Wood Identification Terms

white oak

Porosity: Ring porous

Pore arrangement: Solitary earlywood pores in 2-4 rows, latewood pores in radial/dendritic arrangement

Vessels: Very large in earlywood, small in latewood, abundant tyloses

Rays: Two distinct sizes, narrow and very wide, normal spacing, wide rays conspicuous without magnification

Sugar pine

Resin canals: very large, numerous and evenly distributed, mostly solitary
Tracheid diameter: medium-large to very large

Early-latewood transition: gradual

Grain contrast: low

Notes: generally lighter/less dense

black cherry

Porosity: semi-ring-porous to diffuse-porous

Rays: medium width, normal spacing

Pore arrangement: earlywood can form a single continuous row of pores

American chestnut

Porosity: Ring-porous

Pore arrangement: 2-4 rows of large, exclusively solitary earlywood pores, numerous small latewood pores

Vessels: Tyloses common

Growth rings: Distinct

Rays: Invisible without lens

red maple

Porosity: diffuse porous

Pore arrangement: solitary and radial multiples

Vessels: Small to medium, moderately numerous to numerous

Rays: narrow to medium, normal spacing

Notes: Fingernail test will dent this, it will be generally less dense, with a darker, less uniform color, and more spread out growth rings

Douglas-fir

Resin canals: Small to medium sized, infrequent and variable in distribution, solitary often

Tracheid diameter: medium-large

Earlywood to latewood transition: abrupt

Grain contrast: high

American beech

Porosity: diffuse-porous, sometimes closer to semi-ring-porous, visible growth ring boundaries

Rays: medium to very wide, normal spacing

Color: Possible pink cast

sugar maple

Porosity: diffuse porous

Pore arrangement: radial and solitary multiples

Vessels: small to medium, moderately numerous to numerous

Rays: narrow and wide, normal spacing

Notes: Fingernail test won’t dent this, it will be generally denser, with a lighter, more uniform color, and closer growth rings

Southern yellow pine

Resin canals: large, numerous and evenly distributed, mostly solitary

Tracheid diameter: medium-large

Early-latewood transition: abrupt

Grain contrast: high

Red oak

Porosity: ring porous

Vessels: very large in earlywood, small in latewood, tyloses absent or scarce

Rays: Two distinct sizes, narrow and very wide, normal spacing

white pine

Resin canals: large and numerous, evenly distributed, mostly solitary

Tracheid diameter: medium to large

Early-latewood transition: gradual

Grain contrast: fairly low

yellow birch

Porosity: Diffuse-porous, primarily radial multiples

Vessels: medium sized in no specific arrangement, moderately numerous to numerous

Rays: narrow rays, spacing fairly close to close, visible with hand lens

Uses: veneer for furniture, doors, paneling, cabinets, pulpwood, popsicle sticks, trim firewood

redwood

Resin canals: absent

Tracheid diameter: large to very large

Early-latewood transition: moderately abrupt

Grain contrast: medium

Uses: Veneer, construction lumber, beams, posts, decking, exterior furniture, trim

eastern redcedar

Resin canals: absent

Tracheid diameter: small to very small

Early-latewood transition: gradual

Grain contrast: moderate (moderately uneven to moderately even)

Uses: Fence posts, closet and chest linings, carvings, outdoor furniture, birdhouses, pencils, bows, small wooden specialty items

Notes: Straight grain, usually knots present

white ash

Porosity: ring-porous

Vessels: large earlywood pores 2-4 rows wide, small latewood pores solitary and radial multiples, tyloses common

Rays: narrow rays, spacing normal

Uses: Flooring, millwork, boxes/crates, baseball bats, tool handles

pecan hickory

Porosity: ring-porous to semi-ring-porous

Vessels: large to very large earlywood pores in a single intermittent row, medium to small latewood pores solitary and radial multiples of 2-3, few, tyloses common

Rays: Narrow, close spacing

Uses: Tool handles, ladder rungs, wheel spokes, flooring

sycamore

Porosity: Diffuse-porous

Vessels: Small to medium, solitary and in radial multiples and clusters, tyloses occasionally present though not easily seen with lens

Rays: medium to very wide rays easily visible without lens, noded, wide spacing

Uses: Veneer, plywood, interior trim, pallets/crates, flooring, furniture, particle board, paper, tool handles

Notes: Growth rings distinct due to lighter color of latewood and decreased pore frequency

black locust

Porosity: ring-porous

Pore arrangement: Earlywood in rows 2-3 pores wide, latewood in clusters and tangential bands

Vessels: large in earlywood, medium in latewood, tyloses abundant

Rays: Narrow to medium width, normal spacing

Uses: Fence posts, boatbuilding, flooring, furniture, mine timbers, railroad ties, turned objects, veneer

American elm

Porosity: ring-porous

Vessels: Large to very large earlywood pores in a continuous row 1 or 2 pores wide, small latewood pores in wavy bands, tyloses occasionally present in earlywood

Rays: medium, spacing normal

Uses: Boxes, baskets, furniture, hockey sticks, veneer, wood pulp, and papermaking

Notes: Growth rings distinct, almost looks like there are waves in latewood

black walnut

Porosity: semi-ring-porous, growth rings generally discernible by gradual change in pore size from earlywood to latewood

Pore arrangement: Solitary and radial multiples, sometimes forming a broken row in earlywood, with pore size grading down in latewood with overall diffuse distribution

Vessels: Large to very large in earlywood, grading down to medium in latewood, few to very few, tyloses common

Rays: narrow to medium width, normal spacing, rays generally invisible without magnification

Uses: Furniture, cabinetry, gun stocks, paneling, veneer, novelties

Butternut

Porosity: semi-ring-porous

Vessels: medium-large earlywood pores gradually decreasing to small latewood pores, solitary and radial multiples of 2-3, tyloses occasionally to abundantly present

Rays: barely visible without lens

Notes: Growth rings distinct

Uses: Veneer, carving, furniture, interior trim, boxes, and crates