LFPDC Publications :: Woods of Louisiana ::

The PDF-format E-Book:  "Woods of Louisiana" (published in 1998) can be opened by clicking the link:  Woods of Louisiana

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Greetings!
Thank you for your interest in learning more about the wood properties of some of the timber species of Louisiana. The first version of Woods of Louisiana was extremely well received by personnel in the primary and secondary forest products industries as well as hobbyists. We are pleased to revise Woods of Louisiana and provide it to the citizens of Louisiana.

Our state is blessed with a tremendous timber resource of approximately half hardwoods and half softwoods. These species are becoming increasingly important throughout the 64 Louisiana parishes and also in our global market place. We need to work with them and add value through further processing. The first step of value-added for a secondary processor or hobbyist is proper species selection.

The forest products industry is well established throughout Louisiana. This publication summarizes the properties of 40 native Louisiana timber species. We recognize that not all of these species presently have commercial importance to the forest products industry, but hobbyists and craftsmen often enjoy working with lesser-known species and have difficulty in locating information for such species. In addition, more of these species may become commercially viable in the future

It is imperative to understand the properties of a particular wood species before selecting it for any application. The woods of Louisiana vary considerably in density and hardness, so the workability of species in terms of machining, nailing, gluing and carving will also vary. This publication is designed as a reference to assist in learning about the properties of our native Louisiana woods. Use it to make a more informed choice for your wood working project, no matter how big or small. We hope you’ll find it useful.

Please contact us with your input so we may improve future versions. To receive additional copies of this reference or other Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service forest products literature, please contact your parish Cooperative Extension Service office.

Todd F. Shupe, Ph.D.
Assistant Specialist (Forest Products)
Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service

W. Ramsay Smith, Ph.D.
Professor and Program Leader
Louisiana Forest Products Laboratory