The sapwood of willow varies according to growing conditions and is light creamy brown in colour. In contrast, the heartwood is pale reddish brown to greyish brown. The wood has a fine even texture and, although generally straight grained, it can sometimes be interlocked, or display figure.
Other Common names
Black willow, swamp willow
Distribution & Availability
Eastern USA. Principal commercial areas are the Middle and Southern States, along the Mississippi river. Reasonable availability on a regional basis as lumber and veneer, although availability in exports markets may vary and may be restricted to certain grades and thinner stock.
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Physical & Mechanical Properties
The wood is weak in bending, compression, shock resistance and stiffness, with a poor steam bending classification.
American willow - Physical & Mechanical Properties
|Specific Gravity (12% M.C.):||0.39|
|Average Weight (12% M.C.):||417 kg/m3|
|Average Volume Shrinkage (Green to 6% M.C.):||11.50%|
|Modulus of Rupture:||53.800 MPa|
|Modulus of Elasticity:||6960 MPa|
|Compressive strength (parallel to grain): ||28.300 MPa|
Willow works fairly easily with hand and machine tools, but care is needed to avoid a fuzzy surface when interlocked grain is present. The wood nails and screws well, glues excellently, and can be sanded and polished to a very good finish. It dries fairly rapidly with minimal degrade, although may be susceptible to moisture pockets. Dimensional stability is good when dry.
American willow - Working Properties
Furniture, joinery, interior mouldings, panelling, doors, sports equipment, kitchen utensils and toys. In some European markets, such as Italy, willow is increasingly used with a stain to reproduce the lighter tones of European walnut.
American willow - Main Uses
|Mouldings and |
Burls and swirls in the grain are a natural characteristic and are not considered defects.
Select your species
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- American willow
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