Identifying Hardwood Species

Most evergreens have needles or scales while most broadleaf trees are deciduous meaning they drop their leaves when dormant.
Identifying hardwood species. Some species are easy to identify such as oak pine cherry and fir. To correctly identify the type of hardwood you need to perform a few tests. Despite its name this species is related to neither karri eucalyptus. However there are exceptions.
Here is a quick leaf identification key of the common hardwoods in north america. There are three basic leaf types. Pennsylvania has over 100 native tree species but there are seldom more than 10 to 15 different species in any one location. Hardwoods casuarinaceae allocasuarina decussata common name s.
This publication presents information about 10 important pennsylvania hardwood tree species their identification characteristics and wood. Tree identification guide it s easy to go through life with what our third grade teacher taught us about trees. The wood database online can show specific grain types color variations and hardness to help in the hardwood floor identification. Lbf n estimated hardness based on specific gravity shrinkage.
This guide features 20 of the most abundant and most often used hardwood species. Needles scales and broadleaf. Karri oak scientific name. It isn t until one dies on your property and you need a tree removal.
It s usually best to begin with a relatively smooth saw cut as from a fine toothed miter saw blade and proceed through the grits starting at around 100 and working up to at least 220 or 320. Here we tackle a few ways to recognize some of the most common species of wood in north america by sight. However there are a few key criteria to look for in wood identification. Southwestern australia average dried weight.
As a resource american hardwoods are abundant renewing and sustainable and an excellent choice for eco effective design and building. Lbs ft3 kg m3 janka hardness. This only compounds the challenges involved with identifying wood types. In addition to the basics where they grow general description and abundance.
Trees with broad flat leaves as opposed to coniferous or needled trees. However in many denser species especially in tropical hardwoods one of the best ways to obtain a clear endgrain view is through diligent sanding. What we half remember is enough for us to happily relegate trees to the background of everywhere we go and everything we do. The guide to american hardwood species.
The starting point for most people when identifying trees species is the leaves.