Acceptance of character marks in hardwood flooring didn't happen over night. Probably the turning point for inspiring consumers to appreciate what the entire hardwood tree had to offer came with the introduction to exotics over a decade ago. With that, the hardwood flooring industry started to become more global. Now there are over a 100 variations in both softwoods and hardwood trees. Still, the mighty oak has always been considered the "King of the Hill" in wood flooring and I believe the "throne" is safe for many years to come. Nevertheless, there is room for additional species to serve within this majesty's court.