Lyptus Most Preferred Hardwood in Study

Federal Way, WA, March 2, 2011 -- Weyerhaeuser's Lyptus hardwood came out on top as the species of choice in a 2010 study that evaluated consumers' preferences between select hardwoods, the company said in a press release.

The USDA Forest Service, University of Wisconsin and Virginia Tech ran the joint study, surveying a total of 1,008 participants at shopping malls in Wisconsin, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia.

The study's purpose was to help hardwood producers and manufacturers identify hardwood attributes that are important to consumers.

Consumers were shown seven wood samples: Lyptus, Black Cherry, White Oak, European Beech, Sugar Maple, Rubberwood and Basswood; and three plastic laminate samples: Cherry, Maple and White Oak. Participants were then asked to rank the aesthetic attributes of each hardwood.

Lyptus had the best overall attribute and Black Cherry came in second at 2.41. Both received high ratings for their color and color intensity.