There are a range of magical woods, each ranging in potency, speciality, appearance and tendency in terms of flexibility. While its not possible to blend the wood of the Wand, you may have a Wand Handle of one wood and a Body Wood of another. Normally in these cases, the Handle represents the Heart of the Witch or Wizard. The Body of the wand generally represents the Witch or Wizards outward appearance.
Alder
Also known as Elkhorn, Elderberry.
Extremely Rare: Few wandmakers use alder. Wood 'bleeding' from white to red thought to be a bad omen. Best suited for wands with dual-cores that require the balanced imposed by the wood. Associated with courage and competitiveness. Tree was sacred to Druids, strong ties to element of Air and midsummer Solstice. Powerful for driving out evil spirits. Genesis Tree of Embla, the Woman (Nordic), Tree of Fairies (Celtic), Tree of Divination (Old Irish).
Alligator Juniper
Rare: This wood has medicinal properties and is associated with the Fire element. It is considered one of the best woods for talented healers, it is excellent for all forms of White magic. Also well suited to some hexes and binding spells.
Apple
Rare: Sacred tree to the Druids. Gentle, easily overwhelmed. Some ties with Healing magic. Not well suited to powerful cores such as dragon heartstring and phoenix feathers, and thus more rare, though in the right hands it can go well with these cores. Associated with happiness, youth, love, blood and wine. Affinity with Hufflepuff. Symbol of perpetual concord. Dedicated to Aphrodite and Venus. Considered a good luck gift. In Chinese culture it means "peace be with you." Apple is also considered symbolic of immortality. Well suited to Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.
Ash
Common: "Strangler." Sacred tree to the Druids, also called "Father of Trees." Associated with the Druid saying, "Know yourself and so know the world." Classed as hardwood. Slightly associated with Dark magic, best suited for Transfiguration, very strong for Divination. Despite Dark magic associations, it excels at White magic. Associated with empathy, the psyche, compassion and ties to the Earth. Also aligned with water magic. Some ties to Healing and solar magic. Tree of Life (Nordic). Genesis Tree of Ask, the Man (Nordic). Those tied to an Ash wand can at times be especially egotistical and demanding.
Aspen
Also known as Cottonwood, Trembling Poplar.
Common: Tends to bond with defiant, talkative people. Strong for Charms, very weak for Healing. Wood is symbolic of lamentation and fear. Considered very important by the druids, tied to transcendence and transformation. Tree is believed to have the ability to send people into a trance, with the opportunity for great insight and gaining considerable wisdom. Thus, it is considered strong for Divination. Those who use it are also meant to have a particular talent for learning languages. The leaves appear to "dance" in the wind, giving it a reputation as an energetic wand and one well suited to the Air element.
Australian
Blackwood
Rare: This wood is symbolic of strength and determination. This wood is neutral, with no particular inclination to White, Black, or Dark magic. Good for Potions. Excellent for Summoning magic, as well as conjuring spells. More common in Australian wandmaking, this wood has not become as common in British and European wandmaking. Strong ties to Hufflepuff, though will do well with users of any House.
Beech
Common: Strong, neutral wood, reliable. No particular strengths or weaknesses, but for weak underwater casting. Wood carries meaning of prosperity and pleasant memory. Considered a more feminine wood by some, despite dedication to masculine deities. Symbolic of: Oracle and Divination (Greek). Dedicated to Zeus and Jupiter. Flower emblem of Denmark.
Birch
Common: "Lady of the Woods." Reputation for weakness, in actuality a strong Light magic wandwood. Very strong for driving out spirits and protective spells (especially strong Patronus), strong for Healing and other branches of White magic. Associated with inner strength, support, realism and determination. Strong ties with love and the Moon. Symbolic of: light and fertility, dedicated to Thor and Donar. Flower emblem of Estonia.
Black Laurel
Common: Powerful wood, draws off element of Fire. This gives it a natural inclination to Gryffindor, although this does not exclude an ability to bond with members of other Houses. Tied to courage, compassion and strength. Excellent for Defense Against the Dark, reversal and destruction of negative spells are particular inclinations of this wandwood.
Black Limba
Common: Very strong wood for Earth element. Very strong for defensive spells and powerful hexes. Strong for many different Charms. Has no inclination to White, Black or Dark magic; can be a willful wandwood, unlikely to work easily for a user lacking confidence and determination. Considered to be both best and least suited to Hufflepuff by different wandmakers.
Black Poisonwood
Rare: Very strong ties to the Earth element. Associated with strength and versatility, and requires an owner with a strong will. Strong for Protective magic, and various forms of Arcane magic. Another difficult wandwood to master. Due to the poisonous and somewhat volatile nature of the wood, it tends to be rarer - holding a poisonwood wand not bonded to you can cause some skin irritation.
Black Walnut
Rare: A beautiful dark wood, this wand is more decorative than Dark, and is actually a strong Light wood- black walnuts produce a chemical that kills poisonous plants of the Nightshade family.
Blood Wood
Common: Creates strongest bonds with passionate, fiery people. In the eyes of some wandmakers, this is an automatic inclination to Gryffindor, although the wood will bond well with a user regardless of House. Does best with a disciplined witch or wizard, sometimes better as a replacement wand for the more experienced magic user. Often fueled by strong emotion, this wandwood will cast the strongest spells when the user is either very happy, very angry, or spells fueled by love and strong bonds.
Blue Spruce
Common: Like spruce, a strong wood that excels in everything except the Dark Arts. However, a witch or wizard with a strong personality can coax more out of a blue spruce wand than a spruce one.
Bocote
Common: Associated with the Sun and Earth element. Most likely to bond with a creative, intelligent and imaginative user, thus most often used by Ravenclaws. Very strong for Mental magics; particularly good for Legilimency and Occlumency. Very strong for Herbology, Summoning magic and Potions. Neutral wandwood, lacking affinity to Dark or White magic.
Bubinga
Common: Strong ties to Mental magic and Divination. Likely to bond with courageous and charismatic users.
Buckeye
Common: Associated with luck and good fortune, this wand wood is said to be most likely to bond with users who will go on to work in the Healing profession. It is excellent at all areas of Healing magic, also doing well with Potions and Herbology. It has ties to the Earth element. It has the potential to do well in Defense Against the Dark Arts, although it's strength in areas outside of Healing and related areas of study can be muted.
Butternut
Common: Considered a very masculine wood, associated with Fire element and the Sun. Very strong for Summoning magic and Divination. Associated with wealth, luck and attraction.
Canary Wood
Common: Mostly likely to bond with a hopeful, ambitious user with the drive to succeed. Often considered tied to the ability to encourage and motivate others, users are often considered charismatic. Very strong for Charms, has the potential to do well in various branches of magic, depending on the user. Has some inclination to Mental magics.
Cedar
Common: "Tree of life." Docile, well suited to protective Charms. Associated with the Sun. Wielders well equipped to become accomplished in Divination, with a particular potential for advanced Occlumency skills. Grounding, strong ties with Earth and Fire magic. Very good for all areas of White magic. Symbolic of nobility and incorruptibility. Flower emblem of Lebanon. The name used for it in India, "deodar, is derived from the Sankrit "devdar," meaning "timber of the gods."
Cherry
Common: This wood has strong feminine ties. Positive. Easy to use, aids rather than hinders casting. Good all-round wandwood, except for Dark magic. Particularly good for Healing and Divination. Cherry trees, their fruits and blossoms are tied to a number of meanings: a symbol of good education (Chinese), flower of April (Chinese), wealth and prosperity (Japanese), flower of March (Japanese), good fortune and a lover's charm, as well as being the national flower of Japan.
Chestnut
Common: Good for Transfiguration, poorly suited to Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Symbolic of independence and injustice. Not considered a strong wand for Divination, rumored to be more likely to backfire with a female user.
Cocobolo
Common: Very strong for Fire element spells and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Most likely to bond with a user of strength and stamina. Tied to the moon.
Cypress
Rare: Associated with Greek god Hades. Subtly powerful, very well suited to Transfiguration and Dark Arts. Mourning and lament (Occidental), symbol of death (Greek), emblem of grace and joy (Occidental).
Dogwood
Common: - Dogwood is extremely hard and strong, and the wands made from it will have this resilience. It was once used for making daggers, and hence has a slight violent streak. Dogwood wands have potential for a violent edge in spells. Meaning of 'love in adversity.'
Ebony
Rare: Visually very dynamic and most famous of Dark woods. Interestingly, it also does very well in Protective Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ebony has ties to each of the four core elements, and thus all the secondary elements as well. It could be considered on of the best wands for the well-rounded Elemental Magic user, though perhaps less so for individuals who have a strong inclination to only one element.
Elder
Extremely Rare: Extremely powerful by repute - the most powerful wand in existence believed to be crafted with elder. Hardly ever used - accidents involving elder wands often seriously maim or kill the user and those nearby. When it is used, wood is associated with prosperity, great knowledge, and power.
Elm
Common: Associated with Mother and Earth Goddesses, said to be where fairies dwell. Sturdy, adds stability and grounding to a spell.
Eucalyptus
Rare: Australian. Symbolic of prudence. Fast growing wood provides lively, powerful and very cooperative wands. Wood has medicinal properties - considered very good for all White Magic. Users can have the tendency to be more relaxed than other magic casters. Draws strength from water element, very well suited to elemental magic of that nature. Has ties to the moon.
Fir
Rare: "The Birth Tree." Unpopular due to physical characteristics. Symbolism of springtime and immortality, along with boldness and fidelity. Sometimes seen in wands specialising in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, it is also strong for Healing Magic and Potions. Some associations with Divination. Associated with the Greek god Pan.
Gingko
Rare: This is a highly unusual wandwood, and is rarely seen in the West. For over a millenium, it competed with plum as the most popular Chinese wandwood, however, as gingko trees ceased to be a wild species, the wood began losing favor. The commonly held perception that wild woods lead to stronger wands means that modern gingko wands are fairly rare. This is not to say that gingko is not a useful wandwood: it has great staying power, and is good for calming tempermental cores.
Hawthorn
Rare: "May Tree." Ritually harvested at Beltane. Symbolises protection, very strong for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Associated with fertility and death - ties to life cycle and change make it a good wandwood for Transfiguration. Also associated with protection and love. Meanings of sweet hope and marriage. "You are my only queen!" Dedicated to Hymen (Greek), flower of May (Occidental), good luck gift to a woman.
Hazel
Common: Strongly associated with Light magic and Healing. Versatile, very well suited to Charms and Transfiguration. Also inclined toward ability Divination. Associated with wisdom, communication, inspiration and change. Other meanings; reconciliation and peace. Dedicated to Mercury (Greek), Tree of Wisdom (Celtic), Tree of Thor and Donar (Nordic), emblem of St. Philibert.
Hemlock
Common: Famed for fast reactions and spell casting. Excellent for Potions. Less compatible with Ravenclaws and those of especially strong personalities. Meanings of perfidy and death. "We who must die."
Hickory
Common: In touch with nature, draws from the elements of earth and wind. One of the sturdiest available. Excellent balance. Seeks a wielder with good intentions. Considered best suited for logical users, those with a hickory wand may have exceptional talents in Law. Very well suited to Ravenclaw, carries ties to reason over passion.
Holly
Common: White wood - most famous Light wood. Repels dark spirits and demons. Weak in hexes, very strong in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures. Strong connection to the Earth, associated with generosity and goodwill. Users are believed to be people of great physical strength. A very respectable wandwood. Associated with death, rebirth, and the Winter Solstice. Meanings of foresight and knowledge - often found with magic users adept at Divination. Considered symbolic of masculine energy.
Hornbeam
Also known as Ironwood, Musclewood.
Rare: Related to birch. While birch is feminine, hornbeam has considerable masculine associations. Rigid, hard to master. Requires a lot of hard work, user will be rewarded with an extremely powerful wand. Strong for magic using the Metal element, via Fire and Earth element magic. Can be slower casting, especially if used underwater, although spells will remain powerful. Users are considered to be especially willful.
Ivy
Rare: Hard to harvest. Strong all-around wandwood. Associated with ambition and personal drive. Especially well suited to Slytherin users. Meanings of attachment and eternal friendship, fidelity, and wedded love. "I die where I cling." Dedicated to Dionysus and Bacchus.
Kaya
Extremely Rare: A lovely yellow wandwood of Japanese origin, it is extremely rare in British wandmaking. However, those bonded to Kaya wands will find their abilities in logical arts, such as Potions, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy, boosted.
Linden
Also known as Lime.
Rare: While rare in British wandmaking, it is a favoured wandwood in Germany. Associated with Norse goddess of love, Freya. Produces powerful Defense Against the Dark Arts wands. Meaning of conjugal love and marital virtues. Tree of Baucis (Greek).
Madrona
Rare: A beautiful evergreen from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, it is rare in British wandmaking. However, its distinctive peeling bark denotes its magical powers of change- hence, a powerful wood for Transfiguration.
Mahogany
Common: Good all-around wandwood. Well-suited to Protection Magic. Associated with strength - trees are said to be able to survive even when lightning strikes. The wood has some healing properties; in general considered more inclined to White Magic than others. Users are also considered to be strong in Astronomy. More likely to bond with someone of considerable energy. Some wandmakers consider it a more typically masculine wood, due to some of its medicinal uses.
Maple
Common: Versatile, more magical than oak. Produces reliable, sturdy wands. Inclination to sturdiness can make learning more challenging, though some also think it is a peaceful and gentle wood, if it bonds well with its witch or wizard. Very strong for Defense Against the Dark Arts, also well suited for healing. Meaning of reserve and retirement, also symbolic of love, longevity and wealth.
Mistletoe
Common: Ruler of the Winter Solstice. Stands for fertility. Most sacred of the Druids. Good for protection, Healing and Divinitation.
Mulberry
Rare: Native to Asia, Africa and the Americas. Well suited for wind related spells. Good for Divinitation. Has an astrological association with Mercury.
Myrtle
Common: Works well with a balanced individual. Associated with unity, romance, prosperity and old age. A symbol for the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, though has divine association with Artemis as well. Astrological association with Venus.
Oak
Common: "King of Trees." Similar to maple in terms of sturdiness, slightly less magical. Strong for Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. Some affinity for Divination. Often associated with strength of character and endurance. Associated with protection, strength, success and stability. Strongest with elemental spells for Fire and Lightning. Meaning of stability and hospitality, users are likely well suited to roles of guardian or liberator. Tree of Philemon (Greek), dedicated to Zeus and Jupiter. Tree of Life (Nordic), dedicated to Thor and Donar, celestial tree of the Druids (Celtic), symbol of masculine strength (Chinese).
Oleander
Rare: Poisonous sap provide ties to Dark magic. Oleander, while possessing one of the most toxic saps found in plants, has the potential to make a strong wand for Healing and Potions work, especially concerning the brewing of antidotes. Typically does better with a cautious and thoughtful user, the wood is powerful but has the potential to do great harm as well as good. In China, the oleander is associated with beauty and grace.
Olive
Common: Especially well suited to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, although it can do very well with members of any House. Very strong for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Bearers often are especially adept at Apparation and other arts of travel. Not well suited to hexes. Safe travel (Biblical), peace and reconciliation, emblem of the Archangel Gabriel, fidelity and fruitfulness, dedicated to Athene and Minerva, emblem of studious pursuit (Chinese).
Peach
Common: Originally most popular in Japan and China, peachwood wands have gained a great reputation in Britain and Europe over time. Especially strong for Transfiguration, Herbology and Alchemy. Associated with a great many meanings. Peaches; fruit of eternal life (Chinese). Blossom; bridal hope and generosity (Chinese), flower of February (Chinese), feminine softness and matrimony (Japanese), emblem of Spring (Japanese), good luck charm for children (Chinese). The tree itself; Tree of the Fairy Fruit (Chinese), emblem of immortality (Japanese).
Pine
Common: "Sweetest of woods." One of the seven chieftain woods of the Irish. Soft wood, good yield. Not particularly powerful, but excellent for learning spells. If spells are cast underwater, it becomes especially powerful, though it does well with each element. Well suited to Divination and spells associated with the Water element. Association with purification, cleansing and driving out Dark spirits. Meanings of boldness and fidelity, dedicated to Poseidon and Neptune, symbol of friendship (Chinese), stability and strong old age (Japanese), flower of January (Japanese).
Plum
Rare: While rare in British wandmaking, it is a traditional Chinese wandwood. Gained some popularity in central Europe. Similar qualities to applewood, strong for Charms. Many users are Hufflepuff, but not exclusively. Associated meanings include, for blossoms: "Keep your promises" (Selam), beauty and longevity (Chinese), flower of January (Chinese), emblem of Winter (Chinese), flower of February (Japanese), flower of Spring (Japanese). For the tree: Taoist Tree of Longevity (Chinese), patience and perseverance (Japanese), emblem of the Samurai (Japanese).
Poplar
Rare: Although poplar is a light wood, it is sometimes found in the wands of Dark Wizards, who find its properties of being extremely similar to human bone desirable. Excellent for Divination.
Redwood
Rare: Hard wood. Extremely powerful at all wand-based magic. Abysmal for Potions. Rarely bonds to those who excel in wandless magic over wand-based.
Reed
Rare: Reed is always delicate, and a difficult wand to work with. However, its wisdom and intelligence make it sought-after by some. It is almost solely a Ravenclaw wandwood. Symbol of Music. Plant of Pan (Greek).
Rosewood
Common: Excellent with phoenix feathers, unicorn hair, veela hair and fairy wings, strengthening power of these cores. Does not work well with other cores.
Rowan
Also known as Mountain Ash, Witchwood.
Common: Dense wood. Associated with protection, especially against enchantments and beguiling. Strong for Charms, Divination and Transfiguration, affinity for Ancient Runes, strong all-around, excellent dueling wand. Users are often highly intelligent, visionaries or highly intuitive. Strong wand for Ravenclaws.
Sequoia
Rare: An American wood, this is not commonly used in British wandmaking. However, the great age of the trees gives them plenty of time to absorb ambient magic, and hence this wood is ideal for those both strong-willed and in touch with nature. Excels at Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology.
Spruce
Common: Spruce is a good, reliable, standard wandwood. No specific weakness.
Sycamore
Rare: A relatively new wandwood, many of sycamore’s properties are as yet unknown. However, it excels at divining, and would help with Divination, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes.
Vinewood
Rare: Flexible. Extremely temperamental and hard to master. Not a good wandwood for the insecure witch or wizard. Needs a strong wielder. When mastered, an extremely good wand. Associated with strong perception and intuition, poetry and imagination. Meanings of peace and plenty (Semitic), luck and strength, plant of the Sun (Astrological). Leaves are symbolic of mirth and intoxication, dedicated to Bacchus and Dionysus.
Walnut
Common: Strong, versatile. Excellent all-around wand. Well suited to Hexes, Mental Magic and Protection Magic. Sometimes considered a more feminine wood. Meaning of hard fate and trickery. Some wandmakers claim this wood to be more aligned to Dark Magic, due to association of meaning. Others will say that it does better with an intelligent user, thus making it more likely to bond with Ravenclaws and Slytherin.
White Pine
Rare: White pine is a unique wandwood, as it radiates serenity. It cannot be exhausted too much or it will strain and become quite fragile, but it is otherwise docile and easy to work with.
Willow
Common: "Tree of Enchantment." Excellent for Charms and White Magic. Enhances Healing magic, both reliable and powerful. A very strong wand for Divination, some believing that users of this wand are more likely to have prophetic dreams. A good wand for Water elemental magic. Associations with femininity and the moon. Often associated with instinctive behaviour over intellectual. Intuition, inspiration and dreams. Meanings of forsaken and slighted love, grief and mourning (Occidental), powers of resurgent Spring (Chinese), patience and perseverance (Japanese), flower of November (Japanese), emblem of meekness (Buddhist).
Yew
Rare: Strong for Transfiguration. Poisonous sap equates and affinity with Dark magic. Ties to Winter Solstice, death and rebirth. Smooth, golden coloured wood. Ties with Divination. Faith and resurrection (Celtic), Witches Tree (Old English), meaning of death, grief and sorrow.
