Cocobolo or cocobola (Dalbergia retusa) is one of the most beautiful woods in the world.

Bamboo is not wood, but a grass with no woody material in its stem. But we are seeing more and more use of this grass in cabinets and as a wood substitute. And I have seen some pretty good-looking bamboo items.

Koa (Acacia koa) is a legume tree native to Hawaii. It is found on all the big islands and grows from near sea-level to the tops of the mountains, although it prefers the moist sites between 3,000 to 6,000 feet. It has been reported that trees from areas of heavy rain produce straight grain, while those at higher elevations produce more figured wood. Koa is the best known wood from the Hawaiian Islands.

Mesquite includes three common species in the Southwestern United States.

Another name for the wood is African rosewood.

Also called African teak, afrormosia has many positive properties, but the wood is overharvested.

Distinctive stripes, often used for veneer.

Two major spruces are found in the western forests of the United States. Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) is found throughout the Rocky Mountains, from Alberta to Arizona. It’s named after George Englemann, who discovered this species in the mid-1800s. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) is found primarily within 50 miles of the Pacific Coast, from Alaska to northern California. The name comes from Sitka Island, where the tree was discovered in 1892; Sitka spruce is also Alaska’s state tree.

Brazilian rosewood, also called jacaranda, is perhaps one of the most beautiful woods in the world. However, extensive harvesting over the past three centuries has virtually eliminated this tree from the Brazilian forests, so that today it is not supposed to be harvested. The only material that can be sold legally is old stock; such material has to display a CITES Certificate, noting special approval. As might be expected, the wood is expensive.

African padauk, the more commonly seen species of padauk lumber in North America, grows in central Africa, including Gabon, Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.