(Alnus rubra)

Distribution: West coast of USA, principally the Pacific Northwest, where it is the most common commercial hardwood.

General Description: Red alder is almost white when freshly cut but quickly changes on exposure to air to light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. Heartwood is formed only in trees of advanced age and there is no visible boundary between sap and heartwood. The wood is fairly straight grained with a uniform texture.

Working Properties: Red alder machines well and is excellent for turning and polishing. It nails, screws and glues well, and can be sanded, painted, or stained to a good finish. It dries easily with little degrade and has good dimensional stability after drying.

Physical Properties: Red alder is a relatively soft hardwood of medium density that has low bending strength, shock resistance and stiffness.

Durability: The wood is non-resistant to heartwood decay, liable to attack by the common furniture beetle but is permeable for preservation treatment.

Availability: USA - Reasonably available, but strictly limited by region. Export - Readily available in some markets but limited in others. Available in dimension stock and rough lumber.

Main Uses: Furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors, interior mouldings, turning, carving and kitchen utensils.

A typical Pacific Northwest forest with Red Alder in the foreground.