Hickory

• One of the strongest woods in terms of shock resistance and bending strength is the hickory. Shagbarks (Carya ovata) and shellbarks (Carya laciniosa) are common hickory trees used for commercial purposes; other hickory varieties are butternut, pecan and swamp. Both hickories average about 50 pounds per cubic foot when they are air-dried. Wood Magazine.com suggests using carbide-tipped blades on machine tools for cutting hickory wood. This wood has 12-percent moisture content.
  
  

Black Locust

• Black locust trees (Robinia pseudoacacia) are hardwood trees native to the eastern and midwestern United States. This hardwood's high level of density requires constructors to drill pilot holes before inserting nails or screws. Black locusts have 12-percent moisture content. The black locust weighs 48.2 pounds per cubic foot, making it stronger than most trees but not quite as strong as hickory. These trees do not emit any odors after they are cut.
  
  

Robusta Eucalyptus

• The robusta Eucalyptus tree is native to Australia but was introduced to Hawaii in the 19th century. This strong hardwood tree has one of the highest shrinkage indexes -- the scale of how strong wood is after air-drying -- in the world at 168. Eucalyptus robusta trees weigh 48 pounds per cubic foot on average. According to the U.S. Forest Service, robusta Eucalyptus wood is strong enough to be used for highway guard rails.
  
  

Sugar Maple

• Also known as hard maple, the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is the strongest maple tree in the United States. Sugar maples have 12-percent moisture content and weigh approximately 44 pounds per cubic foot. Sugar maples are not desirable for steam bending, but the wood's strength and uniform grain characteristics make it a common choice for flooring. These trees are also known for producing syrup from the tree's sap.
  
  

White Oak

• The strongest oak tree is the white oak (Quercus alba), weighing 47 pounds per cubic foot. White oaks also have 12-percent moisture content, similar to sugar maples. However, oak trees -- including white oaks -- have a tendency to shrink rapidly when air-dried, which reduces the wood's strength. The heartwood of the white oak is highly resistant to decaying, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Other white oak species are Oregon white oak, swamp white oak and bur oak.