- Oak is the most common hard wood tree in the United States.oak image by Pali A from Fotolia.com
Hard woods are species of trees that produce nuts or fruit and are dormant in the winter months. The wood from these trees is used for a variety of purposes and they all have different characteristics and appearances. Some hard woods are better suited for certain projects; personal preference is often the determining factor when selecting a hard wood to use. - Ash grows in the eastern United States that is often used for flooring, furniture, doors, food containers, cabinets, baseball bats, hockey sticks, billiard cue sticks, skis and oars. This versatile hard wood represents more than 4 percent of the commercial hard woods in the U.S.
The outer wood of ash trees is very light colored and can almost appear white, while the heart of the tree can range from gray to pale yellow with brown streaks. This is a straight-grained wood that works well in applications that require screws, nails or glue. - Hickory trees come in two varieties. Fruit-bearing hickories are known as pecan trees, while non-fruit bearing varieties are known as true hickory. These trees grow primarily in the eastern and southern United States. The wood is a popular choice for smoking meats in the barbecue industry. More permanent uses for hickory include flooring, tool handles, ladders and sporting goods. The toughness of this wood makes is appropriate for applications that will put a lot of strain on the wood.
This is the heaviest of the American hard woods. The slow-growing trees can take up to 200 years to mature. This wood is readily available on the market in many forms and usually comes in white with thin brown lines or reddish brown. - Cherry trees are found primarily in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. and they have been widely used for a variety of purposes. Early American settlers began eating the fruit of the cherry tree and using the bark for its medicinal purposes.
Cherry has a unique red tint that is very visually appealing; therefore, it has always been quite popular as a furniture material and to use in cabinetry, paneling and flooring. Some cherry is a creamy white color, which is also popular for all of these uses. The wood is not as dense, but its beauty and ability to sand into extremely smooth surfaces makes it remain a popular choice. - Oak is a common hard wood used in construction, plywood, flooring and a variety of other uses because of its versatility. Red and white oaks are both abundant in the United States, making up more than 50 percent of the commercially available hard wood in the country. Red oak is light colored to pink in appearance, while white oak ranges from almost white to dark brown. Both varieties have coarse texture.
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