List of inventoried hardwoods in the United States

Silvics of North America, a forest inventory compiled and published by the United States Forest Service in 1991, includes many hardwood trees. It superseded Silvics of Forest Trees of the United States (1965), which was the first such formal scholarly inventory. A variety of statistics on all of these trees are maintained by the National Plant Data Team of the US Department of Agriculture.

Hardwood has a variety of commercial uses, including in furniture, carpentry, tools and musical instruments. Some timber is milled for plywood, wood veneer and construction framing, including structural support beams and studs. Logs can be fashioned into posts and poles. Less sturdy timber is often ground and processed into pulpwood, principally for papermaking. Resins from sap yield wood tar, turpentine or other terpenes. Much of the economic value of trees comes from orchards and ornamental uses.

Key Fire tolerance is a relative measure of a plant's ability to survive smaller fires or to resprout or reseed after larger fires. Shade tolerance is a relative measure of a plant's ability to do well in reduced sunlight. POWO: Plants of the World Online

States west of the Mississippi River: AK Alaska, AR Arkansas, AZ Arizona, CA California, CO Colorado, HI Hawaii, IA Iowa, ID Idaho, KS Kansas, LA Louisiana, MN Minnesota, MO Missouri, MT Montana, ND North Dakota, NE Nebraska, NM New Mexico, NV Nevada, OK Oklahoma, OR Oregon, SD South Dakota, TX Texas, UT Utah, WA Washington, WY Wyoming

These can be divided into: The Western states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY The South Central states: AR, LA, OK, TX The Midwestern states west of the Mississippi (including MN, which is mostly west or north of the river), also called the western Midwest: IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD

States east of the Mississippi: AL Alabama, CT Connecticut, DE Delaware, FL Florida, GA Georgia, IL Illinois, IN Indiana, KY Kentucky, MA Massachusetts, MD Maryland, ME Maine, MI Michigan, MS Mississippi, NC North Carolina, NH New Hampshire, NJ New Jersey, NY New York, OH Ohio, PA Pennsylvania, RI Rhode Island, TN Tennessee, VA Virginia, VT Vermont, WI Wisconsin, WV West Virginia

These can be divided into: New England: CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT The Mid-Atlantic: DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV The Southeast: AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN The Midwestern states east of the Mississippi, also called the eastern Midwest: IL, IN, MI, OH, WI

Hardwoods

+Species and a common nameNotes and commercial usesEastern distribution

western distribution;growth rate; annual minimum temperatureToleranceto and shadeLandscapes and foliageAcacia koa (koa)An evergreen with highly valued wood, unusually colorful with a curvy grain and good woodworking properties. The tree grows naturally only in Hawaii, where it is an important part of mountainous rainforests. Uses: timber; landscaping, sap resins, veneersHI; avg. growth; Fire:mediumshade:intolerantAcer floridanum (southern sugar maple)When competing for sunlight, the tree is most often confined to the understory. It is limited mostly to the coastal plains and the Piedmont. POWO lists this as a subspecies of Acer saccharum. Uses: timber; landscaping, palatable food, pulpwood, veneersIL, VA and the Southeast MO and the South Central states; avg. growth; Fire:intolerantshade:tolerantAcer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple)A Pacific Coast tree with valuable wood, used to make furniture and musical instruments, especially piano frames. Uses: timber; landscaping, palatable food, veneersCA, OR, WA; rapid growth; Fire:intolerantshade:mediumAcer negundo (boxelder)A maple species tolerant to drought and cold. It is broadly distributed in the US, but grows best in alluvial plains. Uses: landscaping, palatable food, pulpwoodAll all but AK, HI; rapid growth; Fire:tolerantshade:tolerantAcer nigrum (black maple)POWO lists this as a subspecies of Acer saccharum, and the wood has similar characteristics. The tree prefers alluvial soils. Uses: timber, landscaping, palatable food, sap resins, veneersAll but FL, ME, MS, RI, SC AR, IA, KS, MN, MO, SD; avg. growth; Fire:mediumshade:tolerantAcer pensylvanicum (striped maple)Easily identified by its dusky greenish bark with pale vertical streaks, the tree is often found in shady, cool valleys. Uses: landscapingGA, KY, MI, NC, OH, SC, TN, WI, New England and the Mid-Atlantic MN; slow growth; Fire:intolerantshade:tolerantAcer rubrum (red maple)A fast-growing maple with wood of varying quality. It grows in a variety of environments up to about . Uses: timber, landscaping, palatable food, pulpwood, veneersAll IA, MN, MO, OR and the South Central states; rapid growth; Fire:mediumshade:mediumAcer saccharinum (silver maple)Widely planted as an ornamental. The wood is softer and more brittle than in other maples. In the wild, the tree grows best in damp, well-drained alluvial soil. Uses: timber, landscaping, palatable food, veneersAll CA, NM, OR, the western Midwest and the South Central states; rapid growth; Fire:intolerantshade:mediumAcer saccharum (sugar maple)The primary source of maple syrup. One of the largest and most common American maples. Uses: timber, palatable food, pulpwood, sap resins, veneersAll but FL, SC the western Midwest and the South Central states; slow growth; Fire:mediumshade:tolerantAesculus flava (yellow buckeye)The largest species of Aesculus, with light wood, used for pulp and wooden utensils. Seen most often in the Great Smoky Mountains in the southern Appalachians. The seeds contain a toxic glucoside. Uses: landscaping, pulpwoodIL, IN, OH, the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast; avg. growth; Fire:intolerantshade:tolerantAesculus glabra (Ohio buckeye)The timber is often unmarketable, and the seeds contain a toxic glucoside. The tree prefers damp soil near waterways. Uses: timber, landscaping, pulpwoodAL, GA, KY, ME, MS, NH, TN, the eastern Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic the western Midwest and the South Central states; rapid growth; Fire:mediumshade:tolerantAlnus rubra (red alder)A common pioneer hardwood of the coastal northwestern US. Hosts nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Uses: timber, landscaping, pulpwood, veneersAK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA; rapid growth; Fire:mediumshade:intolerantArbutus menziesii (Pacific madrone)A generally non-commercial hardwood with a wide native distribution along the Pacific coast. Uses: timber, landscaping, veneersCA, OR, WA; slow growth; Fire:tolerantshade:mediumBetula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)The most economically productive birch native to the US, used for plywood, furniture and carpentry. Often found in damp soils with good drainage in hilly terrain. Uses: timber, palatable food, veneersGA, KY, NC, SC, TN, the eastern Midwest, New England and the Mid-Atlantic IA, MN; slow growth; Fire:mediumshade:mediumBetula lenta (sweet birch)The wintergreen-scented wood, which turns dark when exposed to air, was traditionally used as a substitute for mahogany. It grows at a maximum altitude of in its southern range. Uses: timber, pulpwood, veneersOH, the Mid-Atlantic, New England and the Southeast; avg. growth; Fire:mediumshade:intolerantBetula nigra (river birch)Not commercially important, but its strong wood is used locally to make toys and furniture. Often planted as an ornamental. Uses: pulpwood, veneersAll but ME, RI IA, KS, MN, MO and the South Central states; rapid growth; Fire:intolerantshade:intolerantBetula papyrifera (paper birch)The birch with the broadest distribution. Commercially important for veneer and pulpwood. It grows best on sites with damp sandy loam. Uses: landscaping, palatable food, pulpwood, veneersNC, TN, the eastern Midwest, New England and the Mid-Atlantic CO, IA, MN, ND, NE, SC and the six northernmost Western states; rapid growth; Fire:intolerantshade:intolerantCarpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam)Traditionally used to make utensils, but of little economic importance today. It grows in a variety of soils and habitats. Uses: landscaping, sap resinsAll IA, MN, MO and the South Central states; slow growth; Fire:intolerantshade:tolerantCarya aquatica (water hickory)A dominant species in some ecologically important floodlands and wetland forests. It prefers warm, humid habitats. Uses: fuelwood (locally)IL, IN, VA and the Southeast MO and the South Central states; slow growth; Fire:mediumshade:mediumCarya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)A relative of the pecan, with a broader range that extends farther north. Its dark-brown, shock-resistant wood is used to make furniture, tools and ladders. It is commonly seen in swamps and damp valleys. Uses: timber, palatable food, pulpwood, sap resins, veneersAll the South Central states and the western Midwest; slow growth; Fire:tolerantshade:intolerantCarya glabra (pignut hickory)A common hickory species, often seen on hilltops and slopes. The large, nutritious nuts, along with the twigs, bark and leaves, provide food for rodents, birds, deer and other mammals. Uses: timber, palatable food, sap resins, veneersAll but ME, WI MO, NE and the South Central states; slow growth; Fire:tolerantshade:mediumCarya illinoinensis (pecan)The nuts are widely used in desserts and baking, and the wood is occasionally used in furniture and carpentry. Often grows on permeable, loamy soils. Uses: timber, landscaping, palatable food, veneersIL, IN, MD, OH, VA and the Southeast IA, KS, MO and the South Central states; slow growth; Fire:intolerantshade:intolerantCarya laciniosa (shellbark hickory)Broadly, but not commonly, distributed. The wood is used for tool handles and furniture. The nuts are the largest among the hickories, providing food for wildlife. Uses: timber, palatable food, sap resins, veneersME, the eastern Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast IA, KS, MO and the South Central states; slow growth; Fire:intolerantshade:tolerantCarya myristiciformis (nutmeg hickory)Only small populations remain of this hickory, generally found on damp, nutrient-rich soils. The nuts are high in oils and nutritious for wildlife. Uses: timber, palatable food, pulpwood, sap resinsThe Southeast the South Central states; slow growth; Fire:intolerantshade:intolerantCarya ovata (shagbark hickory)Mature specimens can be identified by the peeling bark. It grows well in humid climates. This species and Carya glabra account for much of the supply of hickory wood in the US. Uses: timber, palatable food, pulpwood, sap resinsAll but FL the South Central states and the western Midwest; slow growth; Fire:mediumshade:mediumCarya tomentosa (mockernut hickory)The most abundant of the American hickories. The wood is hard and flexible. Often found in humid uplands. Uses: timber, palatable food, pulpwood, sap resins, veneersAll but ME, VT, WI IA, KS, MO and the South Central states; slow growth; Fire:mediumshade:mediumCeltis laevigata (sugarberry)Adapted to damp sandy or rocky soils. The moderately strong light-yellow wood is used in furniture. Uses: timber, landscaping, sap resins, veneersIL, IN, MD, OH, VA, WV and the Southeast KS, MO, the South Central states and the continental Western states; avg. growth; Fire:intolerantshade:tolerantCeltis occidentalis (common hackberry)The wood is similar in quality to most elm wood. The berries persist in cold months, providing sustenance for birds and other animals. The tree thrives in a range of soils and habitats. Uses: landscapingAll but ME CO, MT, NM, UT, WY, the western Midwest and the South Central states; rapid growth; Fire:tolerantshade:tolerantCercis canadensis (eastern redbud)A popular early-blooming ornamental and a food source for birds, wildlife and livestock. It grows best on damp, drained soils, but not on coarse sand. Uses: landscaping, palatable foodCT, MA, the eastern Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast