What Are The Different Types of Hardwood Species?
Hardwood is one of the two most common types of wood, with softwood being the other. It is the wood produced by dicot trees and found in temperate and tropical forests. In Africa and beyond, there are hundreds of hardwood species found and used. In this article, we will talk about top hardwood types/species that are commonly used and exported by us.
Here at CameroonTimberExport Sarl, we deal in a wide range of hardwood species. Before you choose wood for your particular project, make sure to read about the different types of hardwood to make a sound decision. Here are a few details about the most popular hardwood properties of different species that we sell/export at CameroonTimberExport.
Types of Hardwood Species
| Afrormosia | Bilinga | Azobe |
| Black Limba (Frake) | Bubinga | Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata) |
| African Mahogany | Makore | Meranti |
| Niangon | Okan | Okoume |
| African Padauk | Sapele | Teak |
| Merbau | Moabi | Movingui |
| Wenge | Zebrawood | Zebrano |
| Afzelia (doussie) | Black Ebony | Iroko |
Some of the Most Common Types of Hardwood Species For Woodworking
Afrormosia Hardwood Properties
| Common Name(s) | Afrormosia, Afromosia, African Teak |
| Scientific Name | Pericopsis elata |
| Distribution | West Africa |
| Tree Size | 100-150 ft (30-46 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | yellowish-brown |
| Grain/Texture | straight, can also be interlocked |
| Resistance/Durability | very durable |
| Workability | Easy to work |
| Price/Availability | medium to high |
| Uses | Boatbuilding, veneer, flooring, and furniture |
Azobe Hardwood Properties
| Common Name(s) | Ekki, Azobe |
| Scientific Name | Lophira alata |
| Distribution | West Africa |
| Tree Size | 100-150 ft (30-46 m) tall, 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m) trunk Diameter |
| Color | Dark reddish or violet brown |
| Grain/Texture | interlocked, with a coarse texture |
| Resistance/Durability | very durable |
| Workability | Difficult to work |
| Price/Availability | medium to high |
| Uses | Bridges, marine applications, decking, boatbuilding, and flooring |
Bubinga Hardwood Properties
| Common Name(s) | Bubinga, Kevazingo |
| Scientific Name | Guibourtia spp. (G. demeusei, G. pellegriniana, G. tessmannii) |
| Distribution | Equatorial Africa |
| Tree Size | 130-150 ft (40-45 m) tall, 3-6 ft (1-2 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | pinkish red to a darker reddish-brown |
| Grain/Texture | straight to interlocked |
| Resistance/Durability | moderately durable to very durable |
| Workability | Easy to work |
| Price/Availability | moderately priced |
| Uses | Veneer, cabinetry, turnings, inlays, fine furniture, and other specialty items |
Black Ebony
| Common Name(s) | Gaboon Ebony, African Ebony, Nigerian Ebony, Cameroon Ebony |
| Scientific Name | Diospyros crassiflora |
| Distribution | Equatorial West Africa |
| Tree Size | 50-60 ft (15-18 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | jet-black |
| Grain/Texture | straight but can also be interlocked |
| Resistance/Durability | very durable |
| Workability | Difficult to work |
| Price/Availability | Â very expensive |
| Uses | Small/ornamental items, such as piano keys, pool cues, carvings, musical instrument parts, and other small specialty items |
Iroko Hardwood Properties
| Common Name(s) | Iroko |
| Scientific Name | Â Milicia excelsa, M. regia (syn. Chlorophora excelsa, C. regia) |
| Distribution | Tropical Africa |
| Tree Size | 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | yellow to golden or medium brown |
| Grain/Texture | medium to coarse texture |
| Resistance/Durability | very durable |
| Workability | Easy to work |
| Price/Availability | moderate price |
| Uses | Veneer, flooring, boatbuilding, turned items, furniture, cabinetry, and other small specialty wood items |
African Mahogany Hardwood
| Common Name(s) | African Mahogany |
| Scientific Name | Khaya spp. (Khaya anthotheca, K. grandifoliola, K. ivorensis, K. senegalensis) |
| Distribution | West tropical Africa |
| Tree Size | 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | very pale pink to a deeper reddish-brown |
| Grain/Texture | straight to interlocked grain, with a medium to coarse texture |
| Resistance/Durability | moderately durable |
| Workability | Easy to work |
| Price/Availability | low to moderate |
| Uses | Veneer, furniture, boatbuilding, plywood, turned items, and interior trim |
Makore Hardwood
| Common Name(s) | Makore |
| Scientific Name | Tieghemella heckelii, T. africana |
| Distribution | Western and Middle Africa (from Sierra Leone to Gabon) |
| Tree Size | 180-200 ft (55-60 m) tall, 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | Heartwood pink or reddish-brown |
| Grain/Texture | straight grain |
| Resistance/Durability | very durable |
| Workability | easy to work |
| Price/Availability | mid-range |
| Uses | Veneer, cabinetry, flooring, boatbuilding, plywood, furniture, turned objects, musical instruments, and other small wooden specialty items |
African Padauk Hardwood Species
| Common Name(s) | African Padauk, Vermillion |
| Scientific Name | Pterocarpus soyauxii |
| Distribution | Central and tropical west Africa |
| Tree Size | 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 2-4 ft (.6-1.2 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | pale pinkish-orange to a deep brownish-red |
| Grain/Texture | straight |
| Resistance/Durability | excellent decay resistance, durable to very durable |
| Workability | Easy to work |
| Price/Availability | moderately priced |
| Uses | Veneer, musical instruments, furniture, flooring, turned objects, tool handles, and other small specialty wood objects |
Sapele Hardwood Properties
| Common Name(s) | Sapele, Sapelli, Sapeli |
| Scientific Name | Entandrophragma cylindricum |
| Distribution | Tropical Africa |
| Tree Size | 100-150 ft (30-45 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | golden to dark reddish-brown |
| Grain/Texture | interlocked and sometimes wavy |
| Resistance/Durability | moderately durable to very durable |
| Workability | troublesome to work with machines |
| Price/Availability | moderately priced |
| Uses | Veneer, cabinetry, flooring, plywood, furniture, turned objects, boatbuilding, musical instruments, and other small wooden specialty items |
Teak wood Properties
| Common Name(s) | Teak |
| Scientific Name | Tectona grandis |
| Distribution | tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America |
| Tree Size | 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter |
| Color | golden or medium brown |
| Grain/Texture | straight |
| Resistance/Durability | high resistance, very durable |
| Workability | Easy to work |
| Price/Availability | very expensive |
| Uses | Ship and boat building, exterior construction, carving, veneer, furniture, turnings, and other small wood objects |
We supply wood logs, sawn timber and wood slabs in all the hardwood species listed above. If you need more information about our hardwoods, quality, and price, feel free to contact us.
