Differences Between Domestic and Exotic Wood

Each wood species is further categorized to be either “domestic” or “exotic.”

Domestic: Any species that is native to North America is considered to be domestic.

Exotic: Any species that is not native to North America is considered to be exotic.

Both: Some species can be found both native to North America and other areas of the world. These selections are considered to be “domestic” or “exotic” based on where the tree was harvested from. For example even though birch trees are native to North America, our Siberian Birch species is harvested from Siberia and therefore considered exotic.

Domestic species can include Birch, Cherry, Pine, Hickory, Red Oak, White Oak, Maple and more. Exotic species can include Bamboo, Brazilian Cherry, Cypress, Merbau, Mahogany and others. Some species that can be considered both include Birch, Cypress, Hickory and Walnut. Many more species outside of these exist.

When picking a wood floor, some people specifically want domestic woods in order to help support American jobs and potentially support more sustainable forestry practices. Others want exotic wood specifically because exotics are typically harder than the domestic species. Others do not care either way as long as the shade and style matches the desired look and feel of the new floor. There also may be pricing differences between domestic and exotic woods. If you want a certain color, texture or grain pattern in an exotic species, compare these things to a comparable domestic species with similar color, texture or grain patterns.

A complete list of wood species and their specifications can be found in our article: Wood Species: Specifications. This list does not break down whether or not what is considered exotic or domestic. This is because each wood includes its individual hardness, stiffness and strength ratings. Click here to browse our catalog based on wood species.