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The sapwood of Soft Maple varies in color from creamy white to greyish-white, and is sometimes marked with darker colored pith flecks. Although not as rich as Hard Maple, the heartwood is similar in color, with reddish-brown tones ranging from light to dark. The growth rings of Soft Maple are not as distinct as those of Hard Maple. Soft Maple is straight-grained, without the exceptional burled or birds-eye characteristics that can be found in Hard Maple.
Formal Name: Acer Rubrum
Walnut sapwood is very creamy white in color, while the heartwood, which ranges in color from light to a rich, dark brown, and matures to an almost purplish-black hue. Walnut often carries characteristically dark brown or purplish streaks. Walnut has a coarse, yet uniform texture, and while usually straight-grained, it is sometimes wavy or curly. This species produces a large variety of figure types.
Formal Name: Black Walnut
Other Names:
Yellow Poplar, Tulip Wood
The sapwood of White Oak is light in color and can range from a pale yellow-brown to a greyish-white. The heartwood may be either light brown in color, or a darker brown with deep, golden tones. The distinctive coarse texture and straight grain has longer rays than Red Oak. Fasting-growing Oaks, such as those grown in the South, produce wider, more prominent growth rings.
Formal Name: Quercus Alba
Eastern White Pine is a soft Pine known for is light weight and fine, even texture. The sapwood usually appears pale and creamy, sometimes with yellow tones. The heartwood varies from a straw-like color to a deep yellowish-tan color. Resin ducts often appear as fine brown lines. The grain is straight with growth rings that are not well marked.
Formal Name: Quercus Alba
Other Names:
Knotty Pine
Alder, when freshly cut, is very pale, almost white in color. As it begins to oxidize, the color grows deeper and takes on golden and red tones. Heartwood occurs only in trees of advanced age. The boundary between Alder sapwood and heartwood is virtually invisible. The wood has a fine, uniform textured with a straight, yet subdued grain.
Formal Name: Alnus Rubra
Other Names:
Alder thrives throughout the Pacific Northwest, with growth occurring from Alaska, down through several Canadian provinces, and as far south as Southern California. It is the most abundant hardwood in the area.
Red gum comes from the heartwood of the tree and takes on red tones that range from light red to reddish brown with dark streaks. The irregular grain is frequently interlocked and has a fine, consistent texture. The irregular grain often produces an attractive figure.
Formal Name: Liquidambar styraciflua
Other Names:
American red gum, sap gum, starleaf gum, sweetgum, sapgum, satin walnut or bilsted
Cedar is known for its attractive red color and sweet smell. The heartwood ranges in color from medium reddish-brown to a deep orange-red. Growth rings are clearly visible with strong contrast between early wood zones and denser, late wood zones. The grain is usually straight, although sometimes marred by knots, and has a coarse texture. Cedar is most well known for its scent and its ability to repel or kill most insects that might damage clothing and linens.
Formal Name: Eastern Red Cedar
Other Names:
American red gum, sap gum, starleaf gum, sweetgum, sapgum, satin walnut or bilsted
Ash is a ring-porous wood with prominent growth ring patterns. The sapwood is light in color and can vary from a creamy color to nearly white. Depending on the species, the heartwood can vary in color from pale yellow to light brown with greyish tones, sometimes tinged with red. A very straight-grained wood, Ash can appear similar to Red Oak, with a coarse, even texture.
Formal Name: Fraxinus Americana
Other Names:
American red gum, sap gum, starleaf gum, sweetgum, sapgum, satin walnut or bilsted
The sapwood of Basswood is very pale and may appear white or cream-colored, or a pale, pinkish-tan. The heartwood is also very pale with occasional brown or reddish streaks. The very light tones of both sapwood and heartwood make it difficult to differentiate between the two. The wood is relatively soft for a hardwood, and has a fine, even texture. The grain is straight, and essentially, indistinct.
Formal Name: Tilia Americana
Other Names:
American red gum, sap gum, starleaf gum, sweetgum, sapgum, satin walnut or bilsted
Depending on the species, Birch sapwood appears light, with a cream-like or white color. The heartwood may be light reddish-brown or dark brown tinged with red. The close, straight grain is finely textured and uniform in appearance, with the grain more prominent in Yellow Birch than Paper Birch. On occasion, some Birch species will present a curly grain.
Formal Name: Betula Alleghaniensis, Betula Lentu
Other Names:
Yellow Birch, Sweet Birch