Pau Rosa is a very beautiful tropical wood. Depending on the specific region of the trees’ growth, colors can vary from a medium chocolate brown to an almost Padauk-like red or orange, or even a mixture of such colors which can also include yellows and purples (also like Padauk). It is a very dense wood, with grains which are typically wavy or interlocked, and moderately course. Despite its density, it is considered relatively easy to work and turns, glues and finishes well.

Drying the wood is a slow, burdenous process. Like many woods which are comparably hard, logs and boards have a tendency to crack while drying, although Pau Rosa is considered very durable and dimensionally stable, there after.

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Sustainability: Not listed in the CITES Appendices; categorized on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a species of “least concern.”

Common Uses: Carpentry, furniture, veneer, fuelwood, interior & exterior utility, carvings, turnings and various small specialty items.

Comments: Pau Rosa is not commonly found outside of Africa. Due to the combination of its cracking tendencies (when drying) and the relative short, squatty profile of most trees, long boards are even more uncommon. The wood has a nice natural luster. Its density and somewhat coarse texture requires sharp blades, but — despite its coarseness and typically interlocked grains — it actually planes well.

Due to its very limited supply, Pau Rosa is not too well-known in the US. It has excellent tonal properties, despite being grossly overlooked and under-appreciated.