Wood Common Names

In this guide, 'wood' refers to either the tree or the wood from the tree. Botanical name (or scientific name) is the genus and species of the tree. It's often difficult to pin down a wood as to an exact identity. There are a variety of reasons for this:

One wood can have many common names. Sometimes a tree may have 20 or more commonly used names that change depending where it is grown and the local language.

• Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) may also be called Bodare Us, Bodark, Bodeck, Bodock, Bois d'arc, Bowwood, Geelhout, Hedge, Hedge Apple, Hedge-plant, Horse Apple, Maclura, Mock Orange, Naranjo Chino, Osage, Osage Apple-tree, Rootwood, Wild Orange or Yellow-wood.

The common name is different depending on whether the tree is harvested from the wild or plantation grown.

• East Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) is sometimes called Sonokeling Rosewood when grown on plantations in Indonesia.

Many different woods have the same common name: This is also fairly common and can be very confusing.

• Lacewood from Latin American is (Roupala brasiliensis).
• Lacewood in North America is Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).
• Lacewood in Europe is the London Plane tree (Platanus hybrida).
• Lacewood in Australia is Silky Oak (Cardwellia sublimis).
• Leopardwood also from Latin America (Roupala montana) is also often called Lacewood.

Some botanical names have changed over time.

• Snakewood may be listed as (Piratinera guianensis) or (Brosimum guianensis) both are the same species of tree, but the botanical name changed and the older genus and species is still sometimes used.

Numerous woods are sold under the same common name.

• African Ebony may actually be any of about 10 different species of wood of the same genus (Diospyros spp.) from the same area of equatorial Africa. All look essentially the same.

Just to complicate things further: Hardwood flooring manufacturers seem to have their own system of naming, so wood meant to be flooring may have entirely different common names than what is normally used.

• Cumaru (Dipteryx odorata) when sold by a flooring manufacturer will probably be called Brazilian Chestnut or Brazilian Teak.

Different common names used for different parts of a tree: This doesn't happen very often, but does occur.

• Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) is the common name for the wood, but burl from the same tree is called Amboyna burl.

The list below is by no means comprehensive (and is still a work in progress). It's just some common names and botanical names of woods I have researched, have on hand and sometimes sell on ebay.

Common Name (Scientific Name)
 
Black Acacia (Acacia decurrens)
Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata)
Afzelia (Afzelia xylocarpa)
Aglaia (Aglaia gigantea) 
Red Alder (Alnus rubra)
Almond (Prunus dulcis)
Amazaque (Guibourtia ehie)
Amboyna (Pterocarpus indicus)
Andiroba (Carapa guianensis)
Anigre (Aningeria altissima)
Apple (Malus pumila)
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)
Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra)
English Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
Aspen  (Populus tremuloides)
Avodire (Turreanthus africanus)
Banksia (Banksia serrata)
Batinj (Gmelina arborea)
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
English Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Australian Beefwood (Grevillea striata)
Beli (Julbernardia pellegriniana)
European Birch (Betula spp.)
Fire Birch (Betula populifolia)
Masur Birch  (Betula verrucosa)
Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
Bloodwood (Brosimum rubescens)
Bocote (Cordia gerascanthus)
Boire (Detarium senegalense)
Box Elder (Acer negundo)
American Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
European Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
San Domingo Boxwood (Phyllustylon brasiliensis)
Briar (Erica arborea)
Bubinga (Guibourtia demeusei)
Buckeye (Aesculus spp.)
California Buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana)
Budgeroo (Lysicarpus angustifolius)
Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
Black Cabbage Bark (Lonchocarpus castilloi)
Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora)
Canarywood (Centrolobium microchaete)
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)
Catalox (Swartzia cubensis)
Cebil (Anadenanthera colubrina)
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Giant Cedar (Thuja plicata)
Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata)
Chac Te Koke (Sickingia salvadorense)
Chac Te Viga (Caesalpinia platyloba)
Black Chacate (Guibourtia conjugata)
Chechen (Metopium brownei)
Cherry (Prunus serotina)
European Cherry (Prunus avium)
Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium)
Sweet Chestnut (Castanea dentata)
Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
Cocuswood (Brya ebenus)
Coffee (Coffea arabica)
Conebush (Leucadendron spp.)
Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Cumaru (Dipteryx odorata)
Curupay (Anadenanthera macrocarpa)
Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizonica)
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Mountain Cypress (Widdringtonia nodiflora)
Daeng (Xylia kerrii)
African Ebony (Diospyros spp.)
Brown Ebony (Caesalpinia paraguariensis)
Macassar Ebony (Diospyros celebica)
Mun Ebony (Diospyros mun)
Striped Ebony (Dalbergia lanceolaria)
Texas Ebony (Pithecellobium flexicaule)
American Elm (Ulmus americana)
English Elm (Ulmus procera)
Red Elm (Ulmus rubra)
Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)
Espave (Anacardium excelsum)
Goncalo Alves (Astronium fraxinfolium)
Granadillo (Platymiscium spp.)
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)
Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Red River Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
English Hawthorn (Crataegus monygna)
Red Hawthorn (Crataegus mollis)
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
American Hickory (Carya spp.)
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
English Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Hububalli (Loxopterygium sagotii)
Imbuia (Phoebe porosa)
Ipe (Tabebuia serratifolia)
Desert Ironwood (Olneya tesota)
Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata)
Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)
Alligator Juniper (Juniperus deppeana)
Jujube (Zizyphus mistol)
Kamarere (Eucalyptus deglupta)
Kentucky Coffee Tree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
Kiatt (Pterocarpus angolensis)
Brazilian Kingwood (Dalbergia cearensis)
Koa (Acacia koa)
Kwila (Intsia bijuga)
Lacewood (Roupala brasiliensis)
Lancewood (Oxandra lanceolata)
Lauan (Shorea spp.)
Indian Laurel (Ficus nitida)
Leadwood (Combretum imberbe)
Leopardwood (Roupala montana)
Lemon (Citrus limon)
Redheart Leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida)
Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum spp.)
Wild Lilac (Ceanothus spp.)
Black Limba (Terminalia superba)
European Lime (Tilia vulgaris)
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
London Plane (Platanus hybrida)
Macacauba (Platymiscium pinnatum)
Macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia)
Machiche (Lonchocarpus castilloi)
Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata)
Red Mahoe (Thespesia populnea)
Honduras Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
Makore (Mimusops heckelii)
Green Mallee (Eucalyptus viridis)
Red Mallee (Eucalyptus longicornis)
White Mallee (Eucalyptus dumosa)
Mango (Mangifera indica)
Mansonia (Mansonia altissima)
Manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzazita)
Ambrosia Maple (Acer saccharum)
Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Marblewood (Marmaroxylon racemosum)
Massaranduba (Manilkara bidentata)
Mesquite (Prosposis spp.)
Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin)
Missanda (Erythrophleum guineense)
Movingui (Distemananthus benthanianus)
Mubangu (Julbernardi sereti)
Muhuhu (Brachylaena hutchinsii)
Mulberry (Morus alba)
Oregon Myrtle (Umbellularia californica)
Pink Myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii)
Narra (Pterocarpus indicus)
Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nectarina)
Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii)
Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus)
Cork Oak (Quercus suber)
English Oak (Quercus robur)
English (Sessile) Oak (Quercus petraea)
Mountain Oak (Quercus douglasii)
Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
California Scrub Oak (Quercus dumosa)
Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)
Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii)
White Oak (Quercus alba)
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
Olivewood (Olea europaea)
Native Olive (Notelaea longifolia)
Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Wild Olivewood (Olea hochstetteri)
Orange (Citrus sinensis)
Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera)
African Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii)
Burmese Padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus)
Black Palm (Astrocaryum spp.)
Palo Chino (Pithecellobium mexicana)
Palo Verde (Cercidium spp.)
Panga Panga (Millettia stuhlmannii)
Partridgewood (Andira inermis)
Pau Ferro (Swartzia fistuloides)
Paulownia (Paulownia tomentosa)
Siberian Pea Tree (Caragana arborescens)
Peach (Prunus persica)
Pear (Pyrus communis)
Pecan (Carya illinoensis)
California Pepper Tree (Schinus molle)
Pernambuco (Caesalpinia echinata)
Peroba Rosa (Aspidosperma peroba)
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Phchok (Shorea obtusa)
Pincushion (Leucospermum spp.)
Pink Ivory  (Rhamnus zeyheri)
Piquia Amerello (Aspidosperma spp.)
Pistachio (Pistacia vera)
Pittosporum (Pittosporum spp.)
Japanese Plum (Prunus salicina)
English Poplar (Populus alba)
Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Privet  (Ligustrum ovalifolium)
Protea  (Protea spp.)
Purpleheart (Peltogyne paniculata)
Putumuju (Centrolobium paraense)
Pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea)
Radal  (Lomatia hirsuta)
Raintree (Pithecellobium saman)
Ramone (Brosimum alicastrum)
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
Amazon Rosewood (Dalbergia spruceana)
Bolivian Rosewood (Machaerium scleroxylon)
Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)
East Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
Honduras Rosewood (Dalbergia stevensonii)
Madagascar Rosewood (Dalbergia spp.)
Thailand Rosewood (Dalbergia cochinchinensis)
Violet Rosewood (Dalbergia louvelli)
Sabicu (Lysiloma sabicu)
Sandalwood (Santalum album)
Australian Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum)
Sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Tasmanian Sassafras (Atherosperma moschatum)
Ceylon Satinwood (Chloroxylon swietenia)
Peruvian Satinwood (Brosimum alicastrum)
Lace Sheoak (Allocasuarina fraseriana)
Rose Sheoak (Allocasuarina torulasa)
Sheoak (Casuarina equisetifolia)
Shedua (Guibourtia arnoldiana)
Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta)
Snakewood (Pirantinera guianesis)
Sougue (Parinari excelsa)
Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
Tambootie (Spirostachys africana)
Tanga Tanga (Albizia versicolor)
Tarara Colorado (Platymiscium fragrans)
Teak (Tectona grandis)
African Teak (Chlorophora excelsa)
Rhodesian Teak (Baikiaea plurijuga)
Thuya Burl (Tetraclnis articulata)
Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Tulipwood (Dalbergia frutenscens)
T'zalam  (Lysiloma bahamensis)
Utile (Entandrophragma utile)
Verawood (Bulnesia arborea)
Volador  (Aspidosperma megalorcarpum)
Arizona Walnut (Juglans major)
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Claro Walnut (Juglans hindsii)
English Walnut (Juglans regia)
Japanese Walnut (Juglans ailantifolia)
Peruvian Walnut (Juglans neotropica)
Wenge (Millettia laurentii)
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Red Willow (Salix laevigata)
Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica)
English Yew (Taxus baccata)
Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia)
Yvyra Pyta (Peltophorum dubium)
Zebrawood (Microberlinia brazzavillensis)
Zircote (Cordia dodecandra)