Alder is a pale yellow to reddish-brown color. It has a fairly straight grain and uniform texture. This is a softwood of medium density. Alder works well with both hand and machine tools. It has good nailing and gluing properties and takes stain, paint, or polish well. This lumber is mainly used to build furniture, cabinets, and other framing applications. Knotty Alder is a great money-saving alternative to Superior Alder if you only need narrow and short-length pieces.