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Different types of wood timber by A to Z

Use this page to help you determine to the best alternative if you can't buy Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber.

The table below contains the following information for each species of tree:

  • Common and scientific name*
  • Country of origin
  • Common uses
  • Whether it is threatened with extinction (see key below)
  • Whether reclaimed timber of that tree species is available
  • How much it is used in the UK

* listed alphabetically by common name and according to type of tree eg. American Cedar is listed under Cedar American

Key to threat classification

CR

Critically Endangered: a very high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered: a high risk of extinction in the wild

VU

Vulnerable: at risk of extinction

LR (NT)

Lower risk (near threatened): close to qualifying as Vulnerable

Table of different types of wood timber by A to Z

Click on a letter to track down your tree species.

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

Common name

Scientific name

Origin

Uses

Level of use in the UK

Global threat status

Available as reclaimed?

Oak

Quercus spp.

UK, Europe, North America

Wide variety of applications, including joinery, furniture, fittings, flooring wood strip and woodblock flooring

Major

Regularly as reclaimed beams, floorboards,

Oak, Tasmanian

Eucalyptus delegatensis

Australia

General purpose timber, flooring

Minor

 

Odoko

Scottellia coriacea

Africa

Interior and exterior construction, furniture

Minor

 

Ogea

Daniellia spp.

Africa

Plywood, joinery, furniture, veneer

Minor

D. klainei LR/NT
D. oblonga VU

 

Okoume

Aucoumea klaineana

Gabon

Plywood

Minor

VU

 

Okwen

Brachystegia spp.

Africa

Flooring, veneer, general construction, joinery.

Minor

B. kennedyi VU
B. zenkeri VU

 

Olon

Fagara heitzii

Africa

Interior construction, furniture, veneers.

Minor

 

Opepe/ Kussia

Nauclea diderrichii

West Africa

Outdoor construction, marine defence, sleepers, flooring.

Minor

VU

Occasionally as beams, woodblock flooring

Padauk

Pterocarpus spp.

India, Myanmar, West Africa

Joinery, flooring, boat-building

Minor

P. indicus VU

Regularly as wood strip and woodblock flooring

Common name

Scientific name

Origin

Uses

Level of use in the UK

Global threat status

Available as reclaimed?

Panga Panga

Millettia stuhlmanii

Africa

Cabinet work, joinery, veneer, flooring, turnery,

Minor

Regularly as woodblock flooring
musical instruments

Pau Marfim

Balfourodendron riedelianum

Brazil

Furniture making, flooring, construction, turnery

Minor

EN

 

Pear

Pyrus communis

Europe

Turnery, carving, drawing instruments, veneer

Minor

 

Peroba Rosa

Aspidosperma spp.

South America

Fine furniture, veneer, cabinet work, flooring, interior trim and turning

Minor

A. polyneuron EN

 

Persimmon

Diospyros virginiana

North America

Decorative ware, musical instruments, turnery

Minor

 

Pine (softwood) various and types, also known
as Redwood

Pinus spp.

UK, Europe (commonly in plantations), North America

General utility work

Major

Regularly as beams, floorboards, wood strip woodblock flooring

Pine, Parana (softwood)

Araucaria angustifolia

Brazil (some plantations)

Joinery, plywood

Minor

VU

 

Pitch Pine (softwood)

Pinus spp.

Southern USA, Brazil (plantations)

Construction, plywood

Minor

 

Plane, European

Platanus hybrida

Europe

Veneer, general purpose handles

Minor

 

Poplar

Populus spp.

UK, Europe

Matches, turnery, minor craft goods

Minor

 

Purpleheart

Peltogyne spp.

Central and South America

Heavy construction work, decorative purposes

Minor

Occasionally, as beams

Common name

Scientific name

Origin

Uses

Level of use in the UK

Global threat status

Available as reclaimed?

Quaruba

Vochysia spp.

South America

Carpentry, utility plywood, furniture components, interior trim, millwork

Minor

 

Common name

Scientific name

Origin

Uses

Level of use in the UK

Global threat status

Available as reclaimed?

Ramin

Gonystylus bancanus

Malaysia, Indonesia

Mouldings

Major

VU

 

Rauli

Nothofagus procera

South America

Furniture, joinery, mouldings, turnery

Minor

 

Rosewood

Dalbergia spp.

Africa, South America, India

Furniture, musical instruments

Minor

Various Dalbergia species in international trade are threatened; D. nigra CITES Appdx I

 

Rubberwood

Hevea brasiliensis

Malaysia (plantations)

Furniture

Major

 

Common name

Scientific name

Origin

Uses

Level of use in the UK

Global threat status

Available as reclaimed?

Sapele

Entandophragma cylindricum

West Africa

Furniture, joinery, decorative applications

Major

VU

 

Sepetir

Sindora spp.

South-east Asia

Furniture, veneer, light construction, household utensils, plywood, flooring

Minor

S. inermis VU S. supa VU

 

Sequioa, red

Sequioa sempervirens

North America

Joinery

Minor

 

Simpoh

Dillenia spp.

South-east Asia

Plywood, interior joinery, furniture and cabinetwork

Minor

Several species VU

 

Spruce (softwood),
also known as
Whitewood

Picea spp.

UK, Europe (commonly in plantations),
North America

General purpose timber

Major

Regularly, as beams, floorboards, wood strip and woodblock flooring

Sterculia, red

Sterculia rhinopetala

Africa

Light construction work, interior joinery, boxes and crates

Minor

 

Swamp sepetir

Pseudosindora palustris

South-east Asia

Furniture, cabinetwork, joinery, flooring, plywood, veneers

Minor

 

Sycamore

Acer pseudoplatanus

Europe

Turnery, veneers

Major

 

Common name

Scientific name

Origin

Uses

Level of use in the UK

Global threat status

Available as reclaimed?

Tali

Erythrophleum spp.

Africa

Flooring, heavy construction

Minor

 

Tatajuba

Bagassa guianensis

South America

Furniture, flooring, joinery, heavy construction

Minor

 

Taun

Pometia pinnata

South-east Asia

General purpose timber

Minor

 

Tchitola

Oxystigma oxyphyllum

Africa

General purpose timber, veneer, plywood

Minor

 

Teak

Tectona grandis

South-east Asia (also in plantations elsewhere)

High quality furniture, joinery, garden furniture

Major

Regularly as wood strip and woodblock flooring, occasionally as beams

Teak, Rhodesian

Baikiaea plurijuga

Southern Africa

Exterior construction, flooring

Minor

LR/NT

Regularly as wood strip and woodblock flooring

Terentang

Campnosperma brevipetiolata

South-east Asia

Light general purposes

Minor

 

Tiama / Edinam /
Cedu nohor

Entandrophragma angolense

Africa

Furniture, joinery, construction, flooring

Minor

VU

 

Tornillo

Cedrelingua cataeneformis

South America

General furniture construction,

Minor

 

Tulipwood /
American poplar

Liriodendron tulipifera

North America

Mouldings, drumsticks

Minor

 

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