Lignum Vitae
What is the hardest and/or densest wood in the world, past or present?
I'm curious as to what the hardest existing wood is.
The most common answer seems to be Lignum Vitae, which is oft said to be both the hardest and most dense wood.
However, some sources say that Black Ironwood is the hardest and densest. Others say that while it isn't the hardest, it is still the most dense.
Yet other sources invariably claim that Petrified Wood is the hardest wood, yet I think that once wood becomes petrified, it is no longer truly a wood. It USED to be wood, but just as gemstones USED to be minerals floating about in magma, it no longer is. It's a type of fossil really.
So, does anyone really know? I did a few google searches already, nothing too extensive, but since most of the sources seemed both contradictive and unreliable, I decided to pop over here and see if anyone has experience or knowledge pertaining to this.
Cheers
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According to various conditions to which a wood is placed, its density is tabled as, which can give the idea at what condition which is the most heaviest or densest wood..
Trees With Dry (Seasoned) Wood That Sinks In Water :
Olneya tesota
(Desert Ironwood): 1.15
Guaiacum officinale
(Lignum Vitae): 1.37
Cercocarpus betuloides
Mountain Mahogany: 1.10
Diospyros ebenum
Ebony: 1.12
Very Heavy Wood :
Prunus ilicifolia
Hollyleaf Cherry: 0.98 Diospyros virginiana
Persimmon: 0.83
Quercus engelmannii
Engelmann Oak: 0.94
Carya ovata
Shagbark Hickory: 0.83
Acacia greggii
Cat's Claw Acacia: 0.85
Ostrya virginiana
Eastern Ironwood: 0.80
Quercus chrysolepis
Canyon Live Oak: 0.85
Lyonothamnus floribundus
Catalina Ironwood: 0.80
Quercus agrifolia
Coast Live Oak: 0.83
Robinia pseudoacacia
Black Locust: 0.79
Prosopis glandulosa
Mesquite: 0.77
Maclura pomifera
Osage Orange: 0.77
Heavy Wood:
Cornus nuttallii
Pacific Dogwood: 0.75
Carya illinoensis
Pecan: 0.72
Arbutus menziesii
Madrone: 0.71
Betula alleghaniensis
Yellow Birch: 0.69
Fraxinus velutina
Arizona Ash: 0.68
Quercus coccinea
Scarlet Oak: 0.67
Umbellularia californica
California Bay Tree: 0.65
Cercis canadensis
Redbud: 0.63
Quercus kelloggii
California Black Oak: 0.64
Tectona grandis
Teak: 0.63
Juglans californica
California Black Walnut: 0.63
Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple: 0.63
Medium Heavy Wood:
Chilopsis linearis
Desert Willow: 0.59
Liquidambar styraciflua
Sweet Gum: 0.59
Cercidium floridum
Palo Verde: 0.55
Prunus serotina
Black Cherry: 0.56
Psorothamnus spinosus
Smoke Tree: 0.55
Acer saccharinum
Silver Maple: 0.53
Celtis reticulata
Western Hackberry: 0.53
Swietenia macrophylla
Honduras Mahogany: 0.51
Acer macrophyllum
Big-Leaf Maple: 0.50
Magnolia grandiflora
Southern Magnolia: 0.50
Soft Wood :
Pinus ponderosa
Ponderosa Pine: 0.46
Sequoia sempervirens
Coast Redwood: 0.40
Calocedrus decurrens
Incense Cedar: 0.40
Picea engelmannii
Engelmann Spruce: 0.35
Pinus lambertiana
Sugar Pine: 0.36
Quercus suber
Cork Oak Bark: 0.24
Abies concolor
White Fir: 0.36
Ochroma pyramidale
Balsa: 0.17
Comparison of some of the native woods in San Diego County, California with woods from other areas, including California, the eastern United States and tropical regions. Note: Angiosperm woods are often classified botanically as "hardwoods," while gymnosperms are called "softwoods." Although balsa is very soft and light, it is placed in the hardwood category because it is an angiosperm.
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