Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why is latewood usually denser than earlywood?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
wood
Temperate softwoods (left column) and hardwoods (right column), selected to highlight natural variations in colour and figure: (A) Douglas fir, (B) sugar pine, (C) redwood, (D) white oak, (E) American sycamore, and (F) black cherry. Each image shows (from left to right) transverse, radial, and tangential surfaces. Click on an individual image for an enlarged view.
Latewood is typically denser than earlywood because of its distinct cellular structure. Specifically, latewood is characterized by having thicker cell walls and smaller cell cavities compared to the earlywood produced earlier in the growing season.1
In contrast, earlywood is less dense because it features larger cells with thinner walls. This structural difference is what makes growth rings visible in many species, as the transition between the dense latewood of one season and the less dense earlywood of the next creates a clear demarcation.23