving holes and other discoloration in the wood.
The Chestnut Blight of the early 1900s, caused by an accidentally introduced of Asian Bark Fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica), the Blight was responsible for killing over three billion chestnut trees.

CHESTSNUT, WORMY - (Castanea dentata) highly desirable, rare reclaimed wood from American Chestnut trees killed by a blight in the early 1900s. It is characterized by small holes and dark streaks left by insects (beetles/worms) that infested the dying trees. Known for its durability and warm, rustic appearance, it is used for furniture, flooring, and paneling

CHICO ZAPOTE - (Manilkara zapota) also known as Zapote, Sapodilla, native to Southern Mexico and Central America it grows to 65-100 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Heartwood ranges from a pink or red to a darker reddish brown. Pale yellowish sapwood gradually transitions to heartwood. Gum pockets are commonly found in this wood.
Common uses are Cabinetry, furniture, archery bows, flooring, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.
The gum of the tree’s bark is used for chewing gum and other candies, and the tree is primarily known for its fruit, not its lumber. The tree is usually called Sapodilla.

CHINESE BEANTREE - (Catalpa fargesii) native to China it grows from 49–98 feet tall and up to 3 feet in diameter. It is often confused with oak or ash because of their similar appearance. But what sets them apart is their weight. Chinese Beantree wood is much lighter. The wood is soft, like white pine, and light, weighing only 26 pounds per cubic foot when dry. It also does not easily rot; in earlier years it was used for fence posts and less than successfully as railroad ties. Now day's the wood's uses include furniture, interior trim and cabinetry.
Often regarded as a weed tree, its wood is under-appreciated and underused. The tree's tendency to grow crooked does not help its reputation as a source of usable lumber.

CHINESE ELM - (Ulmus parvifolia) see ELM, CHINESE

CHITTUM BURL - (Cotinus obovatus) is a native of North America. It's a small to medium tree. The flowers are clustered in a large, loose branching cluster with a fluffy grayish-buff appearance resembling a cloud of smoke over the plant giving it name Smoke Tree (American)

COASTAL WILD OLIVEWOOD BURL - (Olea capensis) See Wild Olivewood Burl. This is Olivewood that grows by the coast in South Africa. Offshore Winds can make them really narly.

COASTAL WATTLE - (Acacia oraria) also known as Ironwood Acacia comes from tropical areas of Australia and South East Asia.

COCOBOLO - (Dalbergia retusa) Is a Central America wood. Cocobolo can be seen in a kaleidoscope of different colors, ranging from yellow, orange, red, and shades of brown with streaks of black or purple. Sapwood is typically a very pale yellow.
One of the prized lumbers for its outstanding color and figure; yet also one of the most infamous for its difficulty in gluing, and its tendency to cause allergic reactions in woodworkers.
Common uses are fine furniture, musical instruments, turnings, and other small specialty objects.

COCOBOLO BURL - (Dalbergia retusa)

COCUSWOOD - (Brya ebenus) also called Jamaican Rain Tree or Jamaican Ebony, comes from the the Caribbean primarily Jamaica and Cuba.
The heartwood is brownish-yellow to dark brown often with a greenish tinge. It is usually beautifully veined with darker streaks. The wood is hard and heavy. It is well known for its use in woodwinds such as flutes, piccolos, and bagpipes because of its fine and uniform grain, its beautiful coloring and its resonance.
Exports are essentially non-existent. Due to past exploitation, samples and turning blanks are exceptionally rare, and are very expensive.

COFFEE BURL - (Coffea canephora) also known as Robusta Coffee Tree and comes from Indonesia. It's a sustainable, dense, and hard wood byproduct, typically sourced from coffee plantation rejuvenation, which is utilized for small furniture, handicrafts, and sturdy pet chews.

COFFEEWOOD, BOLIVIAN - (Caesalpinia pluviosa) also known as Bolivian brown ebony, Bolivian ironwood, Momoqui, or Guayacan. The color is a rich coffee brown with a hint of red in the heartwood and pale yellow sapwood. The grain is dense and interlocked, which makes it challenging to work with

COMMON HOOK AND THORN BURL - (Acacia caffra) also known as Senegalia afra and Hook-thorn is native to South Africa.
Common uses are fencing posts and tanning. The highly durable root wood is also traditionally favored for carving tobacco pipes

COOLIBAH - (pronounced cool-a-bah) - (Eucalyptus coolabah) burls showcase a deep, rust red color with swirling figure and tight eyes. Coolibah (sometimes spelled coolabah) is a eucalyptus species native to Australia. Coolibah comes from one of the hardest and strongest trees in the world. This species is widely distributed over Northern Australia, generally along rivers and in heavy soils of flood plains. This premium exotic burl wood offers unmatched color and grain patterns. This deep reddish-brown burl is perfect match for high-end turnings.

COTTONWOOD - (Populus deltoides) also known as Eastern Cottonwood. Grows in Central and Eastern United States. Heartwood tends to be a light brown. Sapwood is a pale yellow to nearly white and gradually blend into the heartwood. So named for its cotton-like strands that accompany the tree’s seeds in the spring. Eastern Cottonwood is the state tree of Kansas and Nebraska. Pioneers on the Oregon Trail would look for such trees, as their shade and firewood was a welcome respite, and their presence usually meant that water was nearby.
Common uses are boxes/crates, veneer, plywood, and various utility purposes.

COTTONWOOD, CURLY - (Populus deltoides)

COTTONWOOD, CALIFORNIA, BURL - (Populus fremontii) California Cottonwood is a large growing species native to California and several other Southwestern States. Occasionally there are burls on the trunks. The wood is easy to work and finishes well. There is a very stark contrast between bronze colored heartwood and creamy yellowish-white sapwood, which yields showy woodworking projects.

CURUPAY - (Anadenanthera colubrina) also known as Cebil, Patagonian Rosewood (it is NOT a true rosewood). Native to Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, It Grows to 65-80 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a pale to medium reddish brown, frequently with darker brown to black streaks throughout. Color tends to darken with age. Sapwood is a pale yellow to pinkish brown.
Common uses are Flooring, exterior construction, furniture, and turned objects.

DALMATA - (Cynometra spruceana) also called Dalmatian, is native to South America.
Heartwood is medium reddish brown, with dark brown to black streaks and veining.
Common uses are turned objects, boxes, knife handles and other specialty wood items.

DESERT IRONWOOD - (Olneya tesota) grows mainly in Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. Heartwood color ranges from an orangish yellow to a darker red or brown, with darker violet to black streaks. Some pieces may be almost entirely black. Sap wood is narrow and yellow. Desert Ironwood is perhaps one of the most sought off woods in knife-making It has high density, stability, and grain patterns and colors creating a unique combination of characteristics that’s ideal for decorative handles.

DESERT IRONWOOD BURL- (Olneya tesota)

EAST INDIAN ROSEWOOD - (Dalbergia latifolia) - grows in Tropical America, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar.
Heartwood of East Indian Rosewood can vary from a golden brown to a deep purplish brown, with darker brown streaks. It has as a distinct, rose-like scent when being worked.
East Indian Rosewood is a true rosewood and and is prized for both veneers and hardwoods, this specie is found in many Asian antiques.

EKKI - (Lophira alata) Native to West Africa. Grown from 100-150 feet tall and 5-6 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a dark reddish or violet brown. Pores contain light-colored mineral deposits which form small but conspicuous streaks throughout the wood. Sapwood is a pale pinkish white, with a gradual transition zone between the heartwood and sapwood.
Common uses are Bridges, boatbuilding, marine applications, decking, and flooring.

ELM, AMERICAN - (Ulmus americana) also known as Water Elm grows in Eastern to Midwest United States.
Heartwood is light to medium reddish brown. Paler sapwood is well defined.
Once one of the largest and most prevalent of the North American elm species, preferred as an ideal shade tree for urban roadsides. American Elm is susceptible to Dutch elm disease so large and mature American Elms are uncommon.

ELM, SIBERIAN, BURL - (Ulmus pumila) also known as Asiatic Elm and Dwarf Elm native to the central Asia region. This large deciduous tree can grow up to 85 feet tall and reach diameters of up to 4 feet.
Heart wood has a range of tan to medium brown colors sapwood is very visible being white to cream color.
The tree is short-lived in temperate climates, rarely reaching more than 60 years of age, but in its native environment, may live between 100 and 150 years

ELM, CHINESE (Ulmus parvifolia) also known as Lacebark Elm. It has an unusual mottled bark, leaves that are smaller than those of other elm species, and good resistance to both Dutch elm disease (DED) and elm leaf beetle.
Lacebark elm is native to China, Korea, and Japan.
Chinese elms are used for landscaping, particularly as ornamental, shade, and street trees, and their wood is used for furniture, flooring, and crafts. They also have medicinal and edible uses, with the bark, leaves, and seeds being consumed in some cases. The tree is also cultivated for bonsai.

ENGLISH OAK - (Quercus robur) also known as European Oak native to Most of Europe, to Asia Minor, and North Africa, grows to 80-115 feet tall and 3-5 feet in diameter. Heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with an olive cast, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color. Nearly white to light brown sapwood is not always sharply visible from the heartwood. Quartersawn sections display prominent ray fleck patterns.
Common uses are cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, boatbuilding, barrels, and veneer.
English Oak falls into the white oak group, and shares many of the same traits as White Oak (Quercus alba).

ENGLISH OAK BURL - (Quercus robur) also known as European Oak native to Most of Europe, to Asia Minor, and North Africa, grows to 80-115 feet tall and 3-5 feet in diameter. Heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with an olive cast, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color. Nearly white to light brown sapwood is not always sharply visible from the heartwood. Quartersawn sections display prominent ray fleck patterns.
Common uses are cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, boatbuilding, barrels, and veneer.
English Oak falls into the white oak group, and shares many of the same traits as White Oak (Quercus alba).

ENGLISH OAK BURL
COMPAIRED TO
ENGLISH BROWN OAK BURL

ENGLISH BROWN OAK - (Quercus spp.)
Brown Oak is not a distinct species of oak, but refers to oak (almost always English Oak or another European species) that has been infected with a fungus. This fungus (Fistulina hepatica) has the effect of turning the wood a deep brown color. Once the wood has been cut and dried, the fungus dies, leaving a rich golden brown lumber.

ENGLISH BROWN OAK BURL - (Quercus spp.)
Brown Oak is not a distinct species of oak, but refers to oak (almost always English Oak or another European species) that has been infected with a fungus. This fungus (Fistulina hepatica) has the effect of turning the wood a deep brown color. Once the wood has been cut and dried, the fungus dies, leaving a rich golden brown lumber.

ETIMOE - (Copaifera salikounda) also known as African Etimoe native to West and Central Africa. Etimoe grows to 100-165 feet tall and 3-5 feet in diameter, Heartwood is a reddish brown, sometimes with darker streaks present. Sapwood is a pale yellow. Frequently seen with a curly Etimoe has a unique odor when being worked. The resin from the wood and bark is sometimes used within its natural range in Africa as perfume.
Common uses are veneer, plywood, furniture, flooring, and turned objects.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 20% in the past three generations, caused by exploitation.

EUCALYPTUS BURL (African) - Eucalyptus are a diverse genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the myrtle family. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia.
Like a lot of trees some have found their way to Africa.

FIG - (Ficus carica) or Fig Tree that’s grown for both its delicious fruit and remarkable wood. While typically cultivated for its fig the wood of the fig tree offers its own set of exceptional qualities, making it a rare and valuable find for woodworkers and artisans. The Fig Tree a small, growing to a height of 15 to 30 feet. Preferring higher elevations in drier climates, fig trees are well-suited to areas with minimal rainfall.
Fig Tree wood is useful, particularly for smoking meats due to its sweet, coconut-and-almond aroma. It is also favored by artisans for carving, small woodworking projects, and turning, as it is soft, lightweight, and workable, although not ideal for heavy furniture.

FISHTAIL OAK - (Neorites kevedianus) also called Fishtail Silky Oak is the the sole species Neorites kevedianus.
Fishtail Oak is a tall tree reaching 49–98 feet in height. The new growth is covered in brownish fur. It's endemic to the wet tropics rainforests of north eastern Queensland, Australia at an altitude of 490 to 3,770 feet above sea level.
Fishtail is similar to Leopardwood in figure but the color is a bit more reddish brown and a bit heavier.

GABON EBONY - (Diospyros crassiflora) also known as Gaboon Ebony, African Ebony, Nigerian Ebony, Cameroon Ebony. Grows in Equatorial West Africa.
Heartwood is usually jet-black, with little to no variation or visible grain. Occasionally dark brown or grayish-brown streaks may be present.
Gabon Ebony got it's name because historically most of the wood was exported from the nation of Gabon, though today it’s much more likely to be sourced from Cameroon.
Common uses are Small/ornamental items, such as piano keys, musical instrument parts, pool cues, carvings, and other small specialty items.

GONCALO ALVES - (Astronium spp) Also known as Goncalo Alves, Tigerwood, Jobillo. Heartwood is typically a medium reddish brown with irregularly spaced streaks of dark brown to black. Goncalo Alves is commonly referred to as “Tigerwood” or “Brazilian Tigerwood” among flooring dealers. The wood has superb stiffness, strength, hardness, and durability.
Common uses are Flooring, veneers, furniture, cabinetry, carving, turned objects, and other small wood specialty objects such as: pool cues, archery bows, knife handles, etc.

GRANADILLO - (Platymiscium yucatanum) - is a beautiful dense fine textured tropical hardwood from Central America. The heartwood color is a dark reddish brown. It is used for both veneers and lumber and can be figured. This gorgeous wood runs the color spectrum from violet to dark red to brown with frequent streaking and pronounced figure. Very hard, heavy, and dense with a tight grain and a fine texture. Weight 56 to 75 lbs. per cu. ft. Occasional light blonde sapwood contrasts beautifully with the heartwood.
A medium-sized to large canopy tree, up to 100 feet in height in the natural rain forest, with trunk diameters of up to 3 feet, with a clear, straight, cylindrical bole to 60 feet above a buttress.
Granadillo takes a high natural polish works easily, finishes smoothly, and responds well to hand tools. It glues, nails and screws well, and is rated highly durable. Frequently used for fine furniture and cabinetry, decorative veneers, flooring, musical instruments, turnery, joinery and specialty items such as violin bows and billiard cues Granadillo is an excellent substitute for Rosewood or Cocobolo.
Granadillo comes from Mexico & Central America and is also know as Macacauba, Trebol, Kira and Ormigia.

GRAPE ROOT BURL - (Vitis vinifera) I know very little about this burl, it is from Indonesia.

GREENHEART - (Ocotea rodiei) - also known asbibiru, sipiri, rora, kwatuk, sipu, bibiju, beeberoe, sipiroe, groenhartbloom, gruenholz, gruenherzbaum, and bibirubaum is an evergreen, and grows to a maximum of 40 inches in diameter and 130 feet in height, but on average 18-25 inches in diameter and 100 feet in height. Boles are generally cylindrical, straight and 50-80 feet long.
The wood is straight grained to interlocked grained, fine in texture, uniform, lustrous and cold to the touch. When the wood is fresh cut, it is strongly aromatic but becomes odorless and tasteless when dry. The wood is also usually free of knots and other defects.
Greenheart is an excellent timber for many uses, but is most highly regarded for marine construction because of its high resistance to marine borers and high resistance to fungi and termites. The timber’s resistance to destructive agencies is further supported by exceptionally high strength properties, qualifying it for numerous uses where durability, strength and good wearing qualities are essential.

GUAYABOCHI - (Calycophyllum spruceanum) It's trade name is PAU MULATO but is also known as, listed by country, Capirona Negra (Peru); Capirona del bajo (Peru); Capirona (Peru); Corusicao (Ecuador); Guayabete (Colombia); Guayabochi (Bolivia); Pau-Mulato-Da-Várzea (Brazil); Pau-Mulato (Brazil); Mulateiro (Brazil); Canelarana (Brazil).
Tree is common in the Amazon region all over the varzea areas, close to the riverbanks and grows to It is reported to grow to heights from 65 to 95 feet with a trunk diameter from 1 to 2 feet. It has straight, cylindrical boles which are often clear of branches. The heartwood is beige gray to uniform yellowish beige.
Common uses are construction, cabinet making, frames, tool handles, lathe work, plywood etc.

HACKBERRY - (Celtis occidentalis) is a genus of about 60-70 species of deciduous trees widespread in warm temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in southern Europe, southern and eastern Asia, and southern and central North America, south to central Africa, and northern and central South America. Hackberry has many similarities to elm. The wood blue stains and spalts very easy.

HARD PEAR BURL (African) - (Olinia ventosa) grows in the Knysna area of South Africa.

HAU- (Hibiscus tilaceus) Hau is recognizable by its large and bight yellow flowers containing a dark red “eye spot” inside. It is a part of the Malvaceae family. Hau grows to heights of 13 to 33 ft with a trunk up to 5.9 in. in diameter. Early Hawaiians used the wood of this to build the outriggers of canoes, floats for fish nets, long spears for games, and for the cross sticks of kites. The fibrous inner bark of the Hau was also used to create ropes, matts, and bark cloth.

HOLLY - (Ilex opaca) Quality grade Holly has a very uniform, pale white color with virtually no visible grain pattern. Knots are common, which can reduce the usable area of the wood. holly can develop a bluish/gray stain if not dried rapidly after cutting. Holly is usually cut during the winter and kiln dried shortly thereafter to preserve the white color of the wood and avoid the staining.
.Holly is typically used only for ornamental and decorative purposes. It has a fairly large shrinkage rate, with a lot of seasonal movement in service, and its strength properties are low for a hardwood.
Common Uses are Inlays, furniture, piano keys (dyed black), broom and brush handles, turned objects, and other small novelty items.

HOLLY (BLUE) - White Holly , stabilized and dyed blue.

HOLLY (GREEN) - White Holly , stabilized and dyed green.

HOLLY (PURPLE) - White Holly , stabilized and dyed purple.

HOLLY (PINK) - White Holly , stabilized and dyed pink.

HONDURAN MAHOGANY - (Swietenia macrophylla) is also known as Tropical Mahogany, South American Mahogany, Caoba and Chiculte. It is planted throughout the whole of the tropics as a sustainable forest crop, and is widely available. It has a short grain which grows in a swirling pattern. The shortness of the grain makes it perfect for carving, turning, an
d other woodworking. It cuts beautifully without chipping, works a lot like Walnut, being approx. the same weight as Walnut, sands well, glues well and finishes to a luxurious red-gold sheen. There are few woods as beautiful or as pleasant to work.
Honduran Mahogany is used in high-class furniture and cabinetmaking, reproduction furniture, boat interiors, pianos, pattern making, carving, turning, molds and dies and veneers.

HONDURAN ROSEWOOD - (Dalbergia stevensonii) Also known as Honduras Rosewood comes from Belize (British Honduras). Heartwood color can range from a deep brownish-purple to a light-brown. Most common is a brownish-mauve color. Sapwood is a pale yellow.
Honduran Rosewood is known for its acoustic properties, possessing an excellent tap-tone, making it great for acoustic guitars, xylophone keys, and other acoustic musical instruments.
Common uses are fine furniture, musical instruments, veneer, turned and other specialty wood objects.

HONDURAN ROSEWOOD BURL - (Dalbergia stevensonii)

HOPEA STONE BURL - (Hopea odorata) is from Southeast Asia it is a dense species. burl can have voids and incursions This burl has a very nice orange color with contrasting darker streaks of black and dark browns. It resembles Amboyna burl and Afzelia burl in color and burl patterns.

HORMIGO - (Platymiscium Dimorpandrun) - also known as Macacauba, Macawood and Orange Agate. Heartwood color can be highly variable, ranging from a bright red to a darker reddish or purplish brown (SEE MACACAUBA), frequently with darker stripes. When the wood is referred to as “Hormigo,” various suffixes are used to describe the heartwood color: “Hormigo Negro” for darker pieces or “Hormigo Rojo” for orangish red pieces.
Hormigo is a tree that grows in humid forest zones. It is used commonly to make musical instruments, such as the keys of the marimba. Its wood is reddish with clear pigmentation, it is strong and compacted, durable and beautiful sounding when struck. It grows in Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

HORNBEAM - (Carpinus betulus) also known as European hornbeam and Yoke-elm.
Heartwood is white to cream, sometimes green grayish. Sapwood Color is not distinctly different from the heartwood.
Common Uses include flooring, musical instruments, tool handles, veneers.

HONEY LOCUST - (Gleditsia triacanthos) - is also called Thorny Locust, Common Honey Locust, Sweet Locust. The sapwood is generally wide and yellowish in contrast to the reddish-brown heartwood, providing an attractive grain. The wood is dense, very heavy, very hard, strong in bending, stiff, resistant to shock, and is durable when in contact with soil.
The wood of honey locust possesses many desirable qualities but is little used due to its relative scarcity. There are few commercial growers or loggers, although there are honey locust plantations in eastern Nebraska.
The adult tree has a rounded crown, and commonly measures attains a height of 40-70 feet, however in exceptional circumstances honey locust can attain a height of 150 feet. The flowers are small and fragrant, with five pale purple or lilac petals, growing in clusters. The fruit is a drupe, marble-sized, light yellow at maturity, hanging on the tree all winter, and gradually becoming wrinkled and almost white.

HUBUBALI - (Loxopterygium sagotii) also known as Hububali Grows in South America. Heartwood primarily light reddish brown, commonly with darker streaks. Hububalli, HububaliBecause of its moderate density, this South American hardwood is much easier to work than most other ultra-dense hardwoods.
The heartwood is fluoresces when put under a blacklight.
Uses of hububali are furniture, cabinetry, flooring, veneer, and turned objects.

HUISACHE - (Vachellia farnesiana) Huisache is a native Texas plant also known as Sweet Acacia. It is a thorny shrub or small tree with fragrant yellow flowers, gray-green leaves, and black, cigar-shaped pods. It's name comes from the Nahuatl word for "many thorns," Huisache is valued for its flowers in the perfume industry. It's considered an aggressive species, forming thickets and limiting forage production.
Common uses are fence posts and firewood.

IMBUIA - (Ocotea porosa) also known as Imbuya, Embuya, and variant spellings and Brazilian Walnut, it grows in Southern Brazil
The heartwood is yellow-olive to chocolate brown, sometimes gray-brown, with variegated streaks and stripes. Grain pattern varies widely, with many different figures occurring in individual boards. It is hard and moderately heavy (about 42 pounds per cubic foot). Heartwood is durable. Emits a spicy, resinous scent and taste.
Used for high grade furniture, cabinetry, joinery, paneling, flooring, gun stocks, musical instruments.

INDIAN LAUREL - (Terminalia elliptica) grown mainly in Southern Asia (primarily India and Myanmar) and grows to 65-100 feet tall with a 2-3 feet diameter.
Heartwood varies from light brown to dark brown with darker, nearly black streaks. Sapwood is a pale pinkish color.
Common uses are veneer, furniture, cabinetry, boatbuilding, turned objects, and other small specialty items.

IROKO - (Milicia excelsa) is a large hardwood tree from the west coast of tropical Africa that can live up to 500 years. It is sometimes referred to as African Teak, although it is unrelated to the teak family. The wood color is initially yellow but darkens to a richer copper brown over time.
Common uses are Veneer, flooring, furniture, cabinetry, boatbuilding, turned items, and other small specialty wood items.

JACKALBERRY EBONY - (Diospyros mespiliformis) also known as Jackberry, African Ebony and Jakkalsbessie. The Jackalberry tree is found throughout Africa, from Senegal and the Sudan to Namibia and the northern Transvaal. They can grow up to 80 feet tall, with a trunk 5 feet in diameter. The average tree only reaches heights of 15 to 18 feet. The trunks grow straight and high, with the first spreading branches growing far above the ground. The mature trunks from older and heavier trees have fluted, flattened ridges along the trunk which help strengthen them.
The heartwood is fine-grained and good for floors and furniture. The trunks are used to make canoes. Tannin is contained in the leaves, bark and roots, and acts as an astringent that helps stop bleeding. The tree is also supposed to have antibiotic substances that help heal wounds.

IVORYWOOD - (Calycophyllum multiflorum) - also known as Castelo Boxwood and Palo Blanco, native to South America, tree grows from 20-30 feet tall and 1-2 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood is a light brown to pale yellowish color. Sapwood is lighter in color and isn’t clearly visible form the heartwood.
Common uses are archery bows, carvings, inlay and turned objects.

JACK FRUIT BURL - (Artocarpus heterophyllus) also known as Jackwood or Fanas and is native to India and Indonesia it grows from 30 to 69 feet in height and 10 to 30 inches in trunk diameter.
Heartwood starts as a bright, golden-yellow hue when freshly cut and darkens naturally into a rich, warm golden-brown or reddish tone over time.
Common uses are high-end tables, cabinets, beds and home construction.

JARRAH BURL - (Eucalyptus marginata) A great burl from Australia. Heartwood color ranges from a light red or brown to a darker brick red. Thin sapwood is a pale yellow to pink.
Jarrah is a useful timber for exterior projects in Australia. Its vibrant red color, and high density add to its marketability for use as a flooring material. Jarrah burl is also prized among wood turners, with its tight knots, swirling grain, and rich colors giving an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Jarrah Burl is a fantastic wood. The burl can be difficult at times to work with as it's prone to voids.
Common uses are flooring, heavy construction, veneer, cabinetry, outdoor furniture, and turned objects.

JATOBA - (Hymenaea Courbaril) - also known as Brazilian Cherry native to Central America, southern Mexico, northern South America, and the West Indies. This Tree is a huge canopy tree, growing 100-130 feet tall with a 2-4 feet trunk diameter. The fruit is considered edible although hardly tasty; one of its common names, "stinking toe," is used to describe the smell and taste of the fruit!
Heartwood varies from a light orangish brown to a darker reddish brown, sometimes with contrasting darker grayish brown streaks. Color tends darken upon exposure to light. Sapwood is a light grayish yellow, clearly visible from the heartwood.
Common uses are flooring, furniture, cabinetry, tool handles, shipbuilding, railroad ties, turned objects, and other small specialty items.

JICARILLO - (Eschweilera spp) comes from Honduras. Heartwood tends to be a light to medium reddish brown, with darker black streaks mixed throughout. Sapwood is a grayish white.
Common uses are furniture, knife scales, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.

KAKAWATE - (Gliricidia sepium) which my supplier calls Sakura? Is often simply referred to as Gliricidia. Iit is commonly known as "Madreado" in Honduras; Kakawate in the Philippines are just a few of the names (there are a lot!)
Kakawate is a medium-sized tree and can grow to from 30 to 40 feet high. The bark is smooth and its color can range from a whitish gray to deep red-brown.
The tree is used in many tropical and sub-tropical countries for various purposes such as live fencing, fodder, coffee shade, firewood.

KAMANI - (Calophyllum inophyllum ) is a large evergreen found in tropical Asia and the Pacific, also known as Tamanu or Mastwood. Its reddish-brown hardwood, with an interlocked grain and dramatic ribbon stripe, is prized for woodworking, particularly for carving bowls, trays, and other fine cabinetry. The wood is known for its balance of durability and relatively low density, making it suitable for items like canoes, and can sometimes be found with interesting spalted figures.

KAMANI BURL - (Calophyllum inophyllum) also known as tamanu, oil-nut, mastwood, beach calophyllum or beautyleaf and is native throughout Hawaii and the South Pacific.

KANISTA BURL - (Pouteria campechiana) is a medium to large tree and grows in Central America. It is often referred to as the Eggfruit Tree because of it's egg shaped fruit.

KARBOR ROSEWOOD BURL - (Dalbergia Lanceolaria) also knon as Lanceleaf Rosewood (Burl) which is native to Laos and Burma, it grows from 30-45’ tall and 12-18” in truck diameter.
Karbor is a true rosewood. The heartwood ranges from brown with purplish or black streaks with a distinct pale-brown sapwood. Hard and heavy with a medium fine texture.
Because of it size and limit growth area this is a seldom imported wood and limit by it size to small turned items,

KAREE, RED BURL - (Searsia lancea) Red Karee is from Southern Africa.

KAREE, WHITE BURL - (Searsia pendulina) Other common names are Willow Karee, River Karee. White Karee is from Southern Africa.

KATALOX - (Swartzia cubensis) also known as Mexican Ebony, Mexican Royal Ebony is native to Southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, tree grows from 100–130 feet tall and 2–4 feet in diameter. Heartwood is dark reddish brown to nearly black, sometimes with a strong purple hue. Sapwood is sharply visible and is pale yellowish white. Pieces with curly or wavy grain are not uncommon.
Common uses are inlays, fine furniture and cabinetry, parquet flooring, guitars, turnings, and other small specialty items.
Katalox has exceptional strength properties, and is among the very stiffest and strongest woods available worldwide. Its dark color makes it a popular substitute for ebony.

KIMBOTO - (Pradosia surinamensis) also known as Chupón and Paracuhuba doce, it's native to South America, mainly northern Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru. It grows from 80 -130 feet and 2-3 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood color ranges from a pale yellow to a golden yellow, darkening only slightly with age.
Kimboto, produces a heavy, dense, and structurally strong hardwood. Belonging to the Sapotaceae family, this wood is heavily utilized for structural components and heavy carpentry due to its impressive physical density, though its high silica content makes it notably difficult to process.
Local populations also harvest the tree from the wild for its edible, sweet fruit.

KINGWOOD - (Dalbergia cearensis) grows in Brazil, South America, a true rosewood and the densest of all rosewoods. Kingwood got it's name from several French kings (Louis XIV and Louis XV) that preferred the wood in the use of fine furniture.
Heartwood is a dark purplish or reddish brown with darker black streaks. Sapwood is a pale yellow.
Common uses are Inlays, veneers, tool handles, and other small turned and/or specialty items.

KNOBTHORN - (Cacia nigrescens) So called because of the knobby protrusions on the trunk also known as Giraffe Thorn. Grown in Africa, South Africa.
The heartwood is dark brown with light and dark streaks, sharply contrasting against a narrow, whitish-yellow sapwood.
Common uses are fence posts, mine props, railway sleepers due to its durability, flooring and fuel.
Because it is so hard, it is extremely difficult to saw and will quickly dull tool edges and It is so dense that it typically sinks in water.

KNYSNA BLACKWOOD - (Acacia melanoxylon) also known as Australian Blackwood, Tasmanian Blackwood and Acacia Blackwood. Native to Tasmania and eastern Australia; also introduced to Africa, South America, and southern Asia. Tree grows from 65-100 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Color can be highly variable, but tends to be medium golden or reddish brown, similar to koa or mahogany. There are usually contrasting bands of color in the growth rings, and it is not uncommon to see boards with ribbon-like streaks of color. Boards figured with wavy and/or curly grain are also not uncommon.
Common uses are Veneer, furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments, gunstocks, turned objects, and other specialty wood objects.

KOA - (Acacia koa) also known as Hawaiian koa, you guess it, it grows in Hawaii. Color can be highly variable, Usually it's medium golden or reddish brown, similar to Mahogany. There are can be contrasting bands of color in the growth rings. Figured with wavy and/or curly grain are also not uncommon.
Koa is widely considered to be the most beautiful and useful of Hawaii’s native hardwoods, along with Monkey Pod and Mango.
Common uses are veneer, furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments (especially guitars and ukuleles), canoes, gunstocks, carvings, bowls, and other turned/specialty wood objects.

KOA, CURLY -

KOKO - (Tieghemella africana) or (Albizia spp.) I listed two Scientific names, first one is from African, the second is if it's from Southeast Asia. Koko is a tropical hardwood prized for its rich golden-brown to deep reddish-brown heartwood with dark streaks and fine, interlocked grain, creating a luxurious and visually striking material

KOSSO - (Pterocarpus erinaceus) also known as Kosso, Barwood, African Kino Tree, Muninga, Vène and Mukwa. It's native to the Sahelian region of West Africa.
Heartwood color ranges from yellowish to rosy reds and rich browns, Sapwood is clearly visible being a pale off white.
Common uses are musical instruments (djembe, kora), furniture, and charcoal.

KOU - (Cordia subcordata) is known by a number of local names outside of the Hawaiian Islands, such as Bird lime tree, Glueberry, Kerosene wood, Manjak, Mareer, Marer, Narrow-leafed bird lime tree, Snottygobbles, and Tou.
Kou is considered a rare wood. It grows in the coastal regions of the Hawaiian islands. Kou was almost totally destroyed by a moth in the 1800’s.
This wood was prized by Hawaiian royalty for food use: poi bowls, calabashes and utensils as Kou does not impart a taste to food.
Legend says the Gods choose who can work with Kou.

KWILA - see Merbau

LACE SHEOAK - (Allocasuarina fraseriana) also known as Western sheoak and Common Sheoak native to Western Australia, Lace Sheoak grows to 30-50 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter. Heartwood is pink to reddish brown. Somewhat well defined sapwood is a light yellowish brown. Very large rays produce a lace-like pattern on flatsawn surfaces (becoming even larger on quartersawn surfaces.
Common uses are flooring, furniture, turned objects and other small, specialty wood items.

LACEWOOD - (Panopsis spp.) Also know as Brazilian Lacewood, South American Lacewood and grown in Tropical South America.
Lacewood is a reddish brown with grey or light brown rays, which result in a lace pattern when quartersawn. The name “Lacewood” is used and misused to identify a number of different wood species. In its vaguest sense, the term “lacewood” is used to describe any wood that displays figuring that resembles lace. Which lead to a lot of confusion. In my experience, if it light in color and weight less, it's Lacewood. If darker and very heavy it's Leopardwood.
Common uses veneer, cabinetry, fine furniture, musical instruments (guitars), and turned objects.

LAOS ROSEWOOD - (Dalbergia lanceolaria) native to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Southeast Asia (Laos, Vietnam) and grows from heights of 30-45’ tall and 12-18” in diameter at trunk.
Heartwood is dark reddish-brown with darker streaks, often featuring an easily visible, yellowish to light brown sapwood.
Common use are bowls, pens, spindles, lidded boxes, peppermills and small parts for musical instruments.
This is an exceptionally rare species that very little of it ever is imported into the United States.

LANETE - (Wrightia arbore) native to Southeast Asia, mainly Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, growing from 60-65 feet tall and 12 - 13 inches in trunk diameter.
The heartwood is creamy white to pale yellow, sometimes with a pinkish tinge.
Common uses are Turning, Packing, Musical Instruments, handcrafts, pencils and shoes.

LAUREL BURL - (Laurelia sempevirens) also known as Peruvian Nutmeg, Native to Chile, South America.
Heartwood is yellowish to golden with some green and occasional grey tones.
Common uses are high-end automotive dashboards, luxury furniture, and veneer for interior architecture.

LEADWOOD - (Combretum imberbe) native to South Africa north to Tanzania, grows 32-64 feet tall and 1-2 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a rich, reddish brown to dark brown; color darkens with age. Clearly visible sapwood is a pale yellow.
Common uses are carving, furniture, turned objects, and other small specialty items. Smaller trees are used as fuelwood, as the wood burns slowly at high temperatures.

LEMONABALLI - (Chrysophyllum Pomiferum) also spelled Limonaballi. Native to Guyana and surrounding regions of South America. The heartwood ranges from pale yellowish-brown to dark brown, while the sapwood is often indistinctly, being a light brown.
Common uses are turned bowls, carvings, pens, musical instruments, heavy and light construction, flooring, cabinetry, furniture, toys, vats, boxes, and veneers.
This wood is extremely hard on cutting tools. My High Speed Steel cutting tools dulled in seconds once I started to cut. Had to use carbide cutters to turn.

LEOPARDWOOD - (Roupala montana) is a medium to dark reddish brown with grey or light brown rays, which resemble the spots of a leopard. It has the most pronounced figure and displays the largest flecks when perfectly quartersawn.
Leopardwood (Roupala spp.) can usually be identified from most species of Lacewood (Panopsis spp.) based upon its darker color and heavier weight..
Veneer, cabinetry, fine furniture, musical instruments (guitars), and turned objects.

LIGNUM VITAE, ARGENTINE - (Plectrocarpa sarmientoi) native to Gran Chaco region of South America tree grows from 40–50 feet tall and 1–2 feet in diameter.
Heartwood color can range from pale yellowish olive to a deeper forest green or dark brown. The color tends to darken with age, especially upon exposure to light Pale yellow sapwood is clearly visible from heartwood.
Common uses are tool handles, mallet heads, bearings, bushings, boatbuilding, pulley wheels, heavy construction (in areas where the tree grows locally), and turned objects.

LIGNUM VITAE, GENUINE (GUAYACAN) - (Guaiacum officinale) also known as Guayacan, Palo Santo and Holywood. native to Central America and northern South America tree grows from 20–30 feet tall and 1–2 feet in diameter.
Heartwood color can range from olive to dark green/brown to nearly black, sometimes with a reddish hue. The color tends to darken with age, especially upon exposure to light. On average, the heartwood color of genuine lignum vitae tends to be darker than that of Argentine lignum vitae
Lignum Vitae is quite famous for being "the densest wood in the world" — it ranks among the top of the "Janka Scale of Hardness," which measures such things. The wood is also believed to have medicinal properties in its resins and chips; "Lignum Vitae" is, after all, Latin for "Wood of Life."
Common uses are tool handles, mallet heads, bearings, bushings, boatbuilding, pulley wheels, and turned objects.
Unfortunately, because of Genuine Lignum Vitae's highly desirable properties, the wood has been grossly over harvested and is now practically on the endangered species list (which, of course, is sadly ironic, considering the meaning of its name). Although some Genuine Lignum Vitae is still available on the market, it is no longer being sold in any significant quantities.

LIGNUM VITAE, VERAWOOD - (Plectrocarpa sarmientoi, (formerly named Bulnesia arborea)) native to Colombia and Venezuela, tree grows from 40–50 feet tall and 1–2 feet in diameter.
Heartwood color can range from pale yellowish olive to a deeper forest green or dark brown. The color tends to darken with age, especially upon exposure to light Pale yellow sapwood is clearly visible from heartwood.
Common uses are tool handles, mallet heads, bearings, bushings, boatbuilding, pulley wheels, heavy construction (in areas where the tree grows locally), and turned objects.
Verawood has very similar appearances and working characteristics to true Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum spp.), and is sometimes referred to as Maracaibo Lignum Vitae—named for the nearby Venezuelan port city. It is native to the coastal regions of Puerto Cabello and Lake Maracaibo, though it has also been introduced to neighboring islands in the Caribbean. Though Verawood is in a different genus than Lignum Vitae, both are biologically classified in the same family: Zygophyllaceae. Both woods are extremely hard, heavy, oily, and have a distinct brownish olive color.

Bowl pictured is of Quarter Sawn Verawood

LIMBA, WHITE - (Terminalia superba) also known as Limba, korina, afara, white limba comes from Tropical western Africa and grows to 65- 100 feet tall and 5-7 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a light yellowish to golden brown, sometimes with grey to nearly black streaks and veins. Wood with such darker figuring is referred to as Black Limba, while plain unfigured wood is called White Limba. Sapwood is a pale greyish to yellowish brown,

LIMBA, BLACK - (Terminalia superba) also known as Limba, korina, afara, b;lack limba comes from Tropical western Africa and grows to 65- 100 feet tall and 5-7 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a light yellowish to golden brown, sometimes with grey to nearly black streaks and veins. Wood with such darker figuring is referred to as Black Limba, while plain unfigured wood is called White Limba. Sapwood is a pale greyish to yellowish brown,

LOGAN BERRY - (Euphoria longana) - commonly known as the Longan, is a tropical tree native to South and Southeast Asia.
The Logan Berry tree can grow up to 20 to 25 feet in height, and the plant is very sensitive to frost. Longan trees require sandy soil and temperatures that do not typically go below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Longans and lychees bear fruit at around the same time of the year.The Longan translated literally as "dragon eye" is so named from its transliteration from Amoy because its fruit, when it is shelled, resembles an eyeball (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris). The seed is small, round and hard, and of an enamel-like, lacquered black.

LONDON PLANE - (Platanus x acerifolia) comes from Western Europe. Similar to maple, the wood of London Plane trees is predominantly comprised of the sapwood, with some darker heartwood streaks also found in most boards. The sapwood is white to light pinkish tan, while the heartwood is a darker reddish brown. London Plane also has very distinct ray flecks present on quartersawn surfaces—giving it a freckled appearance.
London Plane grows 65-115 feet tall and 3-5 feet trunk diameter
Common uses veneer, plywood, interior trim, pallets/crates, flooring, furniture, carvings, and other small specialty wood objects.

LOURO PRETO - (Nectandra mollis) also called Brazilian Bocote. Comes from Tropical Americas, southward to Brazil. Heartwood is medium brown with a reddish cast, sometimes olive-colored cast. Darker brown streaks common. Heartwood color is sharply demarcated from the pale sapwood. Color darkens with age.
Tree grows to 50-65 feet and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Common uses Furniture, cabinetry, veneer, and turned objects.

LYCHEE - (Nephelium lappaceum) see - Rambutan

MACAWOOD - (Platymiscium spp.) also known as Macacauba, Hormigo, Orange Agate and Red Canary is native to Central and South America growing from 65-80 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Heartwood color can be highly variable, ranging from a bright red to a darker reddish or purplish brown, frequently with darker stripes.
Common uses are Furniture, cabinetry, veneer, musical instruments, turned objects, and small specialty wood items

MACASSAR EBONY - (Diospyros celebica) also known as Striped Ebony and Amara Ebony grows in Southeast Asia.
Heartwood has dramatic striped appearance, somewhat similar to Zebrawood. Yellow to reddish brown body with darker brown or black stripes. Sapwood is pale gold color.
Macassar is name after it primary port of export, Indonesian port-city of Makassar.
Common uses are veneer, high-end cabinetry, billiard cues, musical instruments, and other small specialty items.

MADRONE - (Arbutus menziesii) also known as Pacific Madrone is from the Western coast of North America. Color tends to be a cream or pinkish brown color, but can also have dark red patches. Madrone is known for its burl veneer, which has many closely-packed clusters of knots and swirled grain.
Madrone burl is highly prized as a decorative veneer, while Madrone lumber is a very dense and finely-grained hardwood that’s similar in appearance to fruitwoods.
Common uses are Veneer, turned objects, and other small specialty objects.

MADRONE BURL - (Arbutus menziesii)

MAKORE - (Tieghemella heckelii) also known as Douka and Cherry Mahogany. Grows is Western and Middle Africa (from Sierra Leone to Gabon).
Heartwood pink or reddish brown, sometimes with streaks of mild color variation. Yellowish sapwood can be two to three inches wide. Figured grain patterns, such as mottled or curly, are a common occurrence.
Uses included: Veneer, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, boatbuilding, musical instruments, turned objects, and other small wooden specialty items.

MALAYSIAN BLACKWOOD (EBONY) - (Diospyros ebonasea) Grows almost exclusively in Malaysia.
Heartwood ranges from a medium brown to nearly black. Sometimes with black veining and contrasting brown or reddish streaks. Sapwood is a pale yellow to tan color.
This wood is classified as a true ebony in the Diospyros genus, and it’s price and scarcity fully reflect that.
Common uses are acoustic guitars, turned objects, knife handles, and inlay.

MALLEE, BROWN - (Eucalyptus dumosa) comes from down under Southeastern Australia. Heartwood generally medium brown, sometimes with an orange cast. Pale yellow to gray sapwood. Almost always seen in burl form.
Usually smaller and shorter than trees, mallees grow multiple smaller-diameter stems from a common root system. Because of this, most mallee species are ill suited for lumber, though they do have a propensity for burl growths that can be harvested and used for turning and other small specialty projects.
Brown Mallee doesn’t refer to a specific tree of the same name, but rather describes burl pieces from various Eucalyptus species where the wood itself is brown in color.
Common uses are turned objects, knife and gun grips, and small specialty objects.

MALLEE, RED - (Eucalyptus oleosa) Grows in Australia. Heartwood ranges from pink to orangish red. Pale yellow to gray sapwood Nearly always seen in burl form.
Usually smaller and shorter than trees, mallees grow multiple smaller-diameter stems from a common root system. Because of this, most mallee species are ill suited for lumber, though they do have a propensity for burl growths that can be harvested and used for turning and other small specialty projects.
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MANGO - (Mangifera indica) Because of the spalting that is commonly present, the wood can be a kaleidoscope of colors. Under normal circumstances, heartwood is a golden brown, while other colors such as yellow and streaks of pink and/or black can also occur. Curly or highly figured grain patterns are also common.
Common uses are Furniture, ukuleles, veneer, plywood, turned objects, and flooring.

MANZANITA ROOT BURL - (Arctostaphylos spp) comes from Shrubland regions of western North America. Heartwood is brownish red, sometimes with a bright orange hue. Sapwood is a pale off-white to light brown; clearly distinguished from heartwood. Burls and wild or swirled grain is common.
Manzanita grows in fire prone areas and it has developed a survival tactic of a large root ball to survive. The top may burn off and new growth will sprout from the root ball. This ball contains some real spectacular wood figure. The draw back is it's a root and will contain dirt, rocks and what ever the root grows around.

MAPLE - (Acer saccharum) also known as Hard Maple, Sugar Maple, Rock Maple and grows in Northeastern North America.
The sapwood of hard maple lumber is most commonly used rather than its heartwood. 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.
In tree form, hard maple is usually referred to as sugar maple, and is the tree most often tapped for maple syrup.
Common uses are flooring, veneer, paper, musical instruments, cutting boards, butcher blocks, workbenches, baseball bats, and other turned objects and specialty wood items.

MAPLE, BIRD'S EYE is a figure found most commonly in hard maple, though it’s also found less frequently in other species.

MAPLE, CURLY

MAPLE, SPALTED - Spalting a fungal discoloration of wood, and can be found on a wide range of wood species. It is found in wood that has begun to decay. Drying the wood preventing further decay. Spalting gives the wood some dark contrasting lines and streaks and can produce colors where fungus has begun to attack the wood.

MARBLEWOOD - (Zygia racemosa) Grows in Northeastern South America.
Heartwood is yellow to golden brown, with irregular brown, purple, or black streaks. Paler sapwood is about one inch thick and is solid yellow.
The high contrast between the golden body and the much darker streaks give it an appearance somewhat similar to natural marble, hence the common name of “Marblewood”.
Common uses are Flooring, sliced veneer, turned objects, cabinetry, and fine furniture.

MASUR BIRCH - Masur Birch is not a particular species of birch, but is rather a grain figure that is most commonly seen in Downy Birch and Silver Birch. It is also sometimes known as Karelian Birch—with Karelia being a region between Finland and Russia. Supply of this wood is very limited.

MATUMI BURL (Breonadia salicina ) as it is called in South Africa is also know Mugonha (trade name), Adina (Uganda); Adina (Tanzania); Mulamandia (Kenya); Adina (Kenya); Muonha (Mozambique); Mugonha (Mozambique).
The tree reaches a height of 100 feet, with trunk diameters of 30 inches. The bole is straight and not always regular, medium to highly fluted, with buttresses.
Grows naturally in East and South Africa along water ways and in gallery forest.

MERBAU - (Intsia spp) also known as Kwila and Ipil, and grow from East Africa to Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Australia;) and reach 130-200 feet tall and 4-5 feet diameter.
Heart wood has an orangish-brown color when freshly cut, which ages to a darker reddish-brown. Color between boards can be highly variable. There also might be small yellow mineral deposits found throughout the wood.
Common uses are flooring, furniture, musical instruments, turned objects, and other specialty wood items.

MESQUITE - (Prosopis glandulosa) also called Honey Mesquite grow in Southwestern North America
Heartwood tends to be a reddish brown. Sapwood is yellow in color, and tends to be thin.
Considered by some to be an invasive species, Mesquite is known to produce great firewood with a high thermal value. Honey Mesquite is prized by segmented woodturners and others for its exceptional stability. Honey Mesquite exhibits very little movement due to environmental changes in humidity.
Common uses are Fence posts, flooring, turned objects, cabinetry, and furniture.

MESQUITE BURL -

MILO - (Thespesia populnea). also know as Portia Tree and Pacific Rosewood, is a flowering plant belonging to the mallow family, Malvaceae.

MIRINDIBA - (Lafoensia glyptocarpa) )grows in Brazil, South American. it has a maximum height of 75 feet with a trunk diameter of up to 22 inches.
Hartwood is a golden-brown to reddish-brown
Common uses are flooring, furniture, cabinetry, cutting boards, turned objects, and other decorative woodworking projects.

MONKEY POD - (Albizia saman) also known as Acacia and Raintree.
It grows all over the world from Southeast Asia and Hawaii to Central and South America. Being a tropical species it tends to grow very large and yields large slabs. It can also be used for outdoor furniture as it is very rot resistant.
The color can be variable from lighter golden to medium brown and many pieces have wild swirls in the grain which add a lot of character to each piece.

MOPANE - (Colophospermum mopane) also known as Mopani and native to Southern Africa. Tree grows to 65-100 feet tall and with a 2-3 foot diameter.
Heartwood is medium to dark reddish brown, with black stripes. Color tends to darken with age. Well-defined sapwood is a pale yellow.
Common uses are flooring, musical instruments (woodwind), turned objects, fuelwood/charcoal, furniture, inlay, and exterior construction.
Mopane is an often neglected and overlooked African hardwood, though its density and durability are virtually unrivaled. The wood is said to have excellent acoustic properties, comparing similarly to African Blackwood.

MORADO - (Machaerium spp.) also known as Pau Ferro, Bolivian Rosewood, Santos Rosewood grows in Brazil and Bolivia.
Color can be highly varied, ranging from reddish/orange to a dark violet/brown, usually with contrasting darker black streaks. Sapwood is a pale yellow.
Common uses are Veneer, musical instruments, cabinetry, flooring, interior trim, turning, and other small specialty wood objects.

MOVINGUI - (Distemonanthus benthamianus) also known as Ayan and Nigerian Satinwood and grows to 100-125 feet tall and 3-5 feet in diameter. Heartwood is golden yellow to bright yellow.
The wood is medium to fine texture with a slightly interlocked grain that produces ribbon and beeswing figure in the quarter sawn surfaces.
Common uses are veneer, cabinetry, furniture, and flooring.

MULBERRY - (Morus alba ) is the "fruitless" mulberry planted in many Texas landscapes. Heartwood is light orange-yellow and sapwood is white. Because it is durable in contact with the soil it is sometimes used for fence posts.

MYRTLEWOOD - (Umbellularia californica) also known as Oregon Myrtle, California Bay Laurel, Pepperwood.
Heartwood color can be variable, from light orangish brown to gray or olive, sometimes with darker streaks present. Sapwood is Pale and well defined. Figured grain patterns (curly, mottled, burl) are not uncommon

MYRTLEWOOD BURL -

NARGUSTA BURL - (Terminalia amazonia) also known as Canxan Negro native from Mexico to Brazil. Heartwood varies from light to medium brown, sometimes with a golden or olive cast. Occasionally seen with darker reddish brown streaks.
Common uses are turned objects, furniture, cabinetry, boatbuilding, and general construction.

NARRA - (Pterocarpus indicus) Grows in Southeast Asia it's heartwood can vary widely in color, ranging from a golden yellow to a reddish brown and sapwood is pale yellow. Quartersawn surfaces can display ribbon-stripe figure, and the wood is also seen with mottled, beeswing, or curly figure. Narra burl that's full of well-defined knot clusters is known as Amboyna and highly valued.

NEPAL ALDER - ( Alnus nepalensis ) also known as Nepalese alder. Nepalese alder tends to be a light tan to reddish brown; color darkens and reddens with age. There is no visible distinction between heartwood and sapwood. Large aggregate rays appear as occasional small streaks on the face grain that can be mistaken for defects in the wood.

OLIVEWOOD - (Olea europaea) comes from Europe and Eastern Africa. Heartwood is a cream or yellowish brown, with darker brown or black contrasting streaks. Color tends to deepen with age. Olive is sometimes figured with curly or wavy grain and burl.
Olive trees are commercially important throughout the natural regions where they grow. The olives harvested from the trees are made into olive oil.
High-end furniture, veneer, turned objects, and small specialty wood items.

OLIVEWOOD (FIGURED) - (Olea europaea)

OPEPE - (Nauclea diderrichii) native to West and Central Africa and grows to 100-160 feet tall and 3-6 feet in diameter (big tree!) Heartwood is golden brown or orange, darkening over time. Sapwood is light yellow and is clearly visible from heartwood.
Common uses are general construction, flooring, furniture, cabinetry, boatbuilding, docks, carving, and turned objects.

OSAGE ORANGE - (Maclura pomifera) also known as Horse Apple, Hedge Apple and Bois d’arc, grows in the South Central United States. Heartwood is golden to bright yellow, sapwood is white.
Found primarily in a limited area centered on the Red River valley in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas, they were planted as living fences - or hedges - along the boundaries of farms, and have spread widely from these restricted, linear beginnings.
The name of the tree comes from the Osage tribe, which lived near the home range of the tree, and the aroma of the fruit after it is ripe. Find one of the fruit that has been sitting in the sun on a balmy Indian Summer day and notice the pleasant, orange-peel smell of the skin. Not all of the trees will have fruit because Osage Orange are either male or female, and only the females will bear fruit.

OSAGE ORANGE, ARGENTINE - (Maclura tinctoria) see ARGENTINE OSAGE ORANGE

PADAUK - (Pterocarpus soyauxii) also known as African Padauk, Vermillion, is from Central and tropical west Africa.
Padauk is moderately heavy, strong, and stiff, with exceptional stability.
Other names this wood is identifed by are Padouk, Paduk and Paduak, they are all just misspellings/mispronounced of Padauk.
Padauk is pronounced pah-DUKE.
Common uses are Veneer, flooring, turned objects, musical instruments, furniture, tool handles, and other small specialty wood objects.

PADAUK - (BURMA) - (Pterocarpus macrocarpus) also know as Burmese Padauk and Pradauk, from Myanmar (formerly Burma), and Thailand.
Heartwood color can vary, ranging from a pale golden yellow to a deeper reddish brown. Sapwood is Yellow.
Burma Padauk is the heaviest and hardest of all types of Padauk (Pterocarpus genus) commercially available.
Common uses are Veneer, flooring, turned objects, musical instruments, furniture, tool handles, and other small specialty wood objects.

PAELA BURL - Caesalpinia platyloba) comes from the Chakte Viga tree and yields a very peculiar and highly figured wood, its rarity also adds expense. Paela Burl is very hard to work with hand tools or on a lathe because its grain is twisted and interlocked, causing it to chip and chatter unpredictably. The color varies between deep orange and reddish color. Paela Burl comes from South America.

NOTE ON PALMS - Palm wood consists of fibers embedded in a lighter tan or light brown colored body. Fibers are more densely packed toward the outside of the tree trunk, becoming more and more sparse toward the center of the tree. The center core of the tree is soft and contains none of the darker vascular bundles that give the wood its characteristic look and hardness. Which is opposite of the typical outer sapwood/inner heartwood combination found in most trees.

PALM, BLACK - (Borassus flabellifer) also known as Palmyra Palm and comes from Africa and Tropical Asia.
Palm is neither a softwood nor a hardwood, palm falls into the category of monocots, which also includes bamboo, grass, banana, rice, wheat, corn, etc.
Black Palm has a medium to fine texture, though it is by no means even or uniform on account of the contrast between the dense, darker fibers, and the soft, lighter cellulose structure of the wood. Grain is very straight, and contains no growth rings, knots, or defects.

PALM, RED - (Cocos nucifera) also known as Red Coconut Palm, it's native throughout the tropics worldwide and grows from 65-100 feet tall, 1-1.3 ft in diameter.
Red Palm consist of reddish brown fibers embedded in a lighter tan or light brown colored body. Fibers are more densely packed toward the outside of the tree trunk, becoming more and more sparse toward the center of the tree. The center core of the tree is soft and contains none of the darker vascular bundles that give the wood its characteristic look and hardness.
Common uses are Flooring, canoes, rafts, walking sticks, knife and tool handles, carvings, rafters, furniture, and turned objects.

PALO MARIA - (Calophyllum brasiliense) also knwon as American Sapele, Leche de Maria (Mexico), Calaba (Panama), Aceite maria (Colombia), Edaballi, Kurahara (Guayana), Balsamaria (Bolivia), Guanandi, Jacareuba (Brazil), American Sapele and Barf.
Palo Maria grows throughout the West Indies and from Mexico southward through Central America and into northern South America.
Heartwood varies in color from pink to yellowish pink, to brick red or rich reddish brown; sapwood 1 to 2 in. wide, lighter in color. Tree attains a height of 100 to 150 feet with a long straight clear bole 3 to 6 feet in diameter; unbuttressed.
Common uses are high-end furniture, cabinetry, and decorative veneers.

PARTRIDGE WOOD - (Vouacapoua americana Aubl.) See Brownheart

PAU ROSA - (Bobgunnia madagascariensis) native to Africa, it grows from 70-90 feet tall to 2-3 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood tends to vary in color from a pink or yellow to a darker reddish brown, with darker brown streaks common. White to pale yellow sapwood clearly visiable from heartwood.
Common uses are veneer, carvings, furniture, turned objects, and other small, specialty wood items.
Please note that Pau Rosa was formerly classified in the Swartzia genus along with Katalox and Wamara, Pau Rosa has since been placed into its own genus, Bobgunnia. Bobgunnia madagascariensis tends to be more on the reddish or orangish side, while Bobgunnia fistuloides tends to be a more subdued brown.

PAU FERRO (Machaerium spp.) is a wood of many names, and is sometimes called Morado, Caviuna—and because the wood is so similar in appearance and working properties to rosewood, it is also sometimes referred to as Bolivian or Santos rosewood. The wood has been used in various capacities as a substitute for the endangered Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra).
Although the wood is not technically in the Dalbergia genus, Pau Ferro (Machaerium species) is botanically very closely related to true rosewoods, both being subdivided within the Fabaceae family into the tribe Dalbergieae and even further into the subclade Dalbergia. Additionally, Pau Ferro contains the same sensitizing compounds found in rosewoods, it’s about as close to a true rosewood as a species can get without actually being a Dalbergia species.

PECAN - (Carya illinoinensis) native to South-central United States and Mexico, it's Heartwood tends to be light to medium brown, with a reddish hue; sapwood is a paler yellowish brown.
Pecan has slightly lower strength values than some of the other species of Hickory, but it is still among the hardest and strongest of woods native to the United States.
Pecan is the tree responsible for producing Pecan nuts commonly used in snacks and cooking recipes, and is the state tree of Texas.
Common uses are tool handles, ladder rungs, wheel spokes, and flooring.

PEPPER WOOD BURL (PERUVIAN) - (Schinus molle) also known as American Pepper, Peruvian Peppertree, Escobilla, False Pepper, Rosé Pepper, Molle del Peru, Pepper Tree, Pepper Wood and a whole bunch of others. It native to It is native to an area from the Peruvian Andes to southern Brazil. Grows to a height of 50 feet and is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant evergreen tree prized for its weeping canopy and aromatic, pink-to-red berries. it was brought to South Africa in 1780 by Portuguese explorers.

PERNAMBUCO - (Caesalpinia echinata) is a species of Brazilian timber tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Common names include Brazilwood, Pau-Brasil, Pau de Pernambuco, Pernambuco tree, Nicaragua wood and Ibirapitanga (Tupi).
This tree has a dense, orange-red heartwood that takes a high shine, and it is the premier wood used for making bows for stringed instruments. The wood also yields a red dye called brazilin, which oxidizes to brazilein.

PEROBA ROSA - (Aspidosperma polyneuron) also known as Palo Rosa and Yellow Rosa, it's native to South America (primarily southeast Brazil and Argentina).
Heartwood color ranges from yellow to pinkish red, sometimes with darker streaks of purple or brown. Gray to yellow sapwood not really visible from the heartwood.
Common uses are veneer, furniture, cabinetry, general construction (within its natural range), carvings, and turned objects.

PHEASANTWOOD - (Cassia siamea), also known as Thailand cassia or Senna siamea, is a rare species of hardwood, named after the black and golden figured patterns of a pheasant’s tail feathers. The flat or slab sawn face shows the most finely defined patterns with contrasting golden and black streaks. Pheasant wood is a very close color and grain match to Desert Ironwood. It is excellent for fine articles such as boxes, pens, and more.
Usually grown as an ornamental tree for showy flowers, this species is more difficult to obtain than Ebony and is a cherished wood from the Hawaiians to the South East Asians

PINK IVORY - (Berchemia zeyheri) Sometimes called Red Ivory is native to South Africa, it's color ranges from a pale brownish pink, to a bright, almost neon pink, to a deep red. Typically the most valuable pieces of Pink Ivory are a vibrant pink. Pink Ivory can commonly be seen with a curly or fiddleback grain pattern, further enhancing its visual impact. Sapwood of Pink Ivory tends to be pale yellow to light brown.
According to folklore the tree is considered sacred to the Zulus in South Africa and is reserved for royalty and carried a death penalty for position by non royalty. Which is just a story to help elevate the price!

PINK IVORY, CURLY - (Berchemia zeyheri)

PINK IVORY BURL - (Berchemia zeyheri) Unicorn or burl woods...... super rare!

PISTACHIO - (Pistacia vera) Native to Iran, also cultivated in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions, and California. Trees grow to about 20-30 feet tall and 6-12 inches in diameter. Heartwood color from a light olive green to an orangish or purplish brown, frequently with darker brown to black stripes. Pale yellow/gray sapwood. Common uses are Inlays, musical instruments, carvings, knife scales, and turned objects.
The heartwood of Pistachio is strongly fluorescent under a blacklight, glowing a yellow/green that’s almost as vibrant as Black Locust or Coffeetree.

PLUM - (Prunus domestica) heartwood can exhibits a wide range of colors, ranging from a yellowish brown, with streaks of pink, orange, red, purple, olive, or gray mixed in. Because of the small size of plum trees, swirled or irregular grain, as well as knots and other defects are common.
Uses include turned objects, musical instruments, inlay, and knife handles.

POST OAK - (Quercus stellata) is an oak in the white oak group. It is a small tree, typically 30-50 feet tall and 12-24 inch trunk diameter, though occasional specimens reach 100 feet tall and 55 inch diameter. It is native to the eastern United States, from Connecticut in the northeast, west to southern Iowa, southwest to central Texas, and southeast to northern Florida.

POST OAK BURL - (Quercus stellata)

PRIMA VERA - (Roseodendron donnell-smithiirimavera) also known as White Mahogany and Primavera which is native to Central America (Also grown on plantations). Heartwood ranges from a pale cream color to a golden yellow. Color tends to darken and redden with age. Can exhibit a ribbon-like chatoyant grain pattern similar to quartersawn Sapele. Primavera grows to 65-100 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Common uses are veneer, furniture, cabinetry, and interior trim.

PURPLEHEART - (Peltogyne spp.) also called Amaranth, grows from Mexico down to southern Brazil, when freshly cut the heartwood is a dull grayish/purplish brown. Upon exposure the wood becomes a deeper eggplant purple.
Common uses are inlays/accent pieces, flooring, furniture, boatbuilding, heavy construction, and a variety of specialty wood items.

QUEBRACHO, RED - (Schinopsis lorentzii) also known as Quebracho, Quebracho Colorado Santiagueno and is native to South America, primarily Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. It grows from 40-80 feet tall and 2-4 feet in diameter, Heartwood color typically a light to medium reddish brown, sometimes with darker blackish streaks. Color darkens upon prolonged exposure to light. Pale yellow sapwood distinct from heartwood, though transition is gradual.
Due its difficult workability, quebracho tends to be minimally processed. Local uses include heavy construction timbers, railroad cross-ties, and fence posts. When exported, uses include furniture, carvings, and turned objects.

QUEENWOOD - ( Amantaria Manutis) is from Peru and is a much more recent commercial species, and is only occasionally exported from Peru.
Queenwood color varies, but is generally a light reddish brown, with sections of darker purplish brown, as well as darker black streaks and veins throughout. Sapwood is a pale grayish brown to cream color, and is sharply demarcated from the heartwood.

QUINA - (Myroxylon peruiferum) native to Southern Mexico and Central and South America and grows from 65-100 feet tall and 2-3 feet in trunk diameter.
There are crazy degree of color variation between boards of Quina, they ranging from a lighter golden brown to a darker purplish red or burgundy. The color tends to turn more red/purple with age. Quartersawn sections can show a striped or ribbon pattern.
Common uses are flooring, furniture, interior trim, heavy construction, and turned objects.

NOTE: Quina is the second of only two species in the Myroxylon genus. The other, Santos Mahogany (Myroxylon balsamum) and Quina comprises a special genus of trees commonly referred to as called Balsamo which are used in the production of a substance called Balsam of Peru, used as a fragrance in perfumes.

RAMBUTAN - (Nephelium lappaceum) also known as Southeast Asian Rambutan or Lychee is a medium-sized tropical tree that grows within about 10 degrees of the Equator. The fruit produced by the tree is also known as Rambutan. Rambutan trees grow to a height of 35-60 ft. producing boards that are 2-5 feet long with widths of 2-8 inches. The tree grows from sea level up to 1,600 ft. and grows best in deep soil; clay loam or sandy loam rich in organic matter, and thrives on hilly terrain as it requires good drainage. It can be found with a dense flame figure that rivals the nicest curly Maple. Sharp blades are needed as the wood is extremely dense and tough.

REDHEART - (Erythroxylum spp.) grown in Southern Mexico to Southern Brazil and Paraguay when freshly surfaced can be a very bright, watermelon red—though color can vary in intensity and hue from board to board: anywhere from a light orange/pink, to a darker brownish red. In some cases, it can look quite similar to Bloodwood, though usually with a more visible and figured grain pattern.
Common uses are turned objects, inlays, veneer, fine furniture, and small specialty wood items.

REDWOOD - (Sequoia sempervirens) Coast Redwood, Giant Sequoia, California Redwood, Vavona (burl), native to Coastal northwestern United States (from southwestern Oregon to central California) grows to 200-300 feet tall and 6-12 feet in diameter. Heartwood color can range from a light pinkish brown to a deep reddish brown. Sapwood is a pale white/yellow. Figured pieces with curly grain or burl (sometimes referred to as redwood lace or ‘vavona’) are occasionally seen.
Common uses are veneer, construction lumber, beams, posts, decking, exterior furniture, and trim. Burls and other forms of figured redwood are also used in turning, musical instruments, and other small specialty items.

REDWOOD, CURLY - (Sequoia sempervirens)

REDWOOD BURL - (Sequoia sempervirens)

REDWOOD BURL (LACE) - (Sequoia sempervirens) also known as Vavona

ROSE GUM - (Eucalyptus grandis) also known as Flooded Gum, Red Grandis, is native to Eastern Australia and is also grown on plantations worldwide.
Heartwood color ranges from pink to reddish brown. Paler sapwood is sometimes indistinct from heartwood. Rose Gum grows to 100-165 feet tall and 4-7 feet in diameter.
Common uses are flooring, millwork, furniture, and boatbuilding.

RUSSIAN OLIVE - (Elaeagnus angustifolia) grows in eastern Europe and western and central Asia; and was brought to the United States in the late 1800s for windbreaks and erosion control. However, because of the tree’s rapid growth and it's ability to grow in poor soil, it’s now considered an invasive species in many areas of the United States.
Common uses are Knife scales, bowls, pens, and other small woodturning projects.

RUSSIAN OLIVE BURL - (Elaeagnus angustifolia)

SABAH EBONY - (Diospyros durionoides) -also called Kayu Malam in Indonesia,
Sabah is a valuable, dense wood from Borneo known for distinct black and olive-green or brown streaking.
Sabah Ebony is a large tree, capable of reaching up to 150 feet in height.
It is prized in turnery, cabinetry, and musical instruments (fingerboards/bridges) for its workability and high-quality finish.

SAPELE (ROTORY CUT, PLAIN) - (Entandrophragma cylindricum) also know as Sapelli, Sapeli is native to Tropical Africa. It's Heartwood is a golden to dark reddish brown. Besides the common ribbon pattern seen on quartersawn boards, Sapele is also known for a wide variety of other figured grain patterns, such as: pommele, quilted, mottled, wavy, beeswing, and fiddleback.
Common uses are Veneer, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, boatbuilding, musical instruments, turned objects, and other small wooden specialty items.

SAPELE QUARTER SAWN - (Entandrophragma cylindricum)

SAPELE, POMPELLE - (Entandrophragma cylindricum)

SAPODILLA - (Manilkara zapota) see Chico Zapote.

SASSAFRASS - (Sassafras albidum) Heartwood is a medium to light brown, sometimes with an orange or olive hue. Sapwood is a pale yellowish brown. Sassafras has a strong resemblance woods like Black Ash and Chestnut.
Sassafras oil can be extracted from the root bark or fruit of the tree. These same roots were traditionally used in the making of root beer, and the familiar scent is prevalent in the leaves and wood.

SHEDUA - (Guibourtia ehie) also known as Amazique, Amazoue, Mozambique (when in veneer form), Ovangkol (when use to make guitars) and is native to Tropical West Africa.
Shedua Heartwood has a yellowish to reddish brown with darker brown, gray, or black stripes. Sapwood is a pale yellow..
Common uses are Veneer, furniture, cabinetry, turned objects, musical instruments, and flooring.

SIRARI - (Ormosia nobilis) also known as Amargo Blanco, Baracara, Chocho, Jatobahy do igapo, Kokriki, Mekoe, Palo de matos, Peonio, and Tento and is native to South America, primarily in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
Tree grows up to 100 feet), with very straight and cylindrical trunks.
Heartwood is yellowish to reddish-brown.
Common uses are general construction, carpentry, and furniture.

SNAKEWOOD - (Brosimum guianense) also known as Letterwood, Amourette (this name is used for wood with little or no figure) and is native t0 the Coastal regions of Northeast South America, Surinam.
Snakewood is so called for its characteristic snakeskin patterns. Wood is typically a reddish brown, with contrasting darker brown or black patches.
As a rare and small tree, Snakewood that display the snakeskin pattern are perhaps the most expensive of any exotic lumber worldwide in terms of per-board foot cost.
Common uses are inlay, veneer, violin bows, tool handles, and other small turned or specialty objects.

SNEEZEWOOD - (Ptaeroxylon obliquum) also known as Mwandara native to Southern Africa it grows to 50-65 feet tall and 1-2 feet in diameter. Heartwood which is generally comprised of light to medium golden brown hues (although the brownish hues can sometimes be dark, toward the tree’s center)
Common uses are exterior construction, fence posts, furniture, musical instruments (xylophones), carving, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.
Sneezewood has a distinct, highly irritating, pepper-like smell and should be handled with care, respiratory protection should be used when turning or working to avoid violent sneezing attacks which the wood’s sawdust is known to cause. Please note this is the sawdust ONLY that causes this reaction, a finished piece is fine and safe.
NOTE on Sneezewood, considered to be one of the most durable, bug and rot resistant woods in the world, having been classified as "Imperishable" in its native South Africa. The wood has been found to outlast both iron and brass when used as machinery bearings. , it has been utilized in a variety of functional roles in south / southwest Africa.

STINKWOOD - (Ocotea bullata) also known as Black Stinkwood, Cape Walnut, Cape Laurel and Laurel Wood. Stinkwood is native to South Africa.
The name "stinkwood" comes from a strong smell that is released when it is fresh felled.
Heartwood ranges from dark walnut or reddish brown to black with a yellow sap-wood.
Common uses are Furniture, Cabinets and traditional medicine.

SUGI - (Cryptomeria japonica) also known as Sugi Pine, Japanese Cedar.
Heartwood is typically reddish brown. Sapwood is straw colored and clearly demarcated from the heartwood. Knots are common. Sometimes the wood is traditionally charred black (increasing its fire and rot resistance) using a Japanese technique known as shou sugi ban; such flame-treated planks are commonly used as siding.
Has a distinct, lingering, cedar-like odor.

SUGI (CURLY) - (Cryptomeria japonica)

SURINAM IRONWOOD (Swartzia spp.) extremely dense, durable, chocolate-brown hardwood from Suriname, known for its rich color with darker streaks, high rot resistance, and difficulty to work with, requiring extremely sharp tools, but yielding beautiful finishes for items like knife scales, tool handles, and decorative pieces.

TAMARIND, SPALTED - (Tamarindus indica) Native to tropical Africa but
widely planted throughout tropical regions worldwide. All my Tamarind is from Southeast Asia.
Heartwood is a deep reddish brown, sometimes with a purplish hue—heartwood portions of Tamarind tend to be narrow and are usually only present in older and larger trees. The pale yellow sapwood is very wide and sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Spalting and other discoloration are very common in the sapwood, and the majority of the Tamarind available in the United States is spalted sapwood.
Tamarind trees are best known for their fruit, not wood.
Common uses are furniture, carvings, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.

TAMARIND, SPALTED (BLUE)

TAMARIND, SPALTED (GREEN)

TAMARIND, SPALTED (PINK)

TAMARIND, SPALTED (PURPLE)

TAMARIND, SPALTED (RED)

TAMARIND, SPALTED (YELLOW)

TAMBOOTIE - (Spirostachys africana) also known as Sandalo is native to South Africa. Color ranges from a golden brown to a darker reddish brown, often with black streaks throughout and has a pale yellow sapwood.
Common uses are carvings, furniture, turned objects, and other small, specialty wood items.

TASMANIAN BLACKWOOD (African)

TASMANIAN EUCALYPTUS, CURLY - (Eucalyptus regnans) known variously by the common names giant ash, mountain ash, Victorian ash, swamp gum, Tasmanian oak or stringy gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria.

TASMANIAN EUCALYPTUS, BURL is from the family of the myrtle tree that is native to Tasmania, an island south of Australia. Eucalyptus trees are among the tallest trees in the world and grow in cool, mostly mountainous areas. They grow quickly and have an average life-span of 400 years.

TEAK - ( Tectona grandis) heartwood tends to be a golden or medium brown. Teak has been considered by many to be the gold standard for decay resistance.
Common uses are ship and boatbuilding, veneer, furniture, exterior construction, carving, turnings, and other small wood objects.

TEAK BURL - ( Tectona grandis)

THIN WIN - (Millettia pendula) Same family as wenge, only denser. Heartwood is dark purplish-brown to chocolate brown, with very close and fine black veins. Machines and finishes well. Comes from Southeast Asia

THUYA BURL - (Tetraclinis articulata) Grown in the Atlas mountain region Mainly in Morocco, as well as Malta and southern Spain.
Color is generally an orangish or reddish brown. Color tends to darken with age to a medium to dark reddish brown. Almost always exported and sold as burls from the root of the tree, with plain or unfigured wood being of little commercial value.
Thuya has a very distinct, cedar-like smell.
Common uses are carvings, veneer, decorative boxes, turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.

TINEO - (Weinmannia trichosperma) is from South America (mainly Chile and Argentina) and grows to 65-100 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Heartwood colors vary from pink, red, or orangish brown. Contrasting dark brown to black veins sometimes present. Sapwood is a pale yellowish brown.
Common uses are veneer, furniture, interior millwork, and turned objects.

TULIPWOOD - (Dalbergia decipularis) is native to Northeastern Brazil. Heartwood is streaked with yellows, reds, oranges, and pinks.
Not to be confused with American Tulipwood also referred to as Tulip Poplar or Yellow Poplar Brazilian Tulipwood is considered a true rosewood.
Tulipwood is a stunningly beautiful hardwood which is in very short supply. The tree itself is only found in a narrow geographical area It’s a small tree growing to only 20-30 feet and a trunk of about a foot. Because of it's size it yields very small and narrow boards.
Common uses are veneer, fine furniture, inlay, marquetry, musical instruments (percussion), and small turned objects.

TZALAM - (Lysiloma bahamensis) - is primarily a Mexican wood, but also grows into the tropical Americas and the Caribbean, Tzalam is also known as Cuban Walnut or Wild Tamarind and Sabicu.
The tree grows moderately quickly and reaches heights of up to 40 to 60 feet with a spread of 45 feet. Its slender, short trunk topped with long, arching branches forms an umbrella silhouette. The fern-like leaves are a showy red when young and pale green when mature, making a striking contrast when new and older growth appear together.
Tzalam is marketed as Caribbean Walnut, Mayan Walnut or Aztec Walnut. It is of medium density and is fairly fine-textured with a straight open grain and colors that range from light brown to chocolate, sometimes with streaks of red or brown. It is easy to work and takes a fairly high natural polish.
Common uses are flooring, furniture and non-structural construction, such as paneling.

UTILE MAHOGANY -(Entandrophragma utile) also known as Sipo, Sipo Mahogany and is native to nearly all of tropical Africa facing the Atlantic, from Guinea to Angola, and as far east as Uganda. Growing to 150-200 feet tall and 3-5 feet in diameter., a really big tree!
Heartwood is golden to reddish brown. Fairly well defined sapwood is a contrasting pale brown. Utile generally lacks the various grain figuring (quilted, wavy, etc.) that are more common in Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum) .
Common uses are furniture, millwork, cabinetry, veneer, boatbuilding, flooring, carvings, and turned objects.

VELVET TAMARIND BURL -
(Dialium cochinchinense) native to southeast Asia
(Dialium guineense) native to Africa
(Dialium indum) native to south and southeast Asia
also known as Awin, Icheku and Tsamiyar. Native to West Africa and South & Southeast Asia. The heartwood of the Tamarind tree is a deep reddish brown, sometimes with a purplish hue which give this burl it's dramatic color.
Well known for it's seasonal fruit with an orange pulp that has a sweet and tangy taste and a gray velvet shell.

VERAWOOD - (Plectrocarpa sarmientoi, (formerly named Bulnesia arborea))
See LIGNUM VITAE, VERAWOOD

VIETNAMESE BLACKWOOD - I have no information on this wood. I got it in a shipment from Southeast Asia 15 years ago, it was labeled Vietnamese Blackwood......... yep that's all I know.........

VIETNAMESE ROSEWOOD - (Dalbergia cochinchinensis) - common names for this wood are, Siamese Rosewood, Thai Rosewood and Cambodian Rosewood.
This is a very rare wood!
Vietnamese Rosewood, is one of the most dense, dimensionally stable rosewoods. The wood is derived from large evergreen trees which grow in open, semi-deciduous forests. It’s primary heartwood colors are typically confined to varying brown hues, although secondary colors of red, orange and yellows are commonly present.
Common uses are fine furniture, turned objects, musical instruments, and other small specialty wood items.

VITEX BURL - (Vitex cofassus) also known as Gofasa burl and Native to Bismarck Archipelago, Caroline Is., Maluku, Marianas, New Guinea, Solomon Is., Sulawesi.
Burl has soft golden brown tones.
Commonly used for high-end furniture, pool cues, pens, knife handles, turned bowls, and decorative accents.
Vitex cofassus yields one of two woods from the same genus that are each called Molave Wood, the other being the timber of Vitex parviflora.

WALNUT, AFRICAN - (Lovoa trichilioides) native to West tropical Africa. tree grows to 100-150 feet tall and 2-4 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is a golden yellow to reddish brown, sometimes with darker streaks and veins. Color tends to darken upon exposure and with age. Sapwood is a medium yellow to light gray and is generally narrow but can be up to 3 inches wide.
Common uses are veneer, plywood, flooring, furniture, cabinetry, and turned objects.
African Walnut also displays a ribbon-stripe figuring on quartersawn surfaces, similar to Sapele.
African Walnut has a cedar-like scent.

WALLNUT, BLACK - (Juglans nigra) is native to the Eastern United States.
Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. Sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white.
Common uses are furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, interior paneling, veneer, turned items, and other small wooden objects and novelties.

WALNUT BURL - (Juglans nigra)

WALNUT, CLARO - (Juglans hindsii ) also know as California Black Walnut native to California and Oregon.
Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. Color can sometimes have a gray, purple, or reddish cast. Sapwood is nearly white.
Common uses are Furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, musical instruments, veneer, turned items, and other small wooden objects and novelties.

WALNUT, FIDDLEBACK CLARO

WALNUT, PERUVIAN - (Juglans neotropica) also known as Tropical Walnut and Nogal, native to Southern Mexico, Central and South America it grows to 30-60 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter. Heartwood tends to be darker than domestic walnut species, with a deep chocolate brown color, sometimes with a purplish hue. Grain figuring such as curl seems to be much less common than other walnut species.
Common uses are furniture, cabinetry, veneers, flooring, musical instruments, and interior trim.

WAMARA - (Swartizia benthamiana) also known as Guyana Rosewood native to Southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Grows from 100-130 feet tall to 2-4 feet in diameter.
Heartwood varies from medium reddish brown to purplish black, frequently with darker contrasting stripes. Sapwood is sharply visible from the heartwood and is a pale yellowish white.
Common uses are Inlays, fine furniture and cabinetry, parquet flooring, turnings, and other small specialty items.

WILD ALMOND BURL - (Irvingia malayana) also known as Pau kijang, Pollyanna Burl and Barking deer's mango.
Almond burl is an exceptionally rare burl from Laos that contains vivid, rich colors and wildly intricate figure! Trees average 2-3 ft. in diameter and heights can exceed 80 ft.

WILD OLIVEWOOD BURL (African)- (Olea capensis) also known as East African Olive, Black Ironwood, Elgon Olive and Ironwood Olive, Native to East Africa, though also occurring as far west as Sierra Leone and south to South Africa. Grows from 65-115 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter.
Heartwood is typically yellow to light reddish brown, with contrasting darker brown to black streaks and veins. Yellowish sapwood is generally sharply visiable from the heartwood, though it can be harder to tell apart if the heartwood lacks contrasting streaks. Overall color tends to deepen with age. Olive is sometimes figured with curly or wavy grain, burl, or wild grain.
High-end furniture, veneer, turned objects, and small specialty wood items.

NOTE:
Olea capensis subspecies capensis (syn. O. laurifolia)—native to South Africa. Tends to be a shrub or small tree. Can yield wood that’s very heavy.
O. capensis ssp. enervis—native to Eswatini and South Africa. A less common species tending to occur as a shrub or small tree.
O. capensis ssp. macrocarpa (syn. O. hochstetteri)—the most widespread, and most commercially significant. Can occur as a larger tree, yielding more sizeable pieces of lumber.

WILLOW, BLACK - (Salix nigra) tree grows from 65-100 feet tall and 2-3 feet in diameter,
mainly grows in the Eastern United States.
Heartwood is a reddish or grayish brown, sometimes with darker streaks. The sapwood is white to tan, and isn’t always clearly visibly from heartwood.
Common uses are Baskets, utility wood, crates, furniture, carvings, and other small specialty wood items.

WENGE - (Millettia laurentii) native to Central Africa. Heartwood is medium brown, sometimes with a reddish or yellowish hue, with nearly black streaks.
Common uses are Veneer, paneling, furniture, turned objects, and musical instruments.

WENGE, WHITE - (Amphimas pterocarpoides) also know as Lati, and Yaya and is native to Central and West Africa. The White Wenge tree grows to heights of 90-145 feet tall with diameters up to 48 inches. The grain structure is very similar in pattern to traditional, dark colored Wenge (Millettia laurentii), though the species are not closely linked botanically. The wood darkens to a golden yellow in time. Sapwood is light yellow in color, and is difficult to distinguish from the heartwood.
Common uses include furniture, flooring, boxes, interior trim, plywood, turned articles, and other fine woodworking projects.

YELLOWHEART - (Euxylophora paraensis) also known as Pau Amarello and grows in Brazil.
Heartwood color ranges from pale to golden yellow, darkening only slightly with age. Sapwood is a pale yellow/white.
Common uses are flooring, furniture, boatbuilding, accents, and turned objects.

YELLOW MORA - (Maclura tinctoria) also known as Argentine Osage Orange and Fustic grows in West Indies, Central and South America. Heartwood is golden to bright yellow very similar to the North America version Bodark (Oasage Orange (Maclura pomifera)). Tree grows to a high of 60-80 feet and is 2-3 feet in diameter. Common uses are heavy construction (within the tree’s natural range), flooring, furniture, turnings, and other small specialty wood items.

YUCATAN ROSEWOOD - (Dalbergia tucarensis) also known as Guatemalan Rosewood, Panama Rosewood, Nicaraguan Rosewood, native to Central and South America. Tree grows from 65-100 feet tall and 2-3 feet in trunk diameter.
Heartwood is typically a cinnamon brown and can be highly variable, ranging from a light brown to a deep, russet brown. Grain tends to be somewhat bland, but darker streaks or swirled grain is occasionally present. Sharply visible sapwood is pale yellow.
Common uses are turned objects, musical instruments, furniture, and small specialty wood objects.

ZEBRAWOOD - (Microberlinia brazzavillensis) is native to West Africa.
Heartwood is a light brown or cream color with dark blackish brown streaks vaguely resembling a zebra’s stripes. Depending on whether the wood is flatsawn or quartersawn, the stripes can be either chaotic and wavy (flatsawn), or somewhat uniform (quartersawn).
Zebrawood is frequently quartersawn and used as veneer. Other uses include: tool handles, furniture, boatbuilding, and skis.

ZELKOVA - (Zelkova serrata) also known as Japanese Zelkova, Japanese Elm, Keyaki and Keaki.
Zelkova comes from Japan, Korea, and eastern China and grows to a height of 60-100 feet with a diameter of 2-3 feet. It's Heartwood is light to medium golden brown, with sap wood being a lighter yellowish brown. Quartersawn sections can display minute ray fleck patterns due to the wide rays. Zelkova is very similar elm in appearance.
Used domestically within its natural range, usually for decorative purposes such as furniture, carvings, and lacquer works. Currently, the wood is reserved for historically-accurate restoration of ancient temples and shrines within its natural range.

ZIRCOTE - (Cordia dodecandra) other spellings of the name are Ziricote and Siricote. It can be found in southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
Color ranges from medium to dark brown, sometimes with either a green or purple hue, with darker bands of black growth rings intermixed. Ziricote has a very unique appearance, which is sometimes referred to as “spider-webbing” or “landscape” grain figure.
Common uses are furniture, veneer, cabinetry, gunstocks, musical instruments (acoustic and electric guitars), turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.

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