Blackwood African (Dalbergia melanoxylon)

Characteristics Light Heavy Weight: Soft Hard Hardness: Fine Coarse Texture: Easy Difficult Working: Easy Difficult Finishing: Chart Help

Blackwood African Characteristics

Very nice to work and polish, but also very hard. Takes an exceptional polish and is the "Turning Wood of Kings" for nothing holds fine detail as well as African Blackwood.

Color Range

Heartwood is dark purple-brown with dark black streaks and the sapwood is creamy white.

Other Names

African blackwood, African ebony, African grenadilo, Banbanus, Ebene, Grenadilla, Grenadille d'Afrique, Mpingo, Mufunjo, Mugembe, Mukelete, Pau preto, Poyi, Zebra wood

Some Typical Uses

Musical instruments such as clarinets, oboes, etc; turnery, inlay, and accents.

What's the Tree Like?

The small tree develops more than a single stem, and typically grows to a height of 15 to 20 feet. The bole is often short, fluted, and rarely cylindrical, with diameters that are seldom more than 12".

Blackwood African grows in

Africa, from Sudan southward to Mozambique, westward to Angola, and northward to Nigeria and Senegal. The tree is also reported to grow in western India.