Wood Density Database
Oven-dry specific gravity and density (kg/m³) for 60 commercial timber species. Sortable and searchable — click any column header to rank.
Revision history
- — Site-wide audit — all tabulated values re-checked against listed sources
Density is the single best predictor of a wood's strength, hardness, and weight. Specific gravity (SG) compares oven-dry wood mass to the mass of an equal volume of water; multiply by 1000 for approximate dry density in kg/m³. Higher density generally means greater strength and screw-holding, but also more weight and slower drying.
| Species ↕ | Specific Gravity ↕ | Density kg/m³ ↕ | Hardness ↕ | Origin ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lignum VitaeGuaiacum officinale | 1.05 | 1050 | Hard | Other |
| African BlackwoodDalbergia melanoxylon | 0.98 | 980 | Medium | Africa |
| Ipe LapachoHandroanthus serratifolius | 0.92 | 920 | Hard | South America |
| EbonyDiospyros ebenum | 0.90 | 900 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| CumaruDipteryx odorata | 0.87 | 870 | Medium | South America |
| MassarandubaManilkara bidentata | 0.85 | 850 | Medium | South America |
| BangkiraiShorea laevis | 0.85 | 850 | Medium | SE Asia and Pacific |
| Spotted GumCorymbia citriodora | 0.85 | 850 | Medium | Australia |
| JarrahEucalyptus marginata | 0.82 | 820 | Medium | Australia |
| WengeMillettia laurentii | 0.80 | 800 | Medium | Africa |
| BalauShorea spp. | 0.78 | 780 | Medium | SE Asia and Pacific |
| Indian RosewoodDalbergia latifolia | 0.75 | 750 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| Shisham SissooDalbergia sissoo | 0.75 | 750 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| SalShorea robusta | 0.74 | 740 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| MerbauIntsia bijuga | 0.74 | 740 | Medium | SE Asia and Pacific |
| GarapaApuleia leiocarpa | 0.72 | 720 | Medium | South America |
| KeruingDipterocarpus spp. | 0.69 | 690 | Medium | SE Asia and Pacific |
| NeemAzadirachta indica | 0.68 | 680 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| Thermally Modified OakQuercus robur | 0.68 | 680 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| European BeechFagus sylvatica | 0.68 | 680 | Medium | Europe |
| European OakQuercus robur | 0.67 | 670 | Medium | Europe |
| Burma Teak Premium GradeTectona grandis | 0.66 | 660 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| ThermoWood Ash Thermo-DFraxinus excelsior | 0.66 | 660 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| Hard MapleAcer saccharum | 0.63 | 630 | Medium | North America |
| ThermoWood Birch Thermo-DBetula pubescens | 0.62 | 620 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| Yellow BirchBetula alleghaniensis | 0.62 | 620 | Medium | North America |
| SapeleEntandrophragma cylindricum | 0.62 | 620 | Medium | Africa |
| Silver BirchBetula pendula | 0.61 | 610 | Medium | Europe |
| Bamboo Structural EngineeredBambusa / Dendrocalamus spp. | 0.60 | 600 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| White AshFraxinus americana | 0.60 | 600 | Medium | North America |
| Thermally Modified Siberian LarchLarix sibirica | 0.59 | 590 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| Sweet ChestnutCastanea sativa | 0.56 | 560 | Medium | Europe |
| TeakTectona grandis | 0.55 | 550 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| Rubber WoodHevea brasiliensis | 0.55 | 550 | Soft | India and South Asia |
| Thermally Modified LarchLarix decidua | 0.55 | 550 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| Black WalnutJuglans nigra | 0.55 | 550 | Medium | North America |
| European LarchLarix decidua | 0.55 | 550 | Medium | Europe |
| IrokoMilicia excelsa | 0.55 | 550 | Medium | Africa |
| Meranti Red LauanShorea spp. | 0.52 | 520 | Medium | SE Asia and Pacific |
| African MahoganyKhaya ivorensis | 0.52 | 520 | Medium | Africa |
| Mango WoodMangifera indica | 0.51 | 510 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| Accoya Acetylated Radiata PinePinus radiata | 0.51 | 510 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| Southern Yellow PinePinus spp. (P. palustris, P. taeda) | 0.51 | 510 | Medium | North America |
| ThermoWood Radiata Pine Thermo-DPinus radiata | 0.50 | 500 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| American CherryPrunus serotina | 0.50 | 500 | Medium | North America |
| Scots PinePinus sylvestris | 0.49 | 490 | Medium | Europe |
| Deodar CedarCedrus deodara | 0.48 | 480 | Medium | India and South Asia |
| ThermoWood Pine Thermo-DPinus sylvestris | 0.48 | 480 | Soft | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| Douglas FirPseudotsuga menziesii | 0.48 | 480 | Medium | North America |
| Kail Blue PinePinus wallichiana | 0.45 | 450 | Soft | India and South Asia |
| ThermoWood Spruce Thermo-DPicea abies | 0.45 | 450 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| Hem-FirTsuga / Abies spp. | 0.45 | 450 | Soft | North America |
| Western HemlockTsuga heterophylla | 0.45 | 450 | Medium | North America |
| Norway SprucePicea abies | 0.43 | 430 | Soft | Europe |
| Spruce-Pine-Fir SPFPicea / Pinus / Abies spp. | 0.42 | 420 | Medium | North America |
| Hinoki CypressChamaecyparis obtusa | 0.42 | 420 | Soft | Other |
| Thermally Modified Western Red CedarThuja plicata | 0.38 | 380 | Medium | ThermoWood Finland EU |
| Sugi Japanese CedarCryptomeria japonica | 0.38 | 380 | Soft | Other |
| Western Red CedarThuja plicata | 0.32 | 320 | Soft | North America |
| PaulowniaPaulownia tomentosa | 0.28 | 280 | Medium | Other |
Related tools
Sources
- USDA FPL Wood Handbook GTR-190, Ch. 4-5 — www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr190
- The Wood Database — www.wood-database.com
Common questions
What does wood density tell me?
It tells you how heavy a wood is for its size. A dense wood like ebony sinks in water. A light wood like balsa floats easily. Density is a quick way to guess strength, weight and cost before you buy.
Why do density numbers differ between websites?
Because density changes with moisture. A freshly cut log holds a lot of water and weighs much more than the same log after drying. Our table uses oven-dry values so every species is compared the same way.
Which density should I use for shipping weight?
Not the oven-dry one. Timber in a container still holds some moisture, so real shipping weight is higher. Use our Green Weight or Freight Weight tools — they add the moisture back in for you.
Is denser wood always stronger?
Usually, but not always. Density is a good first guess for strength, but grain, knots and drying matter too. For real structural work, check the strength properties page, not just density.