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The natural product wood is always unique. Due to its hardness and resilience, a distinction is made between hardwood and softwood, with hardwood being very popular due to its wide range of uses.

In a nutshell

  • The kiln density is used to classify the wood as hardwood or softwood
  • Robinia wood valuable and robust
  • Teak is purely imported wood
  • The sweet chestnut has a very noble wood
  • Hardwoods mainly from deciduous trees

Hardwood at a glance

Mainly hardwoods come from deciduous trees. Softwood and hardwood are differentiated on the basis of the existing kiln density. This stands for the average raw density of completely dry wood. The wood moisture content is 0 percent. It is given in g/cm³. If this specification is over 0.55 g/cm³, then it is hardwood. Anything below that represents softwood.

Blades from A - C

Maple (Acer)

Happen:

  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia

Particularities:

  • very robust and weatherproof
  • light yellow to white sapwood
  • Core light red-brownish to golden brown
  • darkens when exposed to sunlight
  • fine pores and wavy texture
  • smooth, grey-brown bark
  • Kiln density 0.72 g/cm³

Mission:

  • floors and stairs
  • Furniture
  • musical instruments

Pear tree (Pyrus communis)

Source: Anonimski, 16 wood samples, edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

Origin:

  • Central and Southern Europe
  • West Asia
  • Siberia

Particularities:

  • very hard and not very elastic
  • dries slowly
  • yellowish to red-brown sapwood
  • Core color same as sapwood
  • darkening when exposed to sunlight
  • barely visible growth rings
  • numerous rays of wood
  • Pores only visible in cross section
  • Dry density 0.74 g/cm³
  • grey-brown, cracked bark

Mission:

  • art objects
  • sculpture
  • musical instruments
  • furniture making
  • interior design

Notice: There is a great demand for pear wood in Europe. It's hard to get and therefore relatively expensive.

Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Source: Beentree, Carpinus betulus wood tangent section 1 beentree, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Happen:

  • Europe
  • Mediterranean
  • North Africa and Middle East

Special feature:

  • light yellow to reddish-grey sapwood
  • similar core color
  • slightly flaky, striped and finely cracked texture
  • Kiln density 0.68 g/cm³
  • smooth grey-green bark
  • silver-grey with age

Use:

  • furniture making
  • doors and windows
  • floors and stairs
  • also as peeling and industrial wood

Timbers from D - F

Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa)

Source: Philipp Zinger, Edelkastanie Holz, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Origin:

  • Mediterranean
  • Asia Minor
  • North Africa
  • Caucasus regions

Particularities:

  • very fine hardwood
  • white sapwood
  • Core yellow to dark brown
  • flaky striped texture
  • sometimes flamed or bolted
  • Kiln density 0.65g/cm³
  • deep grey, smooth bark
  • aged brown-grey to dark brown

Use:

  • furniture making
  • Indoor and outdoor lumber
  • Wall and ceiling coverings
  • floors and parquet

Oak (Quercus)

Happen:

  • Europe
  • North America

Special feature:

  • very hard, yet elastic
  • permanently weatherproof
  • yellow-white sapwood
  • Core brownish yellow
  • Annual rings clearly visible
  • resulting in even graining
  • Texture coarse-pored, slightly flaky, rays
  • Kiln density 0.71 g/cm³
  • grooved, gray to grey-green bark

Use:

  • interior design
  • Wooden structures outdoors
  • furniture making
  • floors and parquet

Notice: Oak's wet wood can quickly corrode metal.

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

Source: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46640, Ash common wood, edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Happen:

  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • North America

Special feature:

  • hard and elastic at the same time
  • permanently weatherproof
  • white to yellowish sapwood
  • discoloration reddish to brownish with increasing age
  • core light yellow
  • coarse pores
  • Annual rings clearly visible
  • irregular striped texture
  • Kiln density 0.65 g/cm³
  • gray bark
  • initially smooth, later rather cracked

Use:

  • interior design
  • floors and parquet
  • plywood
  • furniture making
  • sports equipment
  • musical instruments

Notice: When processing ash wood, this can quickly clog the tools.

Blades from G - M

Guaiac (Guaiacum)

Source: Abarmot Ibbel, BulnesiaSarmientoi wood01, edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

Happen:

subtropical and tropical America

Special feature:

  • also known as lignum vitae
  • the hardest wood in the world
  • extremely resistant and resilient
  • yellowish sapwood
  • green core
  • core darkens
  • flaky striped texture
  • Kiln density 1.40 g/cm³
  • grey-brown bark, usually with yellow spots

Use:

  • solid wood construction
  • shipbuilding

Notice: The wood chips contain valuable oils. These are used in homeopathy. In Germany, the wood is used to produce incense mixtures and aroma essences for the production of herbal liqueurs. International trade in wood from the pock tree requires a permit.

Hazelnut (Corylus avellana)

Happen:

  • Europe
  • Asia Minor

Special feature:

  • Culture as an ornamental and hedge shrub
  • reddish-white sapwood
  • Core color same as sapwood
  • wood rays visible
  • Annual rings hardly pronounced
  • Kiln density 0.61 g/cm³
  • brown-grey, smooth, shiny bark

Use:

  • art carpentry
  • carving and turning work

Cherry tree (Prunus avium)

Source: Achim Raschka, Wood prunus avium, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Happen:

  • Central Europe to Turkey
  • middle east
  • Indian India
  • North Africa
  • North America

Special feature:

  • mainly use of wild cherry (sweet cherry) wood
  • Hardwood with high economic importance
  • particularly noble
  • not particularly weather resistant
  • reddish to yellow-brown sapwood
  • Core yellowish red to reddish brown
  • fine pores and dense fibers
  • dark brown veins
  • Wooden surface with a silky sheen
  • Dry density 0.60 g/cm³
  • shiny, red to grey-brown bark

Use:

  • ceiling and wall coverings
  • furniture making
  • floors and parquet
  • plywood
  • Manufacture of jewelry

Notice: Cherry wood can be combined very well with other types of wood.

Woods from N - T

Plum tree (Prunus domestica)

Happen:

  • Central and Southern Europe
  • Asia
  • North America

Special feature:

  • very hard, resistant and resilient
  • is difficult to dry
  • yellowish sapwood
  • Core pink-brown to violet-brown
  • darkens when exposed to sunlight
  • fine-pored and dense fibers
  • striped or mottled texture
  • Dry density 0.75 g/cm³
  • dark gray bark

Use:

  • Turning and carving work
  • woodwind instruments
  • plywood
  • furniture making

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

Happen:

  • originally from eastern North America
  • is now cultivated worldwide
  • often found in parks and gardens in this country

Special feature:

  • also known as false acacia
  • very valuable and robust
  • hard yet flexible
  • good weather and rot resistance
  • light yellow to greenish-yellow sapwood
  • Core olive-yellow to greenish-yellow
  • color darkens
  • striped, flamy and matte texture
  • Dry density 0.69 g/cm³
  • brown-grey bark

Use:

  • Construction wood for outdoor use
  • shipbuilding
  • Gardening and landscaping
  • Windows and doors
  • floors and stairs

Teak tree (Tectona grandis)

Happen:

  • India
  • Brazil
  • South East Asia
  • grows there in monsoon forests

Special feature:

  • pure imported wood
  • extremely weather resistant
  • very oily
  • hence the water repellency
  • whitish-grey sapwood
  • Core golden yellow
  • later turns medium to dark brown
  • Flared, coarse needle-cracked and matt-shiny texture
  • Dry density 0.63 g/cm³
  • grey, longitudinally fissured bark

Use:

  • outdoor area
  • Gardening and landscaping
  • furniture and garden furniture
  • shipbuilding
  • Windows and doors
  • panels

Notice: If the wood is regularly oiled or waxed, the original color can be retained.

Elm (Ulmus)

Origin:

  • temperate zones of the northern hemisphere
  • Eurasia
  • North America

Particularities:

  • Wood is called "Rüster".
  • heavy, hard wood
  • highly resilient
  • difficult to split
  • yellowish to light gray sapwood
  • Core varies from light brown to medium brown to dark reddish brown
  • typical heartwood tree
  • darkening when exposed to sunlight
  • clearly ring-pored
  • rough texture
  • unpleasant smell
  • Dry density 0.64 g/cm³
  • grey-black bark
  • initially smooth, later longitudinally fissured

Use:

  • plywood
  • furniture making
  • Wall and ceiling coverings
  • floors and parquet

Cedar (Cedrus atlantica)

Source: Philipp Zinger, Lebanon Cedar, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Happen:

  • North America
  • Morocco
  • Asia
  • Lebanon

Special feature:

  • Softwood with a pleasant scent
  • moderately hard and weather resistant
  • also known as red cedar
  • very resinous
  • Color and structure can vary greatly
  • reddish-white sapwood
  • core light brown
  • clear annual rings
  • dense fibrous
  • Dry density 0.56 g/cm³
  • Bark initially gray and smooth
  • dark to black-grey scaly bark with age, cracked

Use:

  • shipbuilding
  • Windows and doors
  • garden furniture
  • railway sleepers
  • facade cladding

Notice: If the wood comes into contact with sunlight, a very elegant gray patina forms on the surface.

frequently asked Questions

What are the differences between softwood and hardwood?

The kilned density is used to assess or classify wood into hardwood or softwood. The fiber density and the narrowness of the vascular structure of the wood indicate the hardness and resilience of each individual wood. A guide value of 0.55 g/cm³ was set. Wood with a kilned density above the guide value is considered hardwood. They are more resilient and harder. The wood underneath is called softwood.

How can wood be cared for in the garden?

Regular maintenance is required here. However, only agents that do not contain any solvents or biocides should be used. The trade offers wood oils and special care products for this purpose. Faded garden furniture can be given a new shine quickly, for example by using a teak degreyer. In addition, all new coats of paint should always be well prepared. Two coats of paint within two to three days are always advisable.

What to look out for when buying tropical woods?

If possible, the purchase of tropical wood should be avoided. Despite plantations, some of these are still illegally harvested. They can confidently be exchanged for local woods, including beech, robinia and oak. These have the same properties. However, if it absolutely has to be tropical wood, then you should definitely pay attention to the FSC seal. It stands for Forest Stewardship Council, an organization that promotes sustainable cultivation.

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Category:

Garden plants