Wood types – origin and characteristics

Solid wood is a renewable raw material, which predominantly has a positive influence on residential health. It is characterized mainly by its aesthetic design possibilities, high stability, and good thermal behavior.

Compared to composite materials such as coated pressboard, solid woods do not emit toxic synthetic resins and adhesives. However, if you tend to be particularly sensitive to natural resins, you should rather avoid conifers and choose broad-leaved woods for your bed frame as an alternative.

People with hypersensitivity to natural resins should prefer broad-leaved woods.

wooden-beds

Quicklinks to the wood types:

Maple

The wood of the maple usually comes from North America or Eurasia and grows there in about 200 different varieties. However, two species are particularly popular in this country: the sycamore maple, whose noble broad-leaved wood is characterized in particular by its uniform light color, and the Norway maple, whose coloring goes more into the white-reddish. The maple has a medium density and keeps its quality in the long term, which is why it is particularly popular in furniture making

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Sycamore maple: uniform light color
  2. • Norway maple: slightly reddish color
  3. • Medium density
  4. • Origin: North America or Eurasia

Birch

The birch's timber originates from two different species: the silver birch und der white birch, both of which are found in Central and Northern Europe. In terms of its weight, birch wood can be compared to oak, while in terms of its robustness it is more like ash, being elastic despite its stability. The fine-grained wood has a very light, slightly yellowish to reddish color, which hardly yellows.

holzart-birke-beispiel
Characteristics and origin
  1. • Light yellowish to reddish color
  2. • Very little yellowing
  3. • Origin: Central and Northern Europe

Beech

When "beechwood" is mentioned, it is usually used as a collective term for various beech species. Beech is mainly widespread in Europe and is the most common broad-leaved tree in Germany. The wood is processed in two ways: Natural or steamed, whereas in the steamed condition it takes on a much more reddish color. If exposed to strong sunlight, the wood may also turn yellowish. The sapwood and heartwood are very similar, and the annual rings are clearly visible.

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Steamed clearly reddish coloration
  2. • Yellowish in strong sunlight
  3. • Annual rings clearly visible
  4. • Origin: mainly Europe

Core beech

Core beech is a special type of beech wood: also known as „wild beech“ it stands out from other varieties due to its dark, vivid color and distinct grain, contrasting with that of traditional common beech. This coloration occurs in particularly old beech trees because the inside of the trunk is supplied with too few nutrients. Furniture construction benefits from precisely this appearance, which gives a lively surface without sacrificing stability.

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Dark, lively origin
  2. • Distinct grain
  3. • Contrast with traditional red beech
  4. • Origin: mainly Europe

Beech Multiplex

Often the wood of beech is processed into multiplex panels. These are plywood panels, which again consist of several layers of veneer and have a density of 760 kg/m3. Both for interior decoration and exterior use, multiplex panels are ideally suited thanks to their robustness and stability. Visually, the wood can be compared to solid wood, which gives it a high-quality appearance.

Characteristics
  1. • Beechwood often used in multiplex panels
  2. • Visually comparable with solid wood
  3. • Robust and stable
  4. • Density of 760 kg/m3

Oak

Oak can be categorized as a typical German tree, as it is one of the most common broad-leaved trees in Germany. Especially due to its stability and enormously long durability, oak wood is very popular. The material can also be used untreated in the garden, as it is very weather resistant. The darker gray-brown core of the oak trunk is surrounded by the sapwood, which also appears grayish, but lighter.

Characteristics
  1. • Dark, gray-brown core
  2. • High stability, long durability
  3. • Typical German tree

Wild oak

Wild oak is not, as may be assumed, a special species of oak, but rather a particular variety of oak wood. The clear, distinctive, and wild structure is the special characteristic of wild oak wood. The naturally brownish color becomes slightly darker and more yellowish with the years but this is hardly noticeable. Thanks to its enormous stability and strength, it is particularly popular in the construction of solid wood furniture.

Characteristics
  1. • Variety of the oak wood
  2. • Distinctive wild structure
  3. • Natural brownish play of colors
  4. • Enormous stability

Alder

Alder is mainly native to Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Two species, in particular, are frequently used: The black alder and the gray alder, both belonging to the sapwood trees. The slightly reddish coloration mixes with white and yellow tones but will darken with high light exposure. The soft wood is often used for the production of chipboard or in combination with other wood species, as it is particularly suitable for use as a binding wood.

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Black alder and gray alder
  2. • Slightly reddish coloration
  3. • Darkens when exposed to intense light
  4. • Suitable as binding wood
  5. • Europe, Middle East, North Africa

Ash

Ash is widespread almost throughout Europe, but mainly in river regions and valleys. It is one of the ripened wood species, which means that the heartwood contains comparatively little water and there is no colored core. Both sapwood and heartwood are particularly light-colored and either yellowish or reddish-white. Occasionally, the wood of older trees is dark brown in color. The hard wood is particularly suitable for use as a solid wood in furniture-making as well as for flooring where a uniform color is desired.

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Light wood without color coren
  2. • Yellow- or red-white colored
  3. • Uniform and calm color
  4. • Origin: Europe

Core ash

The so-called „core ash" are ash trees older than 100 years. From this age on, the tree, which grows in Europe, forms a dark brown, almost black core, which stands out distinctly from the remaining light, grayish sapwood. Due to its combination of strength and elasticity, this type of wood is in great demand, especially for furniture and interior construction.

baum-kernesche
Characteristics
  1. • Dark brown, almost black core
  2. • Yellow- or red-white coloration
  3. • Uniform and calm coloration

Cherry

The cherry, usually bird cherry, is widespread in many parts of the world: Central Europe, as well as North America, North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent, are among its places of origin. The medium-weight, yellowish-white wood, which has a slightly reddish color at the core, is popular both as veneering and as furniture wood. This coloration can intensify and darken over the years with exposure to high light irradiation, which creates a particularly warm atmosphere.

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Medium-weight, yellow-white wood
  2. • Slightly reddish color in the core
  3. • Color intensifies with the years
  4. • Origin: worldwide distribution

American Cherry

The American cherry differs from the European cherry primarily in its coloration, which can be described as darker and reddish-brown, sometimes greenish, with the annual rings clearly visible. The high-quality wood is very easy to work with and is one of the most popular wood species for giving the interior design an exclusive finish.

tree_american-cherry
Characteristics and origin
  1. • Reddish-brown, partly greenish color
  2. • Annual rings clearly visible
  3. • Origin: mainly North America

Linden tree

The genus "Linden" groups together several species: The large-leaf linden, the small-leaf linden, and the Dutch linden, all three of which are found in Europe. Already in the late Gothic period, linden wood was popular mainly for carving and woodturning due to its easy processing, which has not changed until today. Both heartwood and sapwood have a light whitish-yellowish color, sometimes with a slight brownish or reddish glow.

tree-linden
Characteristics and origin
  1. • Various species from Europe
  2. • Heartwood and sapwood slightly yellowish
  3. • Brownish or reddish shimmering
  4. • Origin: mainly Europe

Walnut (nut tree)

The distinctly dark brown colored, noble wood of the nut tree originates mostly from Eastern Europe and enjoys great popularity, especially for high-quality interior furnishings. The lively grain of the slightly grayish shiny sapwood is partly streaked with dark stripes, which gives it a particularly exclusive look. To maintain this, the wood is often used unprocessed, which does not bring any disadvantages due to its stability and durability.

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Dark brown colored noble wood
  2. • Vivid grayish shining grain
  3. • Streaked with dark stripes
  4. • Origin: mainly from Eastern Europe

American Walnut (nut tree)

In contrast to the European walnut, the heartwood of the nut tree from North America has a strong dark brown, almost black color, which sometimes looks violet. The annual rings and pores are clearly visible.
In bright light, the different colors can blend together to form a more uniform color.

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Strong dark brown color
  2. • Partly shimmers violet
  3. • Annual rings and pores clearly visible
  4. • Origin: North America

Walnuss

The walnut is one of the most popular noble broad-leaved woods, which are only available in limited quantities. From Italy or France, the walnut tree reached Germany, and its valuable wood is used extremely selectively for high-quality products. Unlike other trees, the walnut tree is not felled, but dug out, as the lower part of the trunk contains the so-called burls, which are considered to be particularly extraordinary. The sapwood is reddish-white in color and the heartwood is grayish to dark brown, depending on the origin. Depending on the age, the vessels of the wood are smaller or larger, which causes a slightly striped or cloudy appearance of the core.

holzart-walnuss-beispiel
Characteristics and origin
  1. • High-quality wood
  2. • Sapwood reddish-white in color
  3. • Grayish to dark brown core
  4. • Origin: Europe

Swiss stone pine

Swiss pine wood is mainly characterized by its pleasant aromatic scent and its positive effect on our sleep and overall health. The Swiss stone pine mainly originates from the Alpine region and the Carpathians and is found at an altitude of 1300 to 2800m. It has a soft wood that is easy to work with. Particularly outstanding is the knotted grain of the light, almost white wood, which changes color to honey yellow depending on the sunlight exposure.

Characteristics and origin
  1. • Pleasant aromatic scent
  2. • Positive effect on sleep
  3. • Knotted grain of the light wood
  4. • Honey-yellow coloration through sunlight
  5. • Origin: alpine region