Views: 217 Author: SENHEDA WOOD Publish Time: 2026-02-07 Origin: Site
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● 1. Zebra
● 4. Iroko
African timber is widely favored for its relatively low cost, large diameter, and exceptional straightness. It is particularly striking when crafted into solid wood slabs and furniture. A single large African log with a diameter exceeding one meter can be used to make an entire piece of solid wood furniture, creating a truly breathtaking effect.
So, what are the common types of African timber?
Commonly known as Zebrawood or Wujinmu in the market, this is a relatively precious furniture wood with a high price tag. It features a lustrous surface with interlocked grain, a coarse but uniform texture, and is extremely hard, heavy, and high in strength with moderate shrinkage.
It is difficult to saw and process but ideal for veneer slicing. It holds nails well and glues, finishes, and planes excellently. The wood is durable and resistant to termites. It dries slowly and is slightly prone to checking. Its air-dry density is 0.89 g/cm³. Zebrawood presents a light peach-brown or yellowish-tan color with narrow, regularly spaced dark brown streaks. While it machines well, it is prone to decay and discoloration if left exposed for long periods. It is used for sliced veneer, furniture panels, and solid wood flooring.
Commonly known as Afrormosia, African Teak, or Red Bean Teak.
Afrormosia is an excellent substitute for genuine teak in manufacturing products requiring high strength, stability, and insect resistance. It is a diffuse-porous wood with a narrow sapwood (1.5-2.5 cm wide). The heartwood ranges from yellowish-brown to dark brown, clearly distinct from the sapwood, with indistinct growth rings.
The wood has a luster and no distinct odor. The grain is slightly interlocked, and the texture is very fine and uniform. It is highly durable, resistant to decay and insects. It has a large shrinkage rate (radial: 3.0%, tangential: 6.4% from green to oven-dry). It is moderately heavy, with an air-dry density of 0.70-0.86 g/cm³, and boasts high strength and mechanical properties. This material is widely used in wood flooring, often as a substitute for Burmese teak. It belongs to the Fabaceae family, and its name derives from its similar appearance and properties to Burmese teak.
Applications include high-grade furniture, sliced veneer, stairs, cabinetry, flooring, joinery, vehicles, and shipbuilding.
Okoumé, commonly known as African Red Walnut or African Mahogany, has a lustrous surface with straight to slightly interlocked grain. It is moderately wear-resistant, dries quickly, and yields good quality lumber.
Okoumé features a dense, fine texture with a reddish-brown color, offering a natural, simple, and elegant aesthetic. It has a fine structure with small color variation, straight grain, and few knots, providing a smooth surface. It is corrosion-resistant, high in strength and toughness, with good holding power. Its air-dry density is approximately 0.48 g/cm³ (or 660 kg/m³). It has moderate bending strength and excellent steam-bending properties.
After processing, it machines to a smooth finish. When kiln-dried and cut into panels, it is stable and resistant to warping or cracking. It is ideal for musical instruments, gunstocks, and high-end furniture, widely used in premium furniture decoration.
Commonly known as Gold Teak or sometimes referred to as "Round Disc Bean" by flooring manufacturers. The sapwood is yellowish-white, while the heartwood is yellow or light brown when freshly cut, turning golden-brown upon exposure, featuring irregular black streaks within the golden hue.
The wood has a luster and no distinct odor. It is highly durable and resistant to insect attack. The grain is interlocked, with a slightly fine and uniform texture, moderate weight, and good strength and mechanical properties. Iroko is primarily used for solid wood flooring in the market.
It is a diffuse-porous wood with a yellowish-white sapwood (approx. 5 cm wide). The heartwood turns golden-brown upon exposure. Growth rings are indistinct. It is durable and resistant to pinhole borers. Shrinkage is small to moderate (radial: 2.1-4.0%, tangential: 3.6-6.5%). Calcium carbonate deposits ("stone") may be found in checks and grooves caused by mechanical damage. The average air-dry density is about 0.66 g/cm³, with good strength properties.
This is a widely used and precious wood on the market. Known commercially as "Brazilian Rosewood," it is native to tropical Africa.
Although not classified as "Redwood" (Hongmu), it offers excellent performance and grain patterns, commanding a relatively high price. The heartwood is reddish-brown, often with dark streaks. It has a luster and no distinct odor. It is hard, heavy, and high in strength. The beautiful figure formed by its streaks and interlocked grain gives it high decorative value.
Another wood commonly referred to as "Rosewood" in the market. The heartwood is orange-red, brick-red, or purplish-red, often with dark streaks, and scratches are visible. A water extract of the wood shavings or sawdust is fluorescent, and it has a strong fragrance.
African Padauk has a fine texture and interlocked grain. It has low shrinkage and moderate weight. It is suitable for high-grade furniture, joinery, musical instruments, and carved products.
Ovangol maturing to near black. It has large pores with distinct hair-like patterns. The grain often forms a "mountain" pattern, with black and yellow alternating stripes.
It is hard but brittle with low oil content, making it highly prone to cracking in dry climates. Due to its low price, it is commonly used by unscrupulous merchants to imitate genuine Indonesian Black Ebony (Striped Ebony).
Sapelli belongs to the Meliaceae family. It is commonly known as Sapelli, Red Shadow Wood, or sometimes African Mahogany.
The heartwood is pinkish-red when freshly cut, turning reddish-brown with age. It has a luster and interlocked grain, with black striped or "plum blossom" patterns on quarter-sawn faces. The texture is fine and uniform. It has large shrinkage, is moderately durable, hard, moderately heavy, and high in strength and mechanical properties.
It is used decoratively for high-end materials, furniture, flooring, and joinery, especially popular for panels and doors.
It is worth noting that three types of African timber are commonly called "Rosewood" in the market, but none are the true, authentic Rosewood. The term is widely borrowed by wood merchants for marketing purposes.
