Relative Hardness Table for Domestic and Imported Woods
Janka Numbers For Domestic & Exotic Wood Species
The Janka Side Hardness test measures the force required to press an 11.28mm (0.444 inch) steel ball to half its
diameter cross-grain into a block of wood. This force is recorded in both pounds-force (lbf) and kilo-Newtons (kN).
We have found this to be one of the best measures of the ability of
wood species to withstand denting and wear. It is also a good indicator
of how hard a species is to saw, nail, or machine. If you know the optimum feed-rate to use on one species of wood, you can "guesstimate" the feed-rate to use on another type of wood by comparing the Janka numbers. For more on this, go to Guesstimating Feed Rates.
For more information on Janka testing, go to:
For the most comprehensive sources on wood properties (on the planet), go to:
| Common name | Scientific name | Janka Hardness - kN | Janka Hardness - lbf |
|---|---|---|---|
| afrormosia | Pericopsis elata | 6.9 | 1,560 |
| albarco | Cariniana spp. | 4.5 | 1,020 |
| alder, European | Alnus glutinosa | 2.9 | 650 |
| alder, red | Alnus rubra | 2.6 | 590 |
| alder, Nepalese | Alnus nepalensis | 7.4 | 1,690 |
| alder, white | Alnus rhombifolia | 5.9 | 1,320 |
| andiroba | Carapa guianensis | 5.0 | 1,130 |
| angelin | Andira inermis | 7.8 | 1,750 |
| angelique | Dicorynia guianensis | 5.7 | 1,290 |
| anime | Protium spp. | 4.1 | 920 |
| apple | Malus sylvestris | 7.7 | 1,730 |
| ash, black | Fraxinus nigra | 3.8 | 850 |
| ash, blue | Fraxinus quadrangulata | 9.0 | 2,030 |
| ash, green | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | 5.3 | 1,200 |
| ash, oregon | Fraxinus latifolia | 5.2 | 1,160 |
| ash, pumpkin | Fraxinus profunda | 4.4 | 990 |
| ash, white | Fraxinus americana | 5.9 | 1,320 |
| aspen, bigtooth | Populus grandidentata | 1.9 | 420 |
| aspen, quaking | Populus tremuloides | 1.6 | 350 |
| avodire | Turraeanthus africanus | 4.8 | 1,080 |
| azobe | Lophira alata | 14.9 | 3,350 |
| baldcypress | Taxcodium distichum | 2.3 | 570 |
| balsa | Ochroma pyramidale | 0.4 | 90 |
| banak | Virola spp. | 2.3 | 510 |
| basswood, American | Tilia americana | 1.8 | 410 |
| basswood, Carolina | Tilia caroliniana | 1.8 | 410 |
| basswood, white | Tilia heterophylla | ||
| beech, American | Fagus grandifolia | 5.8 | 1,300 |
| benge | Guibourtia arnoldiana | 7.8 | 1,750 |
| birch, gray | Betula populifolia | 3.4 | 760 |
| birch, paper | Betula papyrifera | 4.0 | 910 |
| birch, river | Betula nigra | 5.6 | 1,260 |
| birch, sweet | Betula lenta | 6.5 | 1,470 |
| birch, yellow | Betula alleghaniensis | 5.6 | 1,260 |
| birch, gray | Betula populifolia | 3.4 | 760 |
| birch, downy | Betula pubescens | 4.1 | 930 |
| birch, Alaska paper | Betula neoalaskana | 3.7 | 830 |
| birch, Alder-leaf | Betula alnoides | 3.7 | 830 |
| birch, silver | Betula pendula | 5.4 | 1,210 |
| bloodwood, conduru, cardinal wood | Brosimum rubescens | 14.0 | 2,900 |
| blackwood, Australian | Acacia melanoxylon | 5.2 | 1,160 |
| blackwood, African | Dalbergia melanoxylon | 16.3 | 3,670 |
| blackwood, Burmese | Dalbergia cultrata | 14.9 | 3,350 |
| blackwood, Malaysian | Diospyros ebonasea | 14.1 | 3,180 |
| boxelder | Acer negundo | 3.2 | 720 |
| bubinga | Guibourtia spp. | 12.0 | 2,690 |
| buckeye, Ohio | Aesculus glabra | ||
| buckeye, yellow | Aesculus octandra | 1.6 | 350 |
| buckthorn, cascara | Rhamnus purshiana | 4.6 | 1,040 |
| bulletwood | Manilkara bidentata | 14.2 | 3,190 |
| butternut | Juglans cinerea | 2.2 | 490 |
| buttonwood | Conocarpus erectus | ||
| catalpa, northern | Catalpa speciosa | 2.4 | 550 |
| catalpa, southern | Catalpa bignonioides | 2.4 | 550 |
| cativo | Prioria copaifera | 2.8 | 630 |
| cedar, Alaska | Chamaecyparis nootkatensis | 2.6 | 580 |
| cedar, atlantic white | Chamaecyparis thyoides | 1.6 | 350 |
| cedar, Port Orford | Chamaecyparis lawsoniana | 3.2 | 720 |
| cedar, yellow | Cupressus nootkatensis | 2.6 | 580 |
| ceiba | Ceiba pentandra | 1.1 | 240 |
| chalviande | Virola spp. | 2.1 | 481 |
| cherry, black, American | Prunus serotina | 4.2 | 950 |
| cherry, Brazilian | Castenea dentata | 10.4 | 2,350 |
| cherry, wild, European | Prunus avium | 5.1 | 1,150 |
| chestnut, American | Castenea dentata | 2.4 | 540 |
| chinkapin, giant | Castanopsis chrysophylla | 3.2 | 730 |
| coffeetree, Kentucky | Gymnocladus dioicus | 6.2 | 1,390 |
| cottonwood - balsam poplar | Populus balsamifera | 1.3 | 300 |
| cottonwood, black | Populus trichocarpa | 1.6 | 350 |
| cottonwood, eastern | Populus deltoides | 1.9 | 430 |
| courbaril | Hymenaea courbaril | 10.5 | 2,350 |
| cuangare | Dialyanthera spp. | 1.7 | 380 |
| cypress, Australian | Callitris glaucophylla | 6.0 | 1,375 |
| cypress, Mexican | Cupressus lustianica | 2.0 | 460 |
| degame | Calycophyllum candidissimum | 8.6 | 1,940 |
| determa | Ocotea rubra | 2.9 | 660 |
| dogwood, flowering | Cornus florida | 9.6 | 2,150 |
| Douglas-fir, coast | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 3.2 | 710 |
| Douglas-fir, interior west | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 2.9 | 660 |
| Douglas-fir, interior north | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 2.7 | 600 |
| Douglas-fir, interior south | Pseudotsuga menziesii | 2.3 | 510 |
| ebony, African, Gaboon, Nigerian | Diospyros crassiflora | 14.1 | 3,220 |
| ebony, black and white, pale moon | Diospyros malabarica | 7.9 | 1,790 |
| ebony, Ceylon, East Indian | Diospyros cebenum | 10.8 | 2,430 |
| ebony, Macassar, striped | Diospyros celebica | 14.1 | 3,220 |
| ebony, mun | Diospyros mun | 13.4 | 3,000 |
| ebony, persimmon, white | Diospyros virginiana | 10.2 | 2,300 |
| ekki, azobe | Lophira alata | 14.3 | 3,220 |
| ekop | Tetraberlinia tubmaniana | 4.1 | 910 |
| elder, blue | Sambucus cerulea | 3.7 | 840 |
| elm, american | Ulmus americana | 3.7 | 830 |
| elm, cedar | Ulmus crassifolia | 5.9 | 1,320 |
| elm, rock | Ulmus thomasii | 5.9 | 1,320 |
| elm, slippery | Ulmus rubra | 3.8 | 860 |
| elm, winged | Ulmus alata | 6.8 | 1,540 |
| fir, balsam | Abies balsamea | 1.8 | 400 |
| fir, California red | Abies magnifica | 2.2 | 500 |
| fir, grand | Abies grandis | 2.2 | 490 |
| fir, noble | Abies procera | 1.8 | 410 |
| fir, pacific silver | Abies amabilis | 1.9 | 430 |
| fir, subalpine | Abies lasiocarpa | 1.6 | 350 |
| fir, white | Abies concolor | 2.1 | 480 |
| goncalo alves | Astronium graveolens | 9.6 | 2,160 |
| granadillo | Platymiscium yucatanum | 10.9 | 2,450 |
| greenheart | Chlorocardium rodiei | 10.5 | 2,350 |
| hackberry | Celtis occidentalis | 3.9 | 880 |
| hackberry, netleaf | Celtis reticulata | ||
| southen hackberry, sugarberry | Celtis laevigata | ||
| hemlock, eastern | Tsuga canadensis | 2.2 | 500 |
| hemlock, mountain | Tsuga mertensiana | 3.0 | 680 |
| hemlock, western | Tsuga heterophylla | 2.4 | 540 |
| hickory, bitternut | Carya cordiformis | 6.7 | 1,500 |
| hickory, nutmeg | Carya myristicaeformis | 5.74 | 1,290 |
| hickory, pecan | Carya illinoensis | 8.1 | 1,820 |
| hickory, sand | Carya pallida | ||
| hickory, water | Carya aquatica | 6.9 | 1,550 |
| hickory. mockernut | Carya tomentosa | 8.8 | 1,970 |
| hickory, pignut | Carya glabra | 9.5 | 2,140 |
| hickory, shagbark | Carya ovata | 8.4 | 1,880 |
| hickory, shellbark | Carya lacinosa | 8.1 | 1,810 |
| holly, American | Ilex opaca | 4.5 | 1,020 |
| honeylocust | Gleditsia triacanthos | 7.0 | 1,580 |
| hophornbeam, eastern | Ostrya virginiana | 8.3 | 1,860 |
| hornbeam, American | Carpinus caroliniana | 7.9 | 1,780 |
| hura | Hura crepitans | 2.4 | 550 |
| ilomba | Pycnanthus angolensis Exell | 2.7 | 610 |
| incense-cedar | Libocedrus decurrens | 2.1 | 470 |
| ipe | Handroanthus spp. (lapacho group), Brazilian walnut | 15.6 | 3,510 |
| iroko | Chlorophora spp. | 5.6 | 1,260 |
| jarrah | Eucalyptus marginata | 8.5 | 1,910 |
| jelutong | Dyera costulata | 1.7 | 390 |
| juniper, alligator | Juniperus deppeana | 5.2 | 1,160 |
| juniper, western | Juniperus occidentalis | ||
| kaneelhart | Licaria spp. | 12.9 | 2,900 |
| kapur | Dryobalanops spp. | 5.5 | 1,230 |
| karri | Eucalyptus diversicolor | 9.1 | 2,040 |
| katalox, Mexican Royal Ebony | Swartzia spp. (S. cubensis) | 16.3 | 3,660 |
| kempas | Koompassia malaccensis | 7.6 | 1,710 |
| keruing | Dipterocarpus spp. | 5.6 | 1,270 |
| koa, Hawaiian koa | Acacia koa | 5.2 | 1,170 |
| larch, western | Larix occidentalis | 3.7 | 830 |
| laurel, California | Umbellularia californica | 5.6 | 1,270 |
| laurel, mountain | Kalmia latifolia | 8.0 | 1,790 |
| lignum vitae | Guaiacum spp. | 20.0 | 4,500 |
| limba | Terminalia superba | 2.2 | 490 |
| locust, black | Robinia pseudoacacia | 7.6 | 1,700 |
| macawood | Platymiscium spp. | 14.0 | 3,150 |
| magnolia, cucumber tree | Magnolia acuminata | 3.1 | 700 |
| magnolia, southern | Magnolia grandiflora | 4.5 | 1,020 |
| magnolia, sweetbay | Magnolia virginiana | 3.6 | 810 |
| mahogany, African | Khaya spp. | 3.7 | 830 |
| mahogany, Santos, Cabreuva | Myroxylon balsamum | 9.8 | 2,200 |
| mahogany, true | Swietenia macrophylla | 3.6 | 800 |
| manbarklak | Eschweilera spp. | 15.5 | 3,480 |
| manni | Symphonia globulifera | 5.0 | 1,120 |
| maple, bigleaf | Acer macrophyllum | 3.8 | 850 |
| maple, black | Acer nigrum | 5.2 | 1,180 |
| maple, red | Acer rubrum | 4.2 | 950 |
| maple, silver | Acer saccharimum | 3.1 | 700 |
| maple, sugar (hard) | Acer saccharum | 6.4 | 1,450 |
| maple, birdseye | Acer saccharum | 6.4 | 1,450 |
| marishballi | Lincania spp. | 15.9 | 3,570 |
| merbau | Intsia spp. | 6.7 | 1,500 |
| mersawa | Anisoptera spp. | 5.7 | 1,290 |
| mesquite | Prosopis spp. | 10.4 | 2,345 |
| mora | Mora spp. | 10.2 | 2,300 |
| myrtlewood | Umbellularia californica | 5.65 | 1,270 |
| oak, black | Quercus velutina | 5.4 | 1,210 |
| oak, cherrybark | Quercus falcata var pagodifolia | 6.6 | 1,480 |
| oak, southern red | Quercus falcata | 4.7 | 1,060 |
| oak, laurel | Quercus laurifolia | 5.4 | 1,210 |
| oak, northern red | Quercus rubra | 5.7 | 1,290 |
| oak, pin | Quercus palustris | 6.7 | 1,510 |
| oak, scarlet | Quercus coccinea | 6.2 | 1,400 |
| oak, shumard | Quercus shumardii | 5.8 | 1,290 |
| oak, water | Quercus nigra | 5.3 | 1,190 |
| oak, willow | Quercus phellos | 6.5 | 1,460 |
| oak, bur | Quercus macrocarpa | 6.1 | 1,370 |
| oak, chestnut | Quercus prinus | 5.0 | 1,130 |
| oak, live | Quercus virginiana | 12.9 | 2,680 |
| oak, overcup | Quercus lyrata | 5.3 | 1,190 |
| oak, post | Quercus stellata | 6.0 | 1,360 |
| oak, swamp chestnut | Quercus michauxii | 5.5 | 1,240 |
| oak, swamp white | Quercus bicolor | 7.2 | 1,620 |
| oak, white | Quercus alba | 6.0 | 1,360 |
| obeche | Triplochiton scleroxylon | 1.9 | 430 |
| okoume | Aucoumea klaineana | 1.7 | 380 |
| opepe | Nauclea diderrichii | 7.3 | 1,630 |
| osage orange, horse apple | Maclura pomifera | 12.3 | 2,760 |
| ovangkol | Guibourtia ehie | 5.9 | 1,330 |
| pedauk - African | Pterocarpus soyauxii | 8.6 | 1,970 |
| para-angelim | Hymenolobium excelsum | 7.7 | 1,720 |
| parana-pine | Araucaria augustifolia | 3.5 | 780 |
| pau marfim, Patagonian maple | Balfourodendron riedelianum | 6.7 | 1,500 |
| peroba de campos | Paratecoma peroba | 7.1 | 1,600 |
| peroba rosa | Aspidosperma spp., peroba group | 7.7 | 1,730 |
| persimmon, common | Diospyros virginiana | 10.2 | 2,300 |
| pilon | Hyeronima spp. | 7.6 | 1,700 |
| pine, Caribbean | Pinus caribaea | 5.5 | 1,240 |
| pine, eastern white | Pinus strobus | 1.7 | 380 |
| pine, heart | Pinus resinosa | 5.5 | 1,225 |
| pine, jack | Pinus banksiana | 2.5 | 570 |
| pine, Jeffrey | Pinus jeffreyi | 2.2 | 500 |
| pine, limber | Pinus flexilis | 1.9 | 430 |
| pine, loblolly | Pinus taeda | 3.1 | 690 |
| pine, lodgepole | Pinus contorta | 2.1 | 480 |
| pine, longleaf | Pinus palustris | 3.9 | 870 |
| pine, ocote | Pinus oocarpa | 4.0 | 910 |
| pine, pinyon | Pinus edulis | 3.8 | 860 |
| pine, pitch | Pinus rigida | 2.8 | 620 |
| pine, pond | Pinus serotina | 3.3 | 740 |
| pine, ponderosa | Pinus ponderosa | 2.0 | 460 |
| pine, Monterey | Pinus radiata | 3.3 | 750 |
| pine. red | Pinus resinosa | 2.5 | 560 |
| pine, sand | Pinus clausa | 3.3 | 730 |
| pine, shortleaf | Pinus echinata | 3.1 | 690 |
| pine, slash | Pinus elliotti | 3.4 | 760 |
| pine, spruce | Pinus glabra | 2.9 | 660 |
| pine, sugar | Pinus lambertiana | 1.7 | 380 |
| pine, Table Mountain | Pinus pungens | 2.9 | 660 |
| pine, virginia | Pinus virginiana | 3.3 | 740 |
| pine, western white | Pinus monticola | 1.9 | 420 |
| piquia | Caryocar spp. | 7.7 | 1,720 |
| poplar | Liriodendron tulipifera | 2.4 | 540 |
| paulownia, royal paulownia | Paulownia tomentosa | 1.33 | 300 |
| primavera | Tabebula donnell-smithii | 2.9 | 660 |
| pulgande | Dacryodes spp. | 3.0 | 666 |
| purpleheart | Peltogyne spp. | 8.3 | 1,860 |
| ramin | Gonystylus bancanus | 5.8 | 1,300 |
| red cedar, eastern | Juniperus virginiana | 4.0 | 900 |
| red cedar, southern | Juniperus silicicola | 2.7 | 610 |
| red cedar, western | Thuja plicata | 1.6 | 350 |
| redwood, old growth | Sequoia sempervirens | 2.1 | 480 |
| redwood, second growth | Sequoia sempervirens | 1.9 | 420 |
| robe | Tabebul spp., roble group | 4.3 | 960 |
| rosewood, Brazilian | Dalbergia nigra | 12.4 | 2,790 |
| rosewood, Indian, East Indian | Dalbergia latifolia | 10.9 | 2,440 |
| rosewood, Amazon | Dalbergia spruceana | 12.0 | 2,700 |
| rosewood, Yucatan, Panama | Dalbergia tucurensis | 5.4 | 1,210 |
| rosewood, Siamese | Dalbergia cochinchinensis | 10.8 | 2,430 |
| rosewood, Yucatan, Madagascar | Dalbergia madagascariensis | 12.1 | 2,720 |
| rosewood, Burmese | Dalbergia oliveri | 12.1 | 2,710 |
| rosewood, Honduran | Dalbergia stevensonii | 9.8 | 2,200 |
| sajo | Campnosperma panamensis | 1.9 | 425 |
| sande | Brosimum spp., utile group | 4.0 | 900 |
| santa maria | Calophyllum brasiliense | 5.1 | 1,150 |
| sapele | Entandrophragma cylindricum | 6.7 | 1,510 |
| sassafras | Sassafras albidum | 2.8 | 630 |
| sepetir | Pseudosindora palustris | 6.3 | 1,410 |
| serviceberry | Amelanchier spp. | 8.0 | 1,800 |
| shorea | Shorea spp., baulau group | 7.9 | 1,780 |
| shorea, dark red meranti | Shorea spp., lauan-meranti group | 3.5 | 780 |
| shorea, light red meranti | Shorea spp., lauan-meranti group | 2.0 | 460 |
| shorea, white meranti | Shorea javanica, lauan-meranti group | 5.7 | 1,140 |
| shorea, yellow meranti | Shorea spp., lauan-meranti group | 3.4 | 770 |
| silverbell, Carolina | Halesia carolina | 2.6 | 590 |
| sourwood | Oxydendrum arboreum | 4.2 | 940 |
| Spanish-cedar | Cedrela spp. | 2.7 | 600 |
| spruce, black | Picea mariana | 2.3 | 520 |
| spruce, Engelmann | Picea engelmanni | 1.7 | 390 |
| spruce, red | Picea rubra | 2.2 | 490 |
| spruce, Sitka | Picea sitchensis | 2.3 | 510 |
| spruce, white | Picea glauca | 2.1 | 480 |
| sucupira | Bowdichia brasiliensis | 12.2 | 2,750 |
| sucupira | Diplotropis purpurea | 9.5 | 2,140 |
| sumac, staghorn | Rhus typhina | 3.0 | 680 |
| sweetgum | Liquidambar styraciflua | 3.8 | 850 |
| sycamore, american | Platanus occidentalis | 3.4 | 770 |
| tamarack | Larix laricina | 2.6 | 590 |
| tanoak | Lithocarpus densiflorus | 6.3 | 1,420 |
| teak | Tectona grandis | 4.4 | 1,000 |
| tornillo | Cedrelinga cateniformis | 10.2 | 2,299 |
| tree-of-heaven | Ailanthus altissima | 7.7 | 1,731 |
| tulapueta | Osteophloeum platyspermum | 2.3 | 512 |
| tupelo, black | Nyssa sylvatica | 3.6 | 810 |
| tupelo. water | Nyssa aquatica | 3.9 | 880 |
| wallaba | Eperua spp. | 9.1 | 2,040 |
| walnut, black | Juglans nigra | 4.5 | 1,010 |
| wenge | Millettia laurentii | 8.4 | 1,930 |
| white-cedar, northern | Thuja occidentalis | 1.4 | 320 |
| willow, black | Salix nigra | 1.6 | 360 |
| witch hazel | Hamamelis virginica | 6.8 | 1,530 |
| yellow poplar | Liriodendron tulipifera | 2.4 | 540 |
| yew, Pacific | Taxus brevifolia | 7.1 | 1,600 |
| African blackwood | Dalbergia melanoxylon | 16.32 | 3,670 |
| African Padauk, Vermillion | Pterocarpus soyauxii | 8.8 | 1,970 |
| Cocobolo, Cocabolo, Cocobola | Dalbergia retusa | 14.1 | 2,960 |
| Madrone, Pacific Madrone | Dalbergia retusa | 6.5 | 1,460 |
| Lacewood, Brazilian lacewood | Panopsis spp. (P. rubescens and P. sessilifolia) | 3.7 | 840 |
| Snakewood, letterwood, amourette | Brosimum guianense | 16.9 | 3,800 |
| Curupay, cebil, Patagonian rosewood | Anadenanthera colubrina, A. peregrina | 16.2 | 3,630 |