Hardwood Species

Traditionally, hardwood represents wealth, taste and style, with each grain pattern and texture bringing a unique masterpiece of natural splendor to the indoors.

Common woods are often dyed or printed to resemble more exotic woods, which means you can often get an expensive look at a fraction of the cost. Here are some of the most common woods used in flooring with a brief description of their natural appearance.

Alder – A popular choice for “shabby chic” décor, this is a light brown wood with a yellow or pink tinge. It is one of the fastest growing hardwoods, fully maturing in just 10 – 15 years, making it a sustainable, eco-friendly material. Alder measures 590 on the Janka Hardness scale, meaning it is one of the softer hardwoods.

Ash, White – Ash trees belong to the olive family but do not produce edible fruit. Its color ranges from a lustrous white to a rich cream or very pale tan with a distinctive grain pattern and above average hardness of 1320 on the Janka Hardness scale.

Beech – has a lot of color variation, reddish brown to creamy white, with distinctive streaks and whorls throughout the wood and a medium hardness factor of 1300 on the Janka Hardness scale.

Birch – most commonly yellow birch is cream or light brown to medium reddish brown with noticeable but not dramatic color. It has a below average hardness rating and is one of the softer woods by measuring 1260 on the Janka Hardness scale, just slighter softer than red oak.

Bubinga is an exotic wood with a deep, rich reddish color variegated with darker streaks and grain patterns. It is one of the hardest and most durable woods on the market, rating 2690 on the Janka Hardness scale.

Cherry, American (aka Black) – This wood has a color of light to medium reddish – brown with a tight, often wavy grain and a satiny, lustrous finish. It is one of the softest hardwoods with a rating of 950 on the Janka Hardness scale. However, it has good dimensional stability at 7.1.

Cherry, Brazilian (aka Jatoba) – Brazilian cherry is one of the hardest woods, rated 2820 on the Janka Hardness scale and ranging in color from medium hued reddish wood with darker streaks.

Cypress, Australian – Australian Cypress is similar to pine in appearance. The wood is some-kind of honey gold to light cream with wavy dark brown streaks and knots, ideal for creating a rustic look. Rated 1375 on the Janka Hardness scale, it has excellent durability and dimensional stability.

Hickory – Hickory is medium tan or light reddish brown to creamy white, very similar to pecan. Hickory has an above-average Janka Hardness scale rating of 1820.

Kempas – Kempas presents a color ranging from orange red to reddish brown without much contrast or grain definition. It has a coarse texture and a Janka Hardness scale rating of 1710, but a low stability rating.

Mahogany, Asian (aka Keruing) – Keruing is a general name assigned to wood from many different species of trees whose wood is nearly indistinguishable. Color varies from pinkish-brown to dark brown without significant contrast. The texture is coarse and the grain shallowly interlocked or straight. This wood is among the hardest of woods by rating 1270 on the Janka Hardness scale.

Mahogany, Santos – Santos Mahogany is a rich dark reddish brown with darker striations and it is exceptionally hard, rating high on the Janka Hardness scale at 2200.

Maple, Hard (aka Sugar) – Hard Maple is creamy white to light reddish brown. with an above average hardness rating and distinctive grain patterning. Hard Maple rates above average on the Janka Hardness scale at 1450.

Merbau – Merbau is a rich, lustrous brown or dark reddish brown color. It is exceptionally hard and durable with a rating of 1925 on the Janka Hardness scale

Mesquite – Mesquite is light brown to dark reddish brown with distinctive patterning from ingrown mineral streaks. Mesquite is a very durable wood with a rating of 2345 on the Janka Hardness scale.

Oak, Red – Red Oak is a general term used for more than 200 subspecies common to North America. Red Oak is light in color, reddish in tone and of medium hardness. Northern Red Oak scores a 1290 on the Janka hardness scale and is the benchmark average rating. Southern red oak is slightly softer, scoring 1060 on the Janka scale.

Oak, White – White oak heartwood is pale brown in color and may have a pinkish or slightly silver/gray cast with a medium hardness rating.

Padauk – Padauk is a dark, rich reddish or purplish brown or black with little variation in color. Padauk rates 1725 on the Janka hardness scale and is exceptionally strong and stable.

Pecan – Pecan wood ranges in color from the reddish brown with dark brown streaks to the creamy pinkish white. It has an above average hardness rating with a score of 1820 on Janka Hardness scale rating.

Pine (aka Southern Yellow) – Southern Yellow Pine is light yellow to yellowish brown and can have an orange cast with distinctive grain patterns featuring knots and whorls. It is also a very soft wood, falling between 690 and 870 depending on species.

Pine, Heart – The term heart pine is usually used to describe wood that has been reclaimed and recycled from old buildings. Its color is warm reddish brown with pale yellow sapwood and some black sap staining. It falls just under the median hardness rating with a value of 1225 on the Janka hardness scale. The dimensional stability can vary with the species.

Sapele – Sapele is an exotic hardwood with a dark, rich, reddish brown color and a hardness rating well above average with a Janka rating of 1500. Sapele offers more durability than a true mahogany and compares to oak in strength and wear.

Teak, Brazilian (aka Cumaru) – Brazilian teak is one of the hardest wood species in the world with a rating of 3540 on the Janka hardness scale. It is a fairly uniform light to medium brown and may have a yellow cast.

Teak, True – True teak is medium golden brown with streaks of darker brown. It is one of the softer hardwoods, measuring 1000 – 1155 on the Janka hardness scale.

Tigerwood – Tigerwood ranges in color from a pale cream to a rich reddish-orange hue with a dramatic streaking pattern. It is well above average in hardness and dimensional stability.

Walnut, American Black – American black walnut is rich dark brown to black with a purple cast. The sapwood is dramatically lighter, but flooring manufacturers usually bleed the color from heartwood to sapwood to minimize difference. It is a softer than average wood with a rating of 110 on Janka hardness scale.

Walnut, Brazilian (aka Ipe) – Brazilian walnut is a medium to very dark brownish black with little variation and is one of the hardest of woods with a Janka scale rating is 3680.

Wenge – Wenge is a rich dark brown wood with thick striping in almost black and high contrast to pale yellowish sapwood. It falls well above average on the Janka hardness scale at 1630 and has excellent dimensional stability.