Janka Hardness Chart: 168 Wood Species

The Janka test measures how hard a wood is to dent. This chart lists the side hardness of all 168 species in the USDA Wood Handbook property tables that have a value at 12% moisture content, from lignumvitae at 4,500 lbf down to ceiba at 240 lbf. Click a column heading to re-sort, or type in the box to find a species.

Find a species Show

#	Species	Janka, 12% (lbf)	12% (N)	Green (lbf)	Origin	Type
1	Lignumvitae	4,500	20,017	—	imported	hardwood
2	Ipe	3,680	16,369	3,060	imported	hardwood
3	Marishballi	3,570	15,880	2,250	imported	hardwood
4	Manbarklak	3,480	15,480	2,280	imported	hardwood
5	Azobe	3,350	14,902	2,890	imported	hardwood
6	Bulletwood	3,190	14,190	2,230	imported	hardwood
7	Indian rosewood	3,170	14,101	1,560	imported	hardwood
8	Macawood	3,150	14,012	3,320	imported	hardwood
9	Kaneelhart	2,900	12,900	2,210	imported	hardwood
10	Brazilian rosewood	2,720	12,099	2,440	imported	hardwood
11	Bubinga	2,690	11,966	—	imported	hardwood
12	Tropical American oak	2,500	11,121	—	imported	hardwood
13	Courbaril (jatoba)	2,350	10,453	1,970	imported	hardwood
14	Greenheart	2,350	10,453	1,880	imported	hardwood
15	Mora	2,300	10,231	1,450	imported	hardwood
16	Goncalo alves	2,160	9,608	1,910	imported	hardwood
17	Pignut hickory	2,140	9,519	1,520	domestic	hardwood
18	Sucupira (Diplotropis)	2,140	9,519	1,980	imported	hardwood
19	Karri	2,040	9,074	1,360	imported	hardwood
20	Wallaba	2,040	9,074	1,540	imported	hardwood
21	Mockernut hickory	1,970	8,763	1,440	domestic	hardwood
22	Degame	1,940	8,630	1,630	imported	hardwood
23	Jarrah	1,910	8,496	1,290	imported	hardwood
24	Shagbark hickory	1,880	8,363	1,460	domestic	hardwood
25	Purpleheart	1,860	8,274	1,810	imported	hardwood
26	Pecan	1,820	8,096	1,310	domestic	hardwood
27	Shellbark hickory	1,810	8,051	1,670	domestic	hardwood
28	Angelin	1,750	7,784	—	imported	hardwood
29	Benge	1,750	7,784	—	imported	hardwood
30	Peroba rosa	1,730	7,695	1,580	imported	hardwood
31	Para-angelim	1,720	7,651	1,720	imported	hardwood
32	Piquia	1,720	7,651	1,720	imported	hardwood
33	Kempas	1,710	7,606	1,480	imported	hardwood
34	Black locust	1,700	7,562	1,570	domestic	hardwood
35	Pilon	1,700	7,562	1,220	imported	hardwood
36	Opepe	1,630	7,251	1,520	imported	hardwood
37	Swamp white oak	1,620	7,206	1,160	domestic	hardwood
38	Peroba de campos	1,600	7,117	—	imported	hardwood
39	Honeylocust	1,580	7,028	1,390	domestic	hardwood
40	Afrormosia	1,560	6,939	1,600	imported	hardwood
41	Pin oak	1,510	6,717	1,070	domestic	hardwood
42	Sapele	1,510	6,717	1,020	imported	hardwood
43	Cherrybark oak	1,480	6,583	1,240	domestic	hardwood
44	Sweet birch	1,470	6,539	970	domestic	hardwood
45	Willow oak	1,460	6,494	980	domestic	hardwood
46	Sugar maple	1,450	6,450	970	domestic	hardwood
47	Sepetir	1,410	6,272	950	imported	hardwood
48	Scarlet oak	1,400	6,228	1,200	domestic	hardwood
49	Bur oak	1,370	6,094	1,110	domestic	hardwood
50	Post oak	1,360	6,050	1,130	domestic	hardwood
51	White oak	1,360	6,050	1,060	domestic	hardwood
52	White ash	1,320	5,872	960	domestic	hardwood
53	Rock elm	1,320	5,872	940	domestic	hardwood
54	American beech	1,300	5,783	850	domestic	hardwood
55	Ramin	1,300	5,783	640	imported	hardwood
56	Northern red oak	1,290	5,738	1,000	domestic	hardwood
57	Angelique	1,290	5,738	1,100	imported	hardwood
58	Mersawa	1,290	5,738	880	imported	hardwood
59	Keruing	1,270	5,649	1,060	imported	hardwood
60	Yellow birch	1,260	5,605	780	domestic	hardwood
61	Iroko	1,260	5,605	1,080	imported	hardwood
62	Swamp chestnut oak	1,240	5,516	1,110	domestic	hardwood
63	Caribbean pine	1,240	5,516	980	imported	softwood
64	Kapur	1,230	5,471	980	imported	hardwood
65	Black oak	1,210	5,382	1,060	domestic	hardwood
66	Laurel oak	1,210	5,382	1,000	domestic	hardwood
67	Green ash	1,200	5,338	870	domestic	hardwood
68	Water oak	1,190	5,293	1,010	domestic	hardwood
69	Overcup oak	1,190	5,293	960	domestic	hardwood
70	Black maple	1,180	5,249	840	domestic	hardwood
71	Oregon ash	1,160	5,160	790	domestic	hardwood
72	Santa Maria	1,150	5,115	890	imported	hardwood
73	Chestnut oak	1,130	5,026	890	domestic	hardwood
74	Andiroba	1,130	5,026	880	imported	hardwood
75	Manni	1,120	4,982	940	imported	hardwood
76	Avodire	1,080	4,804	—	imported	hardwood
77	Southern red oak	1,060	4,715	860	domestic	hardwood
78	Southern magnolia	1,020	4,537	740	domestic	hardwood
79	Albarco	1,020	4,537	—	imported	hardwood
80	Black walnut	1,010	4,493	900	domestic	hardwood
81	Teak	1,000	4,448	930	imported	hardwood
82	Roble	960	4,270	910	imported	hardwood
83	Black cherry	950	4,226	660	domestic	hardwood
84	Red maple	950	4,226	700	domestic	hardwood
85	Paper birch	910	4,048	560	domestic	hardwood
86	Ocote pine	910	4,048	580	imported	softwood
87	Sande	900	4,003	600	imported	hardwood
88	Hackberry	880	3,914	700	domestic	hardwood
89	Water tupelo	880	3,914	710	domestic	hardwood
90	Longleaf pine	870	3,870	590	domestic	softwood
91	Slippery elm	860	3,825	660	domestic	hardwood
92	Black ash	850	3,781	520	domestic	hardwood
93	Bigleaf maple	850	3,781	620	domestic	hardwood
94	Sweetgum	850	3,781	600	domestic	hardwood
95	American elm	830	3,692	620	domestic	hardwood
96	Western larch	830	3,692	510	domestic	softwood
97	African mahogany (khaya)	830	3,692	640	imported	hardwood
98	Black tupelo	810	3,603	640	domestic	hardwood
99	Genuine mahogany (Honduran / big-leaf)	800	3,559	740	imported	hardwood
100	Parana-pine	780	3,470	560	imported	softwood
101	Dark red meranti	780	3,470	700	imported	hardwood
102	American sycamore	770	3,425	610	domestic	hardwood
103	Yellow meranti	770	3,425	750	imported	hardwood
104	Radiata pine	750	3,336	480	imported	softwood
105	Virginia pine	740	3,292	540	domestic	softwood
106	Douglas-fir (Coast)	710	3,158	500	domestic	softwood
107	Cucumbertree	700	3,114	520	domestic	hardwood
108	Silver maple	700	3,114	590	domestic	hardwood
109	Loblolly pine	690	3,069	450	domestic	softwood
110	Shortleaf pine	690	3,069	440	domestic	softwood
111	Mountain hemlock	680	3,025	470	domestic	softwood
112	Douglas-fir (Interior west)	660	2,936	510	domestic	softwood
113	Spruce pine	660	2,936	450	domestic	softwood
114	Determa	660	2,936	520	imported	hardwood
115	Primavera	660	2,936	700	imported	hardwood
116	Port-Orford cedar	630	2,802	380	domestic	softwood
117	Cativo	630	2,802	440	imported	hardwood
118	Ilomba	610	2,713	470	imported	hardwood
119	Douglas-fir (Interior north)	600	2,669	420	domestic	softwood
120	Spanish-cedar	600	2,669	550	imported	hardwood
121	Red alder	590	2,624	440	domestic	hardwood
122	Tamarack	590	2,624	380	domestic	softwood
123	Yellow-cedar (Alaska)	580	2,580	440	domestic	softwood
124	Jack pine	570	2,535	400	domestic	softwood
125	Red pine	560	2,491	340	domestic	softwood
126	Hura	550	2,447	440	imported	hardwood
127	American chestnut	540	2,402	420	domestic	hardwood
128	Yellow-poplar	540	2,402	440	domestic	hardwood
129	Western hemlock	540	2,402	410	domestic	softwood
130	Black spruce	530	2,358	340	domestic	softwood
131	Red spruce	530	2,358	340	domestic	softwood
132	Baldcypress	510	2,269	390	domestic	softwood
133	Douglas-fir (Interior south)	510	2,269	360	domestic	softwood
134	Sitka spruce	510	2,269	350	domestic	softwood
135	Banak	510	2,269	320	imported	hardwood
136	California red fir	500	2,224	360	domestic	softwood
137	Eastern hemlock	500	2,224	400	domestic	softwood
138	Butternut	490	2,180	390	domestic	hardwood
139	Grand fir	490	2,180	360	domestic	softwood
140	Limba	490	2,180	400	imported	hardwood
141	White fir	480	2,135	340	domestic	softwood
142	Lodgepole pine	480	2,135	330	domestic	softwood
143	Redwood (old-growth)	480	2,135	410	domestic	softwood
144	Incense cedar	470	2,091	390	domestic	softwood
145	Ponderosa pine	460	2,046	320	domestic	softwood
146	Mexican cypress	460	2,046	340	imported	softwood
147	Light red meranti	460	2,046	440	imported	hardwood
148	Eastern cottonwood	430	1,913	340	domestic	hardwood
149	Pacific silver fir	430	1,913	310	domestic	softwood
150	Obeche	430	1,913	420	imported	hardwood
151	Western white pine	420	1,868	260	domestic	softwood
152	Redwood (young-growth)	420	1,868	350	domestic	softwood
153	American basswood	410	1,824	250	domestic	hardwood
154	Noble fir	410	1,824	290	domestic	softwood
155	White spruce	410	1,824	270	domestic	softwood
156	Engelmann spruce	390	1,735	260	domestic	softwood
157	Balsam fir	380	1,690	290	domestic	softwood
158	Eastern white pine	380	1,690	290	domestic	softwood
159	Sugar pine	380	1,690	270	domestic	softwood
160	Cuangare	380	1,690	230	imported	hardwood
161	Okoume	380	1,690	—	imported	hardwood
162	Quaking aspen	350	1,557	300	domestic	hardwood
163	Black cottonwood	350	1,557	250	domestic	hardwood
164	Atlantic white cedar	350	1,557	290	domestic	softwood
165	Western redcedar	350	1,557	260	domestic	softwood
166	Subalpine fir	350	1,557	260	domestic	softwood
167	Northern white-cedar	320	1,423	230	domestic	softwood
168	Ceiba	240	1,068	220	imported	hardwood

Side hardness of 168 species, sorted hardest first. Source: USDA Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-190), Tables 5-3b and 5-5b.

How the Janka test works

In the Handbook’s modified Janka test, hardness is the load needed to push an 11.28 mm (0.444 in.) steel ball into the wood to half its diameter. The ball then leaves a dent with an area of about 100 mm². The load is applied across the grain (side hardness), and the values are the average of radial and tangential faces. US figures are in pounds-force (lbf); multiply by 4.448 for newtons (N).

12% vs green: dry wood is harder. Most species gain 20 to 60% between green and 12% moisture content, so compare species at the same condition. The chart is sorted by the 12% value, which is close to wood in a heated building.
Averages, not guarantees: values come from small, clear specimens. Density varies within a species, and a board can be well above or below the average.
Side vs end grain: these are side-grain values. End grain is harder, which is one reason end-grain cutting boards and blocks wear well.
Imported species come from Table 5-5 of the Handbook, compiled from world literature rather than tested at the Forest Products Laboratory.

Using hardness to choose a wood

For floors, stair treads and tabletops, hardness predicts dent resistance. Familiar reference points from the chart: northern red oak 1,290 lbf, white oak 1,360, hard (sugar) maple 1,450, shagbark hickory 1,880, black cherry 950, black walnut 1,010, coast Douglas-fir 710, eastern white pine 380 and western redcedar 350. Ipe, at 3,680 lbf, is 2.7 times as hard as white oak.

Hardness is not the whole story for a floor: finish, grain direction, density and how the boards were dried matter too. Hard woods are also harder to cut, nail and screw; drill pilot holes in anything above about 1,500 lbf.

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest wood on the Janka scale?

Of the woods in the USDA Wood Handbook tables, lignumvitae is hardest at 4,500 lbf at 12% moisture content, followed by ipe (3,680 lbf) and marishballi (3,570 lbf).

What is the Janka hardness of oak?

White oak averages 1,360 lbf and northern red oak 1,290 lbf at 12% moisture content. The nine red oaks in the Handbook range from 1,060 to 1,510 lbf.

How is Janka hardness converted to newtons?

Multiply pounds-force by 4.448. For example, 1,000 lbf is 4,448 N, or about 4.45 kN.

Why do other Janka charts show different numbers?

Charts copy values from different studies, moisture contents and test methods, and many flooring charts round or relabel species. This chart uses one source for every row, so species can be compared fairly.

Sources

Last reviewed: 22 October 2026. Related: the wood species database with density, strength and shrinkage for all 192 woods, and the construction and woodworking calculators.