Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor · Hardwood · North America
Properties
| Janka hardness | 1,620 lbf (7,206 N) |
|---|---|
| Average dried weight (est.) | 45 lb/ft³ (720 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity | 0.72 |
| Modulus of rupture | 17,700 psi (122.0 MPa) |
| Modulus of elasticity | 2.05 million psi (14.13 GPa) |
| Crushing strength | 8,600 psi (59.3 MPa) |
Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5–3b p. 5–11.
Swamp white oak is one of the heaviest white oaks in the dataset (specific gravity 0.72, Janka hardness 1,620 lbf) and also one of the strongest, with bending strength of 17,700 psi. Its lumber is used interchangeably with the rest of the white oak group.
Appearance & grain
Swamp white oak is a white oak: the heartwood is generally grayish brown and the sapwood nearly white, about 1 to 2 inches wide. Its heartwood pores are usually plugged with tyloses, which is what makes white oak — unlike red oak — usable for tight cooperage.
Durability
The Handbook credits white oak heartwood with good natural resistance to decay, supporting its use in ties, posts, ship planking, and other exposed work.
Workability
Like the other white oaks, swamp white oak is heavier than red oak and is sawn and machined as part of the commercial white oak mix. The Handbook gives no species-specific machining statement beyond the white oak group account.
Common uses
- Lumber
- Railroad crossties
- Tight cooperage
- Mine timbers
- Fence posts
- Veneer
- Ship and boat planking and bent parts
- Furniture
- Flooring
- Pallets
- Agricultural implements
- Railroad cars
- Truck floors
- Doors
- Millwork
- Fuelwood
Conservation: IUCN Red List: Least Concern (checked 2026-10-24).
Work with Swamp White Oak
Similar woods
Photo: Photo by and (c)2016 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
Property data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282 (2021).