Woods Used for Outdoor Furniture

This page is cross-referenced with common and botanic names of the woods listed.  The first section is a table with common woods and their durability classification.  The second section lists the common and botanic names with a hyperlink to the third section.  The third section lists the botanic names and the various characteristics of the individual woods.

If you are researching a wood that is referenced by a common name, try searching using Ctrl+F to find the botanic name & more detailed information.

I hope this page provides information that is useful to you in the confusing area of various woods for outdoor furniture

General benefits of wood furniture: Maintains a moderated temperature compared to plastic or metal. Weighty enough to not be easily blown away by the wind.  Fits easily into the natural environment of plants, trees and shrubs.

Durability - the resistance to fungal decay
There are 5 classes based on an average lifespan of a 50 x 50mm section of heartwood in contact with the ground.

Very Durable ................... More than 25 years
Durable ........................... 25 years
Moderately Durable ........ 10-15 years
Non-Durable .................... 5-10 years

 Table:  Grouping of some domestic and imported woods according to average heartwood decay resistance

^a Exceptionally high decay resistance.
^b More than one species included, some of which may vary in resistance from that indicated.

 Arborvitae .....................................  Thuja occidentalis, aka simply as cedar, Northern White Cedar

 African Mahogany .......................... Khaya anthotheca & ivorensis

Bagtikan .......................................... Meranti, White Seraya; (Bagtikan - the word for White Seraya in the Philippines.)

 Balau ............................................. Balau, red balau & selangan batu - a group of species that are the heaviest of the 200 Shorea species.

Baldcypress .................................... Taxodium distichum, aka southern-cypress, red-cypress, yellow-cypress, white-cypress.  Commercial terms frequently used: tidewater red-cypress, gulf-cypress, red-cypress (coast type), & yellow cypress (inland type)

Bankarai .......................................... A common name for one of the Shorea  species.  (I have not been able to find in any forestry departments or journals.)

 Black Cherry .................................. Prunus serotina; aka cherry, wild black cherry & wild cherry

 Black Locust .................................. Robinia pseudoacacia; aka yellow or post locust

 Black Walnut ................................. Juglans nigra; aka American black walnut

 Blue Gum ...................................... Saligna, Eucalyptus grandis

 Boat-Cedar .................................... Chamaecyparis thyoides, aka Southern White-Cedar, Swamp-Cedar

Brazilian Cherry ........................... Hymenaea courbaril, aka Jatoba

 Cedar, Atlantic White .................... Chamaecyparis thyoides, aka Southern White-Cedar, Boat-Cedar, Swamp-Cedar

 Cedar, Northern White ................... Thuja occidentalis, aka arborvitae or simply as cedar

Cedar, Red (Eastern) ...................... Juniperus virginiana

Cedar, Red (Western) ..................... Thuja plicata

Cedar, Southern Red ...................... Juniperus silicicola

Cedar, Southern White ................... Chamaecyparis thyoides, aka Boat-Cedar, Swamp-Cedar

Cedar, White ...................................Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Port-Orford Cedar; aka Lawson-cypress, Oregon-Cedar

 Cedar, Yellow ................................. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana .............. Port-Orford Cedar; aka Lawson-cypress, Oregon-Cedar & White-Cedar

 Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ........... Yellow Cedar

 Chamaecyparis thyoides ................. Atlantic White Cedar, aka Southern White-Cedar, Boat-Cedar, Swamp-Cedar

Courbaril .......................................... Hymenaea courtaril, aka Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry

Cypress ........................................... Baldcypress, Taxodium distichum, aka southern-cypress, red-cypress, yellow-cypress, white-cypress.  Commercial terms frequently used: tidewater red-cypress, gulf-cypress, red-cypress (coast type), & yellow cypress (inland type)

Eastern Redcedar ............................ Juniperus virginiana

 Eucalyptus diversicolor .................. Karri

 Eucalyptus grandis ......................... Saligna

 Eucalyptus marginata...................... Jarrah

 Guayacan ....................................... Ipe

Hymenaea courtaril ........................ Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry

 Intsia hijuga ................................... Merbau, Kwila

 Ipe ................................................ Common name for the lapacho group of the genus Tabebuia, consists of about 20 species of trees.  Other commonly used names are guayacan and lapacho.

 Ipil ................................................ Merbau, Intsia bijuga

 Iroko ............................................. Milicia excelsa [=Chlorophora excelsa] and Milicia regia

 Jarrah ........................................... Eucalyptus marginata

Jatoba ........................................... Hymenaea courtaril, Brazilian Cherry

Juniperus virginiana ...................... Eastern Redcedar

 Karri ............................................ Eucalyptus diversicolor

 Khaya anthotheca & ivorensis ...... African Mahogany

 Kempas ....................................... Koompassia malaccensis

 Kwila .......................................... Merbau, Intsia bijuga

 Koompassia malaccensis ............ Kempas

 Lauan ........................................ Swietenia mahagoni, Meranti

 Lapacho .................................... Ipe

Lawson-cypress.........................  Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, aka Port-Orford Cedar, Oregon-Cedar, White-cedar

Locust, Black ............................. Robinia pseudoacacia

Mahogany, African ................... Khaya anthotheca & ivorensis

Mahogany, American ................ Swietenia mahagoni

Mahogany, Macrophylla ............ Swietenia mahagoni  True, American or Honduras Mahogany

Mahogany, Philippine .............. genus Shorea; lauan and meranti groups

Mahogany, West Indies ............. Swietenia mahagoni

Melapi ..................................... White meranti

 Meranti .................................... Shorea, seraya, melapi

 Merbau .................................... Intsia hijuga

 Milicia excelsa [=Chlorophora excelsa] and Milicia regia ..... Iroko

 Northern White Cedar .............. Thuja occidentalis

 Nyotoah ................................... Palaquium species

 Oak (red) ................................. Quercus (red)

 Oak (white) ............................. Quercus (white)

Oregon-Cedar .......................... Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, aka Lawson-cypress, Port-Orford Cedar, White-Cedar

Peltogyne ................................. Purpleheart

Port-Orford Cedar ..................... Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, aka Lawson-cypress, Oregon-Cedar, White-Cedar

Prunus serotina ........................ Black Cherry; aka cherry, wild black cherry & wild cherry

Purpleheart .............................. Peltogyne

Quercus (red) .......................... Oak, red

Quercus (white) ...................... Oak, white

Red balau ............................... Balau, red balau & selangan batu - a group of species that are the heaviest of the 200 Shorea  species.

Redcedar .................................... Eastern (Juniperus virginiana)  

Redcedar ..................................... Southern (Juniperus silicicola)

Redcedar ..................................... Western (Thuja plicata)

Redwood ...................................... Sequoia sempervirens

Robinia pseudoacacia ................... Black Locust

Seraya ........................................... Meranti

 Shorea .......................................... Meranti

 Southern White-Cedar .................. Chamaecyparis thyoides ............... Atlantic White  Cedar, aka Southern White-Cedar, Boat-Cedar,  Swamp-Cedar

Southern Redcedar ....................... Juniperus silicicola

 Swamp Cedar ............................... Chamaecyparis thyoides ............... Atlantic White  Cedar, aka Southern White-Cedar, Boat-Cedar, Swamp-Cedar

 Saligna or Blue Gum..................... Eucalyptus grandis

 Selangan batu .............................. Balau, red balau & selangan batu - a group of  species that are the heaviest of the 200 Shorea species.

Sequoia sempervirens ................... Redwood

 Seraya, dark red ........................... Dark Red Meranti

 Seraya, light red ........................... Light Red Meranti

 Seraya, yellow .............................. Yellow Meranti

Seraya, white ................................ Meranti, bagtikan

 Shorea .......................................... lauan and meranti  groups

 Swietenia mahagoni ..................... Mahogany

 Tabebuia ...................................... Ipe

 Tanguile ...................................... Meranti

 Teak ............................................ Tectona grandis

 Tectona grandis ........................... Teak

 Thuja occidentalis ...................... Cedar, Northern White, aka arborvitae or simply as cedar

Walnut, Black .............................. Juglans nigra

Western Red Cedar .................... Thuja plicata

White Cedar ................................ Thuja occidentalis

White Cedar ................................ Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, aka Lawson-cypress, Oregon-Cedar

 White Oak .................................. Quercus (white)

Balau ........................................... Balau, red balau & selangan batu - a group of species that are the heaviest of the 200 Shorea species.

Durability - Durable to moderately durable  & very resistant to preservative treatments
Heartwood - Light to deep red or purple-brown
Sapwood - Yellowish to reddish or purplish-brown.
Texture - Moderately fine to coarse; grain often interlocked
A heavy, hard & strong timber that dries slowly with moderate to severe end checks & splits.
Used for heavy construction, frames of boats, decking, flooring & utility furniture

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ........... Port-Orford Cedar; aka Lawson-cypress, Oregon-cedar & white-cedar.

Durability - Heartwood highly resistant to decay.
Heartwood - Light yellow to pale brown.
Sapwood - Narrow & hard to distinguish from the heartwood.
Texture - Fine
Grain - Generally straight
Pleasant spicy odor.
Moderately lightweight, stiff, stron & hard.  Moderately resistant to shock.  Shrinks moderately but has little tendency to warp; stable after drying.
Uses - Archery supplies, sash & door construction, stadium seats, flooring, interior woodwork, furniture & boats.
Grows along the Pacific Coast from Coos Bay, Oregon, southward to California & no more than 40 mi. inland.

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ......... Yellow Cedar

Durability - Very resistant to decay
Heartwood - bright, clear yellow
Mild distinctive odor
Sapwood - white to yellowish & hardly distinguishable from the heartwood
Grain - Fine textured and generally straight
Moderately heavy, strong & stiff, hard & high in shock resistance
Used for interior woodwork, furniture, small boats, cabinetwork & novelties
Grows in Pacific Coast region from southeastern Alaska to southern Oregon

Chamaecyparis thyoides ............... Atlantic White Cedar, aka Southern White-                                                            Cedar, Boat-Cedar, Swamp-Cedar

Durability - Highly resistant to decay
Heartwood - Light brown
Sapwood - White or nearly white
Lightweight, rather soft, low in strength & shock resistance
Used for poles, cabin logs, railroad crossties, lumber, posts, decorative fencing, tanks & boats, wooden ware
Grows along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to northern Florida & westward along the Gulf Coast to Louisiana.
 A swamp tree

Eucalyptus diversicolor .................. Karri

* Durability - Untreated 15 - 25 Years
                      Treated 50 - 100 Years
Color - Warm reddish-brown
Grain - Moderately fine cross grain giving a wavy or striped figure
Density - 800-900 kg/m³  at 12% moisture content
Moderately heavy & very strong
Non-tropical hardwood
Grows well in South Africa and Western Australia
Leaves are dark green on top and a paler green on the underside
Uses - Construction, indoor & outdoor furniture 

Eucalyptus grandis ......................... Saligna or Blue Gum

Durability - Moderate
Density - Between 600-800 kg/m³
Graine - Straight
Texture - Open textured with a smooth finish
Heartwood Color - Shades of pale pink to dark red, reddish when exposed to the elements
Sapwood Color - Pale pink to pale yellow and greyish brown 
Exposure to the elements - will weather to a silver gray, may check but retains structural integrity
Subtropical hardwood
South Africa, Australia, Brazil

 Eucalyptus marginata..................... Jarrah

Durability - Resistant to attack by termites & rated as very durable with respect to decay.
Heartwood - Uniform pink to dark red, often turning to deep brownish red with age and                     exposure to air.
Sapwood - Pale & usually very narrow in old trees.
Texture - Even & moderately coarse
Grain - Frequently interlocked or wavy.
Weight - About 865 kg/m³ (54 lb/ft³) at 12% moisture content.  
Defects - Gum veins or pockets, which in extreme instances separate the log into concentric shells.
Difficult to work with hand & machine tools because of high density & irregular grain.
Native to the coastal belt of southwestern Australia.
Used for decking & underframing of piers, jetties & bridges, piles & fenders for docks & harbors.  Jarrah flooring has high resistance to wear but is inclined to splinter under heavy traffic.  Also used for railroad crossties & other heavy construction.

Intsia bijuga ................................... Merbau (Malaysia), ipil (Philippines), kwila (New Guinea)

Durability - Good durability & high resistance to termite attack.  Sapwood can be treated with preservatives but the heartwood resists treatment.
Color - Heartwood - Yellowish to orange-brown that turns brown or dark red-brown on exposure to air.
Texture - Coarse
Grain - Straight to interlocked or wavy.
Strength - Air-dried is comparable to hickory (Carya), but density is lower (800 kg/m³ (50 lb/ft³) at 12% moisture content).  Dries with little degrade.
 

Hymenaea courtaril ......................... Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry

Durability - Moderate to very resistant to attack by decay fungi and termites
Heartwood - Salmon red to orange-brown, becoming russet or reddish brown when dried.
Sapwood - Grey white & usually wide.
Texture - Medium to rather coarse.
Grain - Mostly interlocked
Weight - Hard & heavy, about 800kg/m³ (50 lb/ft³) at 12% moisture.  High strength is similar to shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) although shagbark hickory has a lower specific gravity.
Uses - High density causes Courbaril to be moderately difficult to saw & machine, but can be machinged to a smooth surface.  Compares favorable with white oak (Quercus alba) in steam bending behavior.  Used for tool handles & other applications that require good shock resistance.  Also used for steam-bent parts, flooring, turnery, furniture, cabinetwork, veneer & Plywood, railroad crossties & other speciality items.

Ipe ................................................... Common name for the lapacho group of the genus Tabebuia, consists of about 20 species of trees.   Other commonly used names are guayacan and lapacho.

Durability - Highly resistant to decay & insects, including both subterranean and dry-wood                   termites, but susceptible to marine borer attack.  Heartwood is impermeable but                   the sapwood can be readily treated with preservatives.
Heartwood - Light to dark olive brown
Sapwood - Relatively wide, yellowish gray or gray-brown; sharply differentiated from                   heartwood.
Texture - Fine to medium
Grain - Straight to very irregular& often narrowly interlocked
Weight - Very heavy, averages about 1,025 kg/m³ (64 lb/ft³) at 12% moisture content.               Thoroughly air-dried heartwood specimens generally sink in water.  Because of the               high density & hardness, ipe is moderately difficult to machine but glassy smooth               surfaces can be produced.  Ipe is very strong; in the air-dried condition, it is               comparable with greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei).  Hardness is 2-3 times that of               white oak (Quercus alba) or keruing (Dipterocarpus).
Uses - Heavy-duty & durable construction; particularly suited to flooring in trucks & boxcars.  Also used for decks, railroad crossties, turnery, tool handles, decorative veneers.

Juglans nigra .................................... Black walnut; aka American black walnut

Durability -
Heartwood - Varies from light to dark brown.
Sapwood - Nearly white & up to 8" wide in open-grown trees
Grain - Normally straight; interesting.
Easily worked with tools & stable in use.
Heavy, hard, strong, & stiff; has good resistance to shock.
Well suited to natural finishes.
Uses: Furniture, architecural woodwork, decorative panels, gunstocks, cabinets & interior woodwork.
Grows from Vermont to the Great Plains & southward into Louisiana & Texas.

Juniperus silicicola ........................... Southern Redcedar

Same properties & uses as Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Grows over a limited area in the South Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Plains

Juniperus virginiana ......................... Eastern Redcedar

Durability - Heartwood is very resistant to decay.
Heartwood - Bright or dull red.
Sapwood - Nearly white.
Texture - Fine & Uniform; wood commonly has numerous small knots.
Moderately heavy, moderately low in strength, hard, & high in shock resistance but low in stiffness.
Very low shrinkage & dimensionally stable after drying.
Uses - Fence posts.  Lumber used in chests, wardrobes & closet lining, flooring, novelties, pencils, scientific instruments & small boats.  Reputed to repel moths, but this claim has not been supported by research.
Grows throughout the eastern half of the US, except in Maine, Florida & a narrow strip along the Gulf Coast & at the higher elevations n the Appalachian Mtn. Range.

Khaya anthotheca & ivorensis ........... African Mahogany

Durability - Moderately durable, below the durability rating for American mahogany
Heartwood - Pale pink to dark reddish brown
Grain - Frequently Interlocked
Texture - Medium to coarse, comparable to that of American mahogany (Swietenia                macrophylla)
Uses - Furniture, cabinetwork, interior woodwork, boat construction, veneer

Koompassia malaccensis ............... Kempa

Meranti ......................................... Shorea, Batu, lauan, Philippine mahogany, tanguile, red seraya, dark red seraya, yellow seraya

Meranti - common name applied to four (4) groups of species of Shorea from SE Asia, most is from Malaysia, Indonesia & the Philippines.  There are thousands of common names for the species of Shorea.  The common names Philippine mahogany and lauan are often substituted for meranti.
 These four (4) groups of meranti are distinct on the basis of heartwood color & weight.  About 70 species of Shorea belong to the light & dark red meranti groups, 22 species to the white meranti group and 33 species to the yellow meranti group.

Woods belonging to Shorea & Parashorea genera:

Most Meranti species have a coarser texture than that of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) & do not have dark-colored deposits in pores.
Grain - usually interlocked.
All merantis have axial resin ducts aligned in long, contimuous tangential lines as seen on the end surface of the wood.  These ducts sometimes contain white deposits that are visible to the naked eye, but the wood is not resinous like some keruing (Dipterocarpus) species that resemble meranti.
All meranti groups are machined easily except white meranti which has a high silica content.
Durability:
Dark Red - Moderately durable.
Light Red - Not durable in exposed conditions or ground contact.
White - Heartwood is not durable to moderately durable in ground contact; extremely resistant to preservative treatments.
Yellow - Not durable in exposed conditions or ground contact.
Drying - Light red & white merantis dry easily without degrade, but dark red & yellow merantis dry more slowly with a tendency to warp.
Strength & Shrinkage - Properties of the meranti groups compare favorably with norther red oak (Quercus rubra).  Light red, white & yellow merantis are not durable in exposed conditions or in ground contact.
Dark red meranti is moderately durable.
Generally, heartwood is extremely resistant to moderately resistant to preservative treatments.
Uses - hardwood plywood, joinery, furniture & cabinetwork, moulding & millwork, flooring & general construction.  Some dark red meranti is used for decking.

Merbau ......................................... Ipil, kwila

Milicia excelsa, M. regia ............... Iroko

Nyotoah ........................................ Palaquium species

Durability - Moderately durable
Heartwood - Pink-brown to reddish brown
Sapwood - Light pinkish brown
Grain - Straight to shallowly interlocked, sometimes wavy
Texture - Moderately fine and even
Treatability - Very difficult

Peltogyne ...................................... Purpleheart

Purpleheart is the name applied to species in the genus Peltogyne.  Found from Mexico through Central America to southern Brazil.
Durability - Heartwood is highly resistant to attack by decay fungi & very resistant to dry-wood termites.  Extremely resistant to treatment with preservatives.
Color - Heartwood is brown turning to a deep purple when exposed to air; turning dark brown when exposed to light.
Texture - Medium to fine.
Grain - Usually straight
Density - Air-dried wood is 800 - 1057 kg/m3 (50 - 66lb/ft3).  Moderately difficult to air dry.  Dulls cutters quickly.  Gummy resin exudes when the wood is heated by dull tools.  Takes finishes well.
Uses - turnery, marquetry, cabinets, fine furniture, parquet flooring, specialty items.

Prunus serotina .............................. Black Cherry; aka cherry, wild black cherry & wild cherry

Heartwood - Light to dark reddish brown with a distinctive luster.
Sapwood - Nearly white; narrow in old-growth trees & narrower in second growth trees.
Texture - Fairly uniform; very good machining properties.
Moderately heavy, strong, still, & moderately hard; high shock resistance & moderately high shrinkage.  Very dimensionally stable after drying.
Uses - Furniture, fine veneer panels, architectural woodwork.
Found from SE Canada throughout the eastern half of the US.

Quercus (red) ............................... Red Oak; Q. rubra (northern red), Q. coccinea (scarlet), Q. shumardii (Shumard), Q. palustris (pin), Q. nuttallii (Nuttall), Q. velutina (black), Q. falcata (southern red), Q. falcata var. pagodaefolia (cherrybark), Q. nigra (water), Q. laurifolia (laurel), Q. phellos (willow).

Heartwood - Brown with a tinge of red.
Sapwood - Nearly white
Sawn lumber of the red oak group cannot be separated by species on the basis of wood characteristics alone.
Red oak lumber can be separated from white oak by the size & arrangement of pores in latewood & because it generally lacks tyloses (Masses of parenchyma cells appearing somewhat like froth in the pores of some hardwoods, notably the white oaks & black locust.  Tyloses are formed by the extension of the cell wall of the living cells surrounding vessels of hardwood.) in the pores.  The open pores of red oak make this species group unsuitable for tight cooperage (containers).
Quarter sawn lumber is distinguished by broad & conspicuous rays.
Wood of red oaks is heavy.  Rapidly grown second-growth (Timber that has grown after the removal of all or a large part of the previous stand, whether the removal was by cutting, fire, wind, or other event.) wood is generally harder & tougher than finer textured old-growth wood.
Fairly high shrinkage in drying.
Uses - lumber, RR crossties, mine timbers, fence posts, veneer, pulpwood & fuelwood.  Products with ground contact require preservative treatment.
Lumber is remanufactured into flooring, furniture, general millwork, boxes, pallets & crates, agricultural implements, caskets, wooden ware & handles.  Also used in RR cars & boats.

Quercus (white) ............................ Q. alba (white), Q. prinus (chestnut), Q. stellata (post), Q. lyrata (overcup), Q. michauxii (swamp chestnut), Q. macrocarpa (bur), Q. muehlenbergii (chinkapin), Q. bicolor (swamp white), Q. virginiana (live).

Durability - Heartwood has good decay resistance.
Heartwood - Generally grayish brown.  Pores are usually plugged with tyloses, which tend to make the wood impenetrable by liquids, therefore white oaks are suitable for cooperage (containers).  Many heartwood pores of chestnut oak (Q. prinus) lack tyloses.
Sapwood - Nearly white
Wood is heavy, averaging somewhat greater in weight than red oak wood.
Uses - lumber, RR crossties, cooperage (containers), mine timbers, fence posts, veneer, fuelwood. Live oak ( Q. virginiana) is considerably heavier & stronger than the other oaks; formerly used for ship timbers.  Also used for planking & bent parts of ships & boats; heartwood is often specified because of its decay resistance. Other uses include furniture, flooring, pallets, agricultural implements, railroad cars, truck floors, doors & millwork.

Robinia pseudoacacia ..................... Black Locust; aka yellow or post locust

Durability - High decay resistance.
Heartwood - Greenish yellow to dark brown when freshly cut;
Sapwood - Narrow & creamy white.
Very heavy, very hard, very resistant to shock & very strong & stiff.  Moderately low shrinkage.
Uses: Mine timbers, fence posts, poles, railroad crossties, stakes & fuel, rough construction, crating & mine equipment.  Historically, black locust was used for insulator pins & wooden pegs used in the construction of ships.
Grows from Pennsylvania along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia & Alabama.  Also native to western Arkansas & souther Missouri.

Sequoia sempervirens .................... Redwood aka coast redwood, California redwood & sequoia

Durability - Old-growth heartwood has high decay resistance; second-growth heartwood has low to moderate decay resistance.
Heartwood - Varies from light "cherry" red to dark mahogany.
Sapwood - Almost white.
Grain - Generally straight
Typical old-growth redwood is moderately lightweight, moderately strong, & stiff, & moderately hard.  Wood is easy to work.  Shrinks & swells comparatively little.
Uses - Siding , sashes, doors, blinds, millwork, casket stock, containers, cooling towers, decking, tanks, silos, wood-stave pipe & outdoor furniture.  Splits readily for posts & fence material.

Grows on the coast of California; some trees are among the tallest in the world.  Giant sequoia (Seqoiadendron giganteum), a related species, is volumetrically larger & grows in a limited area in the Sierra Nevada of California.

Shorea ........................................... Meranti; Mahogany, Philippine

Durability - Heartwood - Moderately Durable, not for high risk areas
                  Sapwood - susceptible to powder-post beetles
                 Neither heartwood nor sapwood resistant to marine borers
Heartwood - dark brown to medium to deep red, sometimes with purplish tinge & white dammar (hard resins) or reddish streaks.
 The name "Philippine mahogany" is applied to a group of Asian woods that belong to the genus Shorea.
See also lauan and meranti groups.

 Swietenia mahagoni & macrophylla........................ Mahogany

From American West Indies; sometimes referred to as true mahogany or Honduras mahogany.  Khaya, a related African wood has been marketed as "African Mahogany."  It has similar properties & overall appearance.  "Philippine mahogany" - Asian woods belonging to the genus Shorea; see lauan and meranti groups.

Durability - Durable to brown-rot and white-rot fungus
                  Moderately Durable - Dry wood termites
                  Non-Durable - Marine borers
Heartwood - Fresh - Reddish, pinkish, salmon or yellowish
                     Aged - Deep, rich red or brown
Sapwood - Yellowish or whitish
Heartwood & Sapwood - Very resistant to treatment with preservatives
Grain - Straight, wavy or curly ; generally straighter than that of African Mahogony (Khaya ivorensis)
Texture - Fine to coarse
Excellent dimensional stability
The air-dried strength of American mahogany is similar to that of American elm (Ulmus americana)
Density - Air dried wood, 480 to 833 kg/m3 (30-52 lb/ft3)
Uses - Fine furniture, cabinets, interior woodwork, pattern woodwork, boat construction, fancy veneers, musical instruments, precision instruments, paneling, turnery, carving & many other uses that call for an attractive & dimensionally stable wood.

Taxodium distichum ...................... Baldcypress, aka southern-cypress, red-cypress, yellow-cypress, white-cypress.  Commercial terms frequently used: tidewater red-cypress, gulf-cypress, red-cypress (coast type), & yellow cypress (inland type)

Durability - Old-growth is one of the most decay resistant of US species.  Second-growth wood is only moderately resistant to decay.
Heartwood - Color varies widely from light yellowish-brown to dark brownish red, brown or chocolate.
Sapwood - Nearly white.
Old growth baldcypress is no longer readily available, but second-growth wood is available.
Moderately heavy, moderately strong & moderately hard.
The wood of certain baldcypress trees frequently contains pockets or localized areas that have been attacked by a fungus.  This wood is known as pecky cypress.  This decay stops when the wood is cut into lumber & dried.
Uses - Old-growth cypress was used in building construction, caskets, sashes, doors, blinds, tanks, vats, ship & boat building.
Uses - Second-growth wood is used for siding & millwork, including interior woodwork & paneling.  Pecky cypress is used for paneling in restaurants, stores & other buildings.

Tectona grandis ............................ Teak

Durability - Heartwood has excellent dimensional stability & a high degree of natural durability. Does not cause rust or corrosion when in contact with metal.
Density - Strength is comparable to U.S. oaks (Quercus)
Resists warping, shrinking and swelling
Smooth to the touch and does not splinter
Grain - Usually straight grained. End-grain may crack with natural aging, characteristic of teak.
Texture - Coarse & uneven (ring porous).  Distinctly oily feel.
Color - Heartwood - Yellow -brown to dark golden-brown; turns a rich brown when exposed to air.
Worked with moderate ease but the presence of silica often dulls tools.  Pretreatment may be necessary to ensure good bonding of finishes & glues.
Native of India, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand in dry, hilly forests.  Commercial quantities occur in India, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, North & South Vietnam, & the East Indies.  Plantations have been developed in its natural range & in tropical areas of Latin America & Africa.
Used - Shipbuilding, fixtures that require high acid resistance, furniture, flooring, decorative objects & veneer.

Thuja occidentalis ........................ Cedar, Northern White, aka arborvitae or simply as cedar

Heartwood - Light brown
Sapwood - White or nearly white
Lightweight, rather soft, low in strength & shock resistance
Used for poles, cabin logs, railroad crossties, lumber, posts, decorative fencing, tanks & boats, wooden ware
Grows from Main along the Appalachians & westward through the northern part of the Great Lakes States

 Thuja plicata ....................... Western Red Cedar; aka canoe-cedar, giant arborvitae, shinglewood & Pacific redcedar.

Durability - Heartwood is very resistant to decay.
Heartwood - Reddish or pinkisn brown to dull brown.
Sapwood - Nearly white.
Grain - Generally straight.
Texture - Uniform but rather coarse.
Very low shrinkage.
Lightweight, moderately soft, low in strength when used as a beam or posts, & low in shock resistance.
Uses - Shingles, lumber, poles, posts & piles.  Lumber is used for exterior siding, decking, interior woodwork, greenhouse construction, ship & boat building, boxes & crates, sashes & doors.

Grows in the Pacific NW & along the Pacific Coast to Alaska.

 Durability - the resistance to fungal decay
There are 5 classes based on an average lifespan of a 50 x 50mm section of heartwood in contact with the ground.

Very Durable -             More than 25 years
Durable -                     25 years
Moderately Durable -  10-15 years
Non-Durable -             5-10 years
 

Sources:
Wood Handbook, Wood as an Engineering Material, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-113, March 1999
British Timber Research & Development Association, 1993
International Book of Woods, 1976
The Complete Dictionary of Wood, 1980
Tropical Timbers of the World, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook Number 607, 1984, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI
Forest Stewardship Council

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