Wood Descriptions

Purpleheart - A flowering tree from the tropical regions of Central and South America, this tree is prized for its beautiful heartwood that turns to a brownish purple after cutting.

Eastern White Pine - This beautiful pine is the tallest tree in Eastern North America. A tree in the Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, was measured at 187.5 feet before it lost its top in a storm. These pines live through the Eastern United States. It is the state tree of Michigan and Maine.

Ebony - Native to southern India and Sri Lanka, Ebony is prized for its black, fine-grained heartwood. It is one of the most intensely black heartwoods known, and polishes to a smooth sheen.

Holly - The Holly family includes about 600 species of flowering plants, with a wide distribution in North and South America, Asia, Europe and North Africa. Many looms in 19th century America used Holly for the spinning rod.

Bloodwood - This wood comes from a South African tree. It's prized by woodworkers for it's ability to take polish and its unmistakable red color.

Buckeye - Also known as Ohio Buckeye, this tree is native to the Eastern United States and Ontario. The Buckeye is the state tree of Ohio and the word "buckeye" was an original term of endearment for the pioneers on the Ohio frontier.

Tulipwood - Also known as Brazilian Tulipwood to distinguish it from the American Tulip Poplar, this wood comes from a species in a small area of Brazil and is available only in small sizes. It has a beautiful dark pink coloring with nice grain.

Tulip Poplar - Native to Eastern North America, it is one of the largest and most beautiful native trees in the U.S. It has been known to reach 190 feet, and its flowers are large and brilliant. The wood is generally a cream color, and is sometimes known as "whitewood". Native Americans used the trunks to make canoes. It is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Walnut (Black Walnut) - Black Walnut is common in the United States. The Black Walnut tree produces edible nuts, but getting through the tough shell is a chore. It is normally cultivated for its wood. Black Walnut wood is very hard and dense, and polishes to a high sheen, with a light chocolate color. For centuries, it has been the timber of choice for gunmakers

Sycamore - The American Sycamore, also known as the American Plane Tree, is easily recognized by its mottled, peeling bark. It is common in the Northern and Eastern United States, and its wood is often used for furniture and butcher's blocks.

Ironwood - Also known as the American Hornbeam, it is native to Eastern North America, as far south as Texas and Northern Florida. The heavy, hard wood has often been used in the past for golf clubs.

Bois d'Arc - Also known as Osage Orange or Horseapple, this intriguing tree has nice, orange-yellow wood, prized for its ability to take polish. This tree has an unusual, unedible bumpy green fruit about the size of a large grapefruit, commonly called a horseapple. It is native to Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma, and has become widely naturalized elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada. This tree is historically significant to Oklahoma pioneers, who routinely used the dense, tough wood for fenceposts, many of which are still standing today. The name bois d'arc (bow-wood) comes from early French settlers who saw the wood being used for war clubs and bow-making by Native Americans. The Osage particularly prized this wood.

Eastern Red Cedar - This cedar is found from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and is a species of Juniper. The reddish, fragrant wood is valued as lining for cedar chests and closets. It is naturally resistent to rot and is avoided by moths. It was used for bows by Native Americans, who also used them as poles to mark tribal hunting territories. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was named by French traders for the red color of these poles. Baton Rouge means "red stick". In early Oklahoma, these trees were often used as Christmas trees.

Mesquite - Mesquite is known, along with Ironwood, as the best firewood of the desert, because it burns slowly and is practically smokeless. Native to Mexico, West Texas, Utah and California, this wood is often used for fence posts and aromatic charcoal for barbequing.

Maple - There are 125 species of maple, many of which grow in the United States, and many of which are nown for their bright autumn foliage. The Red Maple is a major contribution to the New England foliage tours each year. Maple is a tonewood (wood that carries sound waves well), and is used for drums and guitar necks. The Maple is the state tree of New York, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia, while the Red Maple is the state tree of Rhode Island.

Yellow Birch - The larges of the eastern Birches, this is the official tree of Quebec. The wood is often used for cabinetwork and furniture, and is found from Canada to Georgia.

Zebrawood - This unique wood has beautiful striped grain markings that resemble a zebra. It is a decorative, exotic wood that has been used in Mercedes Benz cars. It comes from West Africa (Gabon, Cameroon and Congo).

Hardwood Veneer - This is made from hardwood veneers that are vacuum impregnated with dye and resin. May include woods such as Dymondwood and Colorgrain.