Janka Hardness is a test which measures the pounds of force it takes to drive a .444" diameter steel ball 1/2 its depth into wood. These numbers are taken from various publications but principally are from the U.S. Forest Products lab. The higher the number the harder the species.
Color
examples of of hardwoods |
North American Species
Flooring Trade Name
Botanical Name
Janka Hardness
Ash, White
Fraxinus, excelsior
1320
Cherry
Prunus, serotina
950
Maple
Acer, saccharum
1450
Oak, Red
Quercus, rubra
1260
Oak, White
Quercus, alba
1360
Walnut
Juglans, nigra
1010
Imported Species to North America
Flooring Trade Name
Botanical Name
Janka Hardness
Afrormosia
Pericopsis, elata
1560
Amendoim
Pterogyne, nitens
1340
Angelique
Dicorynia, guianensis
1290
Ash, Silky
Couratari, spp
1460
Ash, Victorian
Eucalyptus, delegatensis
1010
Beech, European
Fagus, slyvatica
1300
Bloodwood
Brosimum, rubescens
2900
Brushbox, Northern
Tristania, spp
2045
Bubinga
Guibourtia, demeusei
1980
Cherry, Bolivian
Manilkara, bidentata
3190
Cherry, Brazilian
Hymenaea, courbaril
2820
Cherry, Caribbean
Lonchocarpus, castilloi
3100
Cherry, Chilean
Nothofagus, dombeyi
990
Chestnut
Castanea, sativa
540
Chestnut, Southern
Sweetia, panamensis
2670
Cypress, Australian
Callitrus, glauca
1375
Doussie
Afzelia, spp
1770
Ebony, African
Diospyros spp
3220
Gum, Sydney Blue
Eucalyptus, saligna
2025
Iroko/Kambala
Chloraphora, excelsa
1260
Jarrah
Eucalyptus, marginata
1915
Kempas
Koompassia, malaccensis
1710
Lacewood
Roupala, brasiliensis
840
Lignum Vitae
Guaiacum officinale
4500
Mahogany, Honduran
Swietenia, macrophylla
800
Mahogany, Royal
Pithecellobium, arboreum
1400
Mahogany, Santos
Myroxylon, balsamum
2200
Maple, Patagonian
Balfourodendron, riedelianum
1500
Merbau
Intsia, spp
1925
Padauk, African
Pterocarpus, soyauxii
1725
Pine, Heart
Pinus, caribaea
910
Purpleheart
Peltogyne, spp
2090
Rosewood, Bolivian
Machaerium, sclieroxylon
1780
Rosewood, Caribbean
Metopium, browneii
2300
Rosewood, Honduran
Dalbergia, Stevensonii
2200
Rosewood, Patagonian
Piptadenia, macrocarpa
2800
Rosewood, Tiete
Guibourtia, chodatianal
2800
Shedua/Mutenye
Guibourtia, arnoldiana
1650
Tamarind
Dialium, guianense
3000
Teak, Brazilian
Dipteryx, odorata
3540
Teak, True
Tectona, grandis
1155
Tigerwood
Astronium, spp
2160
Timborana
Piptadenia, suaveolens
1570
Walnut, Brazilian
Tabebuia, spp
3680
Walnut, Caribbean
Lysiloma, bahamensis
1400
Walnut, Patagonian
Tabebuia, heptaphylla
2800
Walnut, Peruvian
Juglans, neotropica
1080
Wenge
Milletia, laurentii
1630
Zebrawood
Microberlina, brazzavillensis
1575