The species library

Timber species, and what each one is actually for.

Why each timber behaves the way it does, what it's normally used for, and what to check before you buy.

Scots pine, the tree European redwood comes from: a single tree trunk with peeling bark stands in tall grass against a backdrop of dense green woodland.

Softwood

Redwood (Scandinavian)

Pinus sylvestris

550 kg/m³ density

Class 4 durability

Species information

© Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz / CC BY-SA 4.0

A Robinia tree in flower under a blue sky.

Hardwood

Robinia

Robinia pseudoacacia

770 kg/m³ density

Class 2 durability

Species information

© Annabell Hormann / korina.info / CC BY-SA 4.0

A tall Sapele tree rising above the forest beside a dirt track.

Hardwood

Sapele

Entandrophragma cylindricum

665 kg/m³ density

Class 3 durability

Species information

© Robert Sharp / Public domain

Dark trunks of Sessile Oak trees on a woodland slope.

Hardwood

Sessile Oak

Quercus petraea

710 kg/m³ density

Class 2 durability

Species information

© Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova / CC BY-SA 4.0

The white, black-marked trunks of Silver Birch trees in woodland.

Hardwood

Silver Birch

Betula pendula

670 kg/m³ density

Class 5 durability

Species information

© Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova / CC BY-SA 4.0

Looking up the trunk of a Sitka Spruce tree into its branches.

Softwood

Sitka Spruce

Picea sitchensis

425 kg/m³ density

Class 4 durability

Species information

© Aaron from Seattle, WA, USA / CC BY 2.0

Tall, straight Southern Yellow Pine trunks in open pine woodland.

Softwood

Southern Yellow Pine

Pinus palustris (longleaf; the usual Wood Database stand-in for the southern yellow pine group)

650 kg/m³ density

Class 3 durability

Species information

© Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia / CC BY 3.0 US

White line art of a pinecone and pine needles on a dark green background

Softwood

SPF (Spruce-Pine-Fir)

Picea spp. / Pinus spp. / Abies spp. (mixed)

430 kg/m³ density

Class 5 durability

Species information

AI · OpenAI

White line art of a pinecone and pine needles on a dark green background

Softwood

Spruce & Whitewood

Picea abies

405 kg/m³ density

Class 4 durability

Species information

AI · OpenAI

White line drawing of an oak leaf showing detailed veins against a dark green background

Hardwood

Sweet Chestnut

Castanea sativa

590 kg/m³ density

Class 2 durability

Species information

AI · OpenAI

White line drawing of an oak leaf showing detailed veins against a dark green background

Hardwood

Sycamore Maple

Acer pseudoplatanus

615 kg/m³ density

Class 5 durability

Species information

AI · OpenAI

White line drawing of an oak leaf showing detailed veins against a dark green background

Hardwood

Teak

Tectona grandis

655 kg/m³ density

Class 1 durability

Species information

AI · OpenAI

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