AI Wood Identifier
Identify any wood species instantly with AI. Upload photos of wood grain, lumber, or finished pieces—get species name, grain characteristics, hardness ratings, common uses, and workability information in seconds. Perfect for woodworkers, furniture makers, and lumber enthusiasts.
How to Use This AI Wood Identifier
Upload a photo of any wood grain, lumber piece, or finished wood surface, or describe it in the text box. The AI analyzes grain pattern, color, texture, and distinctive features to identify the wood species. You'll get species name, hardness rating, workability information, common uses, and visual characteristics instantly.
Best Photo Tips
Photograph wood grain clearly with good lighting, showing end grain when possible. Clean, sanded surfaces reveal grain patterns better than rough-cut or weathered wood.
Describe Details
Include grain pattern, color tone, texture (smooth or coarse), weight feel, any distinctive rays or figure, and whether it's hardwood or softwood for accurate identification.
Get Wood Info
After identification, receive detailed information including hardness rating, typical applications, workability, finishing characteristics, durability, and availability.
Common Wood Species Identified
- Oak: Red oak, white oak with distinctive ray fleck and strong grain patterns
- Maple: Hard maple, soft maple with fine, uniform texture and subtle grain
- Walnut: Black walnut with rich brown color and straight to wavy grain
- Cherry: American cherry with reddish-brown color that darkens with age
- Pine: White pine, yellow pine, ponderosa pine with visible growth rings
- Mahogany: Genuine mahogany with reddish-brown color and interlocked grain
- Ash: White ash with prominent grain similar to oak but lighter color
- Birch: Yellow birch, white birch with fine, uniform texture
- Cedar: Western red cedar, eastern red cedar with aromatic properties
- Teak: Golden-brown tropical hardwood with natural oils
- Poplar: Yellow poplar with light color and straight grain
- Exotic Woods: Purpleheart, zebrawood, padauk, wenge with distinctive colors
Why Identify Wood Species?
Understanding wood species helps ensure project success, proper material selection, and optimal results:
- Project suitability: Choose appropriate wood for structural, aesthetic, or outdoor applications
- Workability planning: Understand how the wood cuts, sands, and finishes before starting
- Durability requirements: Select decay-resistant species for outdoor or high-moisture environments
- Value assessment: Identify valuable or exotic woods in reclaimed lumber or antique furniture
- Matching and repairs: Find matching species for furniture repair or expansion projects
Understanding AI Wood Recognition Technology
Our AI wood identifier uses computer vision trained on extensive lumber and wood grain databases. The system analyzes:
- Grain patterns: Straight, wavy, interlocked, spiral, irregular, or figured grain configurations
- Color characteristics: Heartwood and sapwood colors, natural variation, and aging patterns
- Texture details: Coarse, medium, or fine texture; pore visibility and distribution
- Ray patterns: Medullary rays visible in species like oak and sycamore
- Growth rings: Ring visibility, spacing, and transition between earlywood and latewood
The AI compares your wood sample against comprehensive databases to provide accurate species identification and characteristics.
Hardwoods vs. Softwoods
Hardwoods come from deciduous trees and typically have complex grain patterns and higher density. The AI identifies species like oak, maple, walnut, and cherry, providing hardness ratings and typical furniture and flooring applications.
Softwoods come from coniferous trees and generally have simpler grain with visible growth rings. The AI recognizes pine, fir, cedar, and spruce, explaining their construction, outdoor, and general carpentry uses.
Exotic Hardwoods include tropical species with unique colors and properties. The AI identifies woods like teak, mahogany, rosewood, and ebony, noting their premium applications and special characteristics.
Grain Patterns and Figure
Straight Grain provides predictable working characteristics and uniform appearance. The AI identifies species known for straight grain like cherry and some maples.
Figured Wood includes special grain patterns like curly, quilted, bird's eye, or flame figure. The AI recognizes these premium variations and their increased value for decorative applications.
Ray Fleck appears as perpendicular lines or flakes across the grain, prominent in quarter-sawn oak and sycamore. The AI identifies ray patterns as key identification features.
Understanding grain and figure helps in selecting wood for specific aesthetic goals and anticipating working behavior.
Wood Properties and Applications
Hardness Rating (Janka scale) indicates resistance to denting and wear. The AI provides hardness values and recommends species for flooring, furniture, or decorative use based on durability needs.
Workability describes how easily wood cuts, planes, sands, and accepts finishes. The AI rates machining difficulty and finishing characteristics for each species.
Stability measures how wood responds to moisture changes. The AI identifies stable species for applications where dimensional change must be minimized.
Durability indicates natural resistance to decay and insects. The AI recommends suitable species for outdoor projects, marine applications, or ground contact.
Related Educational Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is AI wood identification?
Our AI achieves over 85% accuracy for common North American and European wood species. Accuracy depends on photo quality, grain visibility, and distinctive features. Clear photos of clean, sanded surfaces provide best results.
What's the best way to photograph wood?
Photograph clean, sanded wood in good natural light showing grain pattern clearly. Include end grain views when possible. Avoid heavily stained or painted surfaces as they obscure identifying characteristics.
Can I identify stained or finished wood?
Identification is more difficult with heavy stains or opaque finishes. Clear finishes allow grain pattern analysis. The AI works best with raw wood or lightly finished surfaces where grain is visible.
Does this identify exotic or tropical woods?
Yes, the AI recognizes many exotic species including mahogany, teak, rosewood, ebony, purpleheart, and other tropical hardwoods. It identifies distinctive color and grain patterns common to exotic species.
Can I identify wood from description alone without photos?
Yes, detailed descriptions work reasonably well. Include grain pattern, color, texture, weight, any distinctive features like ray fleck or figure, and whether it's hardwood or softwood. Photos provide more accuracy but text descriptions help narrow possibilities.
Will this help identify antique furniture wood?
Absolutely. The AI can identify wood species in antique furniture, helping with restoration matching, authentication, and value assessment. Photograph clean areas or test spots where original wood is visible.