What are 3 species of wood?
The Three Main Categories of Wood Species
Wood species fall into 3 distinct categories: hardwoods, tropical hardwoods, and softwoods.
- Oak. Comments: This wood is everywhere! ...
- Maple. Comments: This light-colored wood is seen almost as frequently as oak, and is usually not stained a dark color, but is kept a natural whitish-cream or sometimes stained an amber-yellow. ...
- Walnut. Comments: The real deal. ...
- Cherry. ...
- Birch. ...
- Poplar.
We can begin to narrow down the 100,000 species by separating them into two main categories. Hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods are broad-leaved trees that have enclosed nuts or seeds.
Wood species is a scientific delineation based on characteristics inherent in the tree. While wood species identify and group types of trees, the names are used by wood workers as a common way of referencing the various properties inherent in each species.
In broad timber terms, there are two different categories of woods — softwood and hardwood. Softwood comes from coniferous species such as cedar, fir and pine. They grow quickly and the wood is lighter, has coarser grain and is not as strong as most hardwoods.
- Amabilis fir. Amabilis fir, which grows along BC's coast, combines strength and beauty and is used for. ...
- Douglas-fir. Douglas-fir is a large tree, reaching 85 metres on BC's coast and 42 metres in the Interior. ...
- Lodgepole pine. ...
- Ponderosa pine. ...
- Sitka spruce. ...
- Subalpine fir. ...
- Western hemlock. ...
- Western larch.
...
Janka Rating System.
Species | Pressure To Mar |
---|---|
Hard Maple | 1,450 |
White Oak | 1,360 |
Beech | 1,300 |
Red Oak | 1,290 |
Oak wood. Oak wood is one of the most commonly used types of hardwood. It has a distinct grain finish and is used in a variety of applications.
The hardwood, softwood, plywood or MDF are the four main varieties of wood that you may use for any type of woodworking project and the following points give you the confidence to select the right type of wood for your project.
Hardwoods are much more expensive than softwoods. Soft woods come from cone bearing trees. Examples are pine, redwood and fir. Softwoods can be used for furniture and doors but are mostly used in construction for roof trusses and stud partitions.
What is the strongest wood species?
The strongest wood in the world in terms of the Janka scale is Australian Buloke, which can withstand more than 5,000 pounds of force.
What is timber? Timber most commonly refers to the wood of trees that can or will be used for building material. The word can refer to living, standing trees themselves or to trees that have been cut down but not yet processed (meaning they have not yet been milled or cut into planks).

Eucalyptus, Balsa, Mahogany, Blackbutt, Red Ironbark and Spotted Gum are all examples of popular hardwood timber species. Cedar, Douglas fir, Juniper, Yew, Pine and Hemlock are all examples of popular softwood timber species.
Padauk is a very dense exotic wood known for its bright red to orange color. Padauk is often times mixed with other species to create color contrast within a given project. Padauk is a common and relatively inexpensive exotic wood, making it a great choice for all woodworkers.
Red Oak. As by far the most abundant domestic hardwood, it is no wonder that Oak in general is also the most popular choice for flooring in this country, and Red Oak in particular. Besides being abundant, and consequently more affordable, Red Oak is one of the most stain-friendly woods around.
OAK HARDWOOD FLOORING
By far the most popular species of hardwood flooring is oak, most likely due to its distinctive features, longevity and durability.
Primary species include ash, cherry, hard maple, red oak, soft maple, white oak, basswood, beech, birch, walnut, poplar, and hickory, which are great for high-end furniture, millwork, cabinetry, doors, flooring and paneling, and more.
Bur Oak. More than 52% of all hardwoods in North America are oak trees. The Bur Oak is the most common oak in America and it can grow to a height of 160 feet tall and 8 feet wide. This wood is almost always labeled as white oak in the market.