by Eric Meier
It’s just something in human nature that loves to see things organized and listed: we want a champion
One might watch a basketball game, where both teams battle back and forth in lockstep into double overtime, only to have the winning team go ahead by one basket at the buzzer
Was this necessarily what decided who the best team really was?
Maybe, maybe not; but we need finality, we need separation, we need a champion
With this innate urge in mind, I have compiled a list of the top ten heaviest trees in the world
Remember that the density of wood can vary by an average of plus or minus 10% between samples (called the coefficient of variation), so it is entirely possible that a sample of the wood ranked tenth on this list could easily weigh more than a sample of the wood listed first on this list
Some of these species, on average, weigh only a few tenths of a pound more per cubic foot than their nearest competitors: certainly no final position should be collected from the list
But even so, we want someone to take home the gold medal — we need a crowned champion — so here are the ten heaviest trees in the world:
Verawood
Sometimes called Argentine Lignum Vitae, this wood is a gem: cheap, great olive green color, beautiful feathery grain pattern, and takes a great natural polish on the lathe
Kingwood
(Dalbergia cearensis)
Kingwood probably got its name from several French kings (Louis XIV and Louis XV) who favored the wood in the use of fine furniture
Ironwood Desert
This wood is a favorite with hobbyists
Too small to be a viable timber tree, the colorful grain and high density of this forest are limited to small specialist projects
Snake tree
It’s easy to see what makes Snakewood so unique – its patterns and markings resemble snake skin
Limited supply and high demand mean that this is one of the most expensive woods on earth!
Lead wood
Another exceptionally hard African wood, the name says it all
Lead wood is rarely seen for sale, and is said to be protected in South Africa – a hard to find wood
(Schinopsis spp )
From the Spanish “quebrar hacha,” which literally means “axe cutter” Aptly named, wood in the genus Schinopsis is among the heaviest and hardest in the world
Lignum Vitae
Widely accepted as the heaviest wood in the world – this wood is listed as an endangered species and listed in CITES
Consider Verawood as a very close substitute
African Blackwoods
(Dalbergia melanoxylon)
In some parts of the world, this forest has gained an almost legendary status
Historical evidence suggests that this wood (rather than Diospyros spp) is the original “ebony”
This small tree from South America could be considered a super-mesquite
Related to mesquite, it is very dark, very dense, and very hard; instead of good ebony
Black Ironwood
Pieces are rarely seen for sale, as this tree is too small to produce commercially viable lumber
Like the unrelated Desert Ironwood, Black Ironwood is an excellent choice for small turning projects
Water weighs 623 pounds per cubic foot at room temperature (70 degrees F), so all of the woods listed above will sink easily in water
Density lists are for woods with a dry weight of 12% moisture content
There are probably all sorts of obscure shrubs and small trees that produce timber that can be quite heavy, but they are not seen in use by the majority of woodworkers, nor have they been documented reliable in woodworking publications
The Top Ten Trees You’ve Never Heard Of
The Ten Hardest Trees
Are you an aspiring wood nerd?
The poster, Worldwide Woods, Ranked by Hardness, should be readable by anyone enrolled in nursery school
I have collected over 500 wood species on one poster, organized into eight major geographical regions, with each wood sorted and listed according to its Janka hardness
Each wood is meticulously documented and photographed, listed with its Janka hardness value (in lbf) and geographic and global hardness rankings
Consider this: the venerable oak (Quercus rubra) sits at only #33 in North America and #278 worldwide for hardiness!
Aspiring wood nerd be advised: your syllabus may call for Worldwide Woods as part of your next assignment!