How to Identify Alder (Red) Wood (Alnus rubra)

Alder (Red), Alnus rubra: color, grain, end grain, Janka hardness (590 lbf) and weight, and how to tell it from Black Cherry, quoted from the USDA Wood Handbook and The Wood Database.

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At a glance

Scientific name: Alnus rubra
Type: Hardwood
Origin: Pacific Northwest (US and Canada)
Color: Light tan to reddish brown; color darkens and reddens with age.
Grain and texture: Grain generally straight, with a moderately fine, uniform texture.
End grain: Diffuse porous; vessels commonly in clusters or radial multiples of two to four, small to medium, numerous; parenchyma banded (marginal) and diffuse-in-aggregates (generally not visible); rays narrow and closely spaced, with sporadic very wide aggregate rays characteristic of the Alnus genus.
Janka hardness: 590 lbf
Specific gravity (12% MC): 0.41
Other clue: No characteristic odor; the most abundant commercial hardwood in the Pacific Northwest and a lower-cost alternative to black cherry.

What Alder (Red) looks like

Light tan to reddish brown; color darkens and reddens with age. Grain generally straight, with a moderately fine, uniform texture. End grain: Diffuse porous; vessels commonly in clusters or radial multiples of two to four, small to medium, numerous; parenchyma banded (marginal) and diffuse-in-aggregates (generally not visible); rays narrow and closely spaced, with sporadic very wide aggregate rays characteristic of the Alnus genus.

Hardness and weight

Janka hardness 590 lbf (side hardness: the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter). Specific gravity 0.41 at 12% moisture content, so a cubic foot weighs roughly 26 lb. Weight in the hand is one of the quickest checks: compare a piece of known size against a board you already know.

Alder (Red) vs Black Cherry

Alder is frequently stained to imitate black cherry; genuine cherry is denser (950 lbf vs alder's 590 lbf), has a mild distinctive scent when worked, and shows semi-ring-porous endgrain, while alder is diffuse porous with sporadic very wide aggregate rays unique to the Alnus genus and no characteristic odor. The Black Cherry page has its own details.

Smell, weight and other clues

No characteristic odor; the most abundant commercial hardwood in the Pacific Northwest and a lower-cost alternative to black cherry.

Where you will meet it

Veneer, plywood, furniture, cabinetry, millwork, pallets, musical instruments (electric guitar bodies), and chip/pulp wood.

Working it

Very easy to work with hand and machine tools and sands especially easily; notably soft, so care is needed to prevent denting; alder species reported to cause eye, skin, and respiratory irritation (uncommon).

How to photograph it for identification

Photograph a freshly cut or sanded face in daylight, not a finished or stained surface, since stain hides color and finish flattens grain. Add a close-up of the end grain: cut a clean end, wet it or sand it to 220, and shoot from straight on; pore pattern and rays are the most reliable marks. Put a ruler in frame. The app suggests the likely species; confirm with the end grain and weight.

FAQ

How hard is Alder (Red)?

Janka hardness 590 lbf. For comparison, Red Oak is about 1,290 lbf and Eastern White Pine about 380 lbf.

How do I tell Alder (Red) from Black Cherry?

Is Alder (Red) a hardwood or a softwood?

Alder (Red) is a hardwood: it comes from a broadleaf tree. Hardwood and softwood describe the kind of tree, not how hard the wood is; some hardwoods are softer than some softwoods.

What color is Alder (Red)?

Light tan to reddish brown; color darkens and reddens with age.

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