Alnus rubra

Other names: Red alder, Western red alder, Western alder. Alder is almost white when freshly cut but quickly changes with 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.
General Information
Uses |
Availability |
Price |
Kitchen cabinets, doors, interior mouldings, turning, carving, and kitchen utensils. |
Reasonably available |
Moderate. |
Relative Working Properties
Machining |
Resistance to splitting in nailing |
Resistance to splitting in screwing |
Gluing |
Good |
Good |
Good |
Good |
Physical Properties
Specific gravity (12% m.c.) |
Average shipping weight kilograms (kg) per cubic metre (m3) air dry |
Average volumetric shrinkage (oven dry % of green) |
Modulus of rupture (kilopascals) |
Modulus of elasticity (megapascals) |
Side hardness (newtons) |
0.41 |
449 |
10.1 |
9800 |
9515 |
2624 |