Identification

• Wood is the hard, fibrous material under a tree's bark; botanists call it xylem. In live trees, the wood is a structure of tubes that carries water to the branches and leaves. Because it is relatively hard and inflexible, it supports the structure of tall trees. When a tree is cut from the forest, it is this part that is used for lumber.
  
  

Types

• Alder wood is a soft hardwood with a straight grain and uniform texture. Cherry can be a beautiful warm red-brown color with straight grain and smooth texture; it often has inclusions or small spots that add to its character. The oaks, red and white, are mostly medium to dark brown in color with a straight grain and a coarser texture. Walnut is often darker in color; the grain can be more irregular than other species.
  
  

Geography

• Different species of trees yield wood with different qualities,and they grow in forest locations around the globe. Ebony, which grows primarily in India and Sri Lanka, produces a dense, dark wood. Yellow pine, also known as Southern yellow pine, grows in a band across the southern tier of states in the United States. Alder grows in the Pacific Northwest and produces a soft hardwood. Oak is the most common type of tree in the hardwood forests of the Eastern U.S.; in fact, red oak is the most heavily used wood species.
  
  

Features

• Wood species are graded according to several physical properties, including stiffness, bendability, hardness and wear resistance. Consumers who plan to decorate with wood details are also interested in the appearance of particular wood species; knots, grain and color can make all the difference. Many decorators will look for wood with especially unique characteristics, including beetle kill wood, salvaged wood and barn wood.
  
  

Considerations

• Archaeological sites provide evidence that humans have used wood for as fuel for ages. The process of industrialization encouraged loggers and lumber companies to clear-cut vast stretches of virgin forest to use as fuel. Today, more lumber companies promise to harvest wood in a sustainable manner to ensure the future health of our forests.