Is Willow a Hardwood? Yes, but Softer Than Douglas Fir

Yes, willow is a hardwood, but that label describes the tree, not the wood. Black willow measures just 430 lbf on the Janka hardness scale, which is softer than Douglas fir, a softwood. This page gives the numbers, shows where willow sits among common woods, and explains what the hardwood label does and does not tell you before you buy or cut it.

Is Willow a Hardwood? The Short Answer

Willow trees are broadleaf, deciduous trees, and that is what makes willow a hardwood in the lumber trade. The word is a botanical category. It does not measure how hard the wood is. The Wood Database makes the same point about balsa, which it says is technically a hardwood because it has broad leaves and is not a conifer, even though balsa is extremely soft.

Willow is the same kind of case, just less extreme. Black willow (Salix nigra), a species native to the eastern United States, is a hardwood that is both lighter and softer than Douglas fir. White willow (Salix alba), the European species known for cricket bats, is a little harder but still soft.

Willow Hardness Compared: Hardwoods and Softwoods Side by Side

The chart below uses values from The Wood Database, so every wood is measured the same way. The point to notice is that the hardwood and softwood columns overlap. A hardwood can be softer than most softwoods, and a softwood can be harder than many hardwoods.

Wood	Type	Janka hardness (lbf)	Average dried weight (lb/ft3)
Balsa	Hardwood	67	9
Eastern white pine	Softwood	380	25
Basswood	Hardwood	410	26
Black willow	Hardwood	430	26
White willow	Hardwood	570	25
Douglas fir	Softwood	620	32
Northern red oak	Hardwood	1,220	43.8
European yew	Softwood	1,520	42.1

Three things stand out in that table. First, black willow is only 50 lbf harder than eastern white pine and weighs about the same as basswood. Second, Douglas fir, which is a softwood, is harder than both willows. Third, European yew is a softwood that is harder than red oak, a hardwood. That is why sorting lumber by the hardwood and softwood label alone will mislead you. For a related case of a hardwood label surprising people in the other direction, see our page on whether zebrawood is a hardwood.

If you want the same question answered for other woods, we cover cedar, poplar and birch separately, and our types of wood guide puts the main species in one place.

Black Willow Wood Properties

These figures come from The Wood Database entry for black willow, measured at 12 percent moisture content. They are averages, and individual boards vary.

Property	Black willow
Janka hardness	430 lbf (1,920 N)
Average dried weight	26 lb/ft3 (415 kg/m3)
Specific gravity (12% moisture)	0.36 to 0.42
Modulus of rupture (bending strength)	7,800 lbf/in2 (53.8 MPa)
Elastic modulus (stiffness)	1,010,000 lbf/in2 (6.97 GPa)
Crushing strength	4,100 lbf/in2 (28.3 MPa)
Shrinkage, radial / tangential / volumetric	3.3% / 8.7% / 13.9%
Tangential to radial shrinkage ratio	2.6
Rot resistance	Non-durable to perishable, susceptible to insect attack

The shrinkage row is the one that matters most in a shop. A tangential-to-radial ratio of 2.6 means the wood shrinks more than two and a half times as much across the growth rings as along them, and that uneven movement is what drives warping as boards dry. The Wood Database notes that willow tends to develop numerous drying defects, so buy kiln-dried stock and let it acclimate in your shop before cutting joinery.

Color and grain

Heartwood ranges from reddish or grayish brown, sometimes with darker streaks, and the sapwood is white to tan. The grain is interlocked or irregular, and the texture is medium to fine and uniform. Interlocked grain, where the fibers change direction, commonly contributes to tearout under a plane or a router bit.

Is Willow Easy to Work With?

Not particularly. It is light and soft, so you might expect it to cut easily, but The Wood Database rates black willow as having very poor machining characteristics, frequently leaving fuzzy surfaces or tearout. Softness and workability are separate properties, and willow shows the difference: the fibers are soft enough to crush and tear instead of shearing cleanly.

From that description, a few practical steps follow. These are general shop practices for fuzzy, tearout-prone wood, not tested results on willow, so try them on scrap first:

• Keep plane irons and chisels freshly sharpened, because dull edges tear soft fibers instead of cutting them.
• Take light passes and lower the cutting angle on a hand plane, or use a scraper for the final surface.
• Sand progressively rather than jumping grits, because fuzzy grain needs several steps to close up.
• Dust safety: The Wood Database notes reports of skin and respiratory irritation from willow bark sensitizers, with minimal adverse effects reported from the wood itself. Wear a dust mask when sanding, and remove bark before machining.

What Willow Wood Is Used For

The Wood Database lists baskets, utility wood, crates, furniture, carvings and other small specialty items for black willow. White willow is the traditional cricket bat wood, valued for being light with good shock resistance. What these uses have in common is that none needs the wood to be hard or to survive outdoors.

For a closer look at projects and applications, our guide to what willow tree wood is good for goes through them in detail, and if you are trying to confirm you have willow in front of you, how to identify willow wood covers the tree and grain.

Should You Choose Willow Instead of Another Wood?

Choose willow when you need a light, inexpensive wood for indoor craft work and are comfortable with rough machining. The Wood Database expects willow to be quite economical throughout its natural range, and it is not listed by CITES or the IUCN Red List. Skip it for anything that will carry load, get handled hard or sit outdoors.

If you need	Better choice	Why
Soft wood that carves cleanly	Basswood (410 lbf)	Same weight class as black willow (26 lb/ft3), and a common carving wood
Easy, inexpensive framing or crafts	Eastern white pine (380 lbf)	Softwood, similar hardness, widely available
Outdoor use	A rot-resistant species	Willow is rated non-durable to perishable
Furniture that has to last	A denser hardwood such as red oak (1,220 lbf)	Nearly three times the Janka rating of black willow

Frequently Asked Questions

Is willow a hardwood or a softwood?

Willow is a hardwood. Woodworkers sort wood by tree type, not by how hard it feels: hardwoods come from broadleaf trees and softwoods from conifers. Willow is a broadleaf tree, so it is a hardwood, even though black willow rates only 430 lbf on the Janka scale.

How hard is willow wood?

Black willow measures 430 lbf (1,920 N) on the Janka scale and white willow measures 570 lbf (2,530 N), according to The Wood Database. Both are soft. For comparison, Douglas fir, a softwood, measures 620 lbf and northern red oak measures 1,220 lbf.

Is willow harder than pine?

It depends on the pine and the willow. Black willow at 430 lbf is a little harder than eastern white pine at 380 lbf, but softer than Douglas fir at 620 lbf. In practice, willow and soft pine dent about equally easily.

Is willow wood good for furniture?

Only for light-duty pieces. Willow is lightweight and takes a finish, but it is rated non-durable to perishable, machines poorly and is prone to drying defects. It suits baskets, crates, carvings and small specialty items better than tables or chairs.

Can you use willow wood outdoors?

Not without protection. The Wood Database rates willow non-durable to perishable and susceptible to insect attack, so untreated willow will decay quickly in contact with moisture or soil.

Bottom Line

Willow is a hardwood by botany and a soft, light wood by every physical measure: 430 lbf for black willow, 570 lbf for white willow, poor machining, and no rot resistance. Use the hardwood label to tell you what kind of tree it came from, and use the Janka number and shrinkage figures to decide what to build with it.