Wood Species Guide: groups
Other Hardwoods
Not every great wood fits neatly into a family. This group gathers the hardwoods that stand on their own, and it is a mix of everyday domestic lumber and some of the most colorful woods in the world. On the domestic side you will find poplar, basswood, sycamore, sweetgum, tupelo, magnolia, holly and catalpa, mostly light, affordable woods for paint-grade furniture, carving and drawer boxes, plus Florida trees like gumbo limbo and the invasive silk oak and Australian pine. On the Import side are the woods people buy for pure color and figure: purpleheart, bloodwood, padauk, yellowheart, canarywood, zebrawood, wenge, bocote, ziricote, goncalo alves and lignum vitae, one of the hardest woods on earth. These range from soft and easy to dense and tough on tools, and a few carry real dust hazards. Open any species below for hardness, working tips, safety notes and what we have in stock in Fort Myers.
12 species in this group, 1 in stock now.
- Silk OakIn stockGrevillea robusta Silk oak (Grevillea robusta) is an Australian tree that grows all over Southwest Florida, and its wood is full of silvery lace-like ray fleck. Our slabs...
- AnigrePouteria spp. (formerly Aningeria) Anigre is a pale, pinkish-tan African hardwood best known as a premium veneer with a soft shimmer and wavy figure. It works easily, takes stain evenly...
- Australian PineCasuarina equisetifolia Australian pine is not a pine but a hard, heavy she-oak relative that took over Florida's coastlines. It is a Category I invasive, and its wood...
- BalsaOchroma pyramidale Balsa is the lightest commercial wood, so soft you can dent it with a fingernail. It is prized for models, lures, surfboards and composite cores rather...
- BoxwoodBuxus sempervirens Boxwood is a pale, extremely dense European wood with an almost grainless texture that holds the finest detail. It is the classic wood for chess pieces,...
- Coconut PalmCocos nucifera Coconut palm wood, sold as red palm, is the dense outer stem of old coconut trees, with dark fibers speckled over a tan background. It is...
- ObecheTriplochiton scleroxylon Obeche, also sold as ayous, is a pale, very light African hardwood that is easy to carve and cheap for an import. Its dust is a...
- OkoumeAucoumea klaineana Okoume is a light, pinkish African hardwood best known as the face of marine plywood. It glues and coats beautifully, which makes it a boat builder's...
- Osage OrangeMaclura pomifera Osage orange is the hardest common North American wood and one of the most rot resistant. Its bright yellow heartwood is unforgettable, then slowly mellows to...
- PaulowniaPaulownia tomentosa Paulownia is one of the lightest commercial hardwoods, about half the weight of pine, yet it is stable and resists rot. It is prized in Japan...
- RubberwoodHevea brasiliensis Rubberwood is the timber of retired latex plantation trees, a pale, even hardwood that machines and glues easily. It is the budget wood behind a lot...
- SheoakAllocasuarina fraseriana (formerly Casuarina fraseriana) Sheoak is a hard Western Australian wood with warm red-brown color and striking ray flecks on quartersawn faces. It is a cousin of Florida's Australian pine...
Not sure which wood fits your project?
Walk the racks with us in Fort Myers. We'll show you the slabs and boards side by side and talk through hardness, finish and budget.