Species info

Acacia koa is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is the second most common tree there. Its name in Hawaiian also means brave, bold, fearless, or warrior. Ancient Hawaiians used koa trunks to build outrigger canoes and surfboards. The reddish wood is similar in strength and weight to Black Walnut and is prized for wood carving, furniture, and tonewoods such as ukuleles and acoustic guitars.

A fast-growing tree in the legume family native to the Maluku Islands and New Guinea, considered invasive in Hawaii. Used for matchsticks, chopsticks, plywood, and veneer. Whole trunks are traditionally carved into seagoing canoes. Working with albizia is usually easy because of its light weight — sometimes it feels like working with foam more than wood. Recent testing at the University of Hawaii found it to be a structurally sound building material.

A member of the flowering plant family Lauraceae, long thought to have originated in South Central Mexico. Many avocado trees in Hawaii are planted too close to roads and buildings and must be removed, which is how the lumber becomes available. The wood is light and soft — sanding and cross cuts are easy, while rip cuts can sometimes be more difficult.

An evergreen tree native to Australia, with a natural range in north-east New South Wales and coastal Queensland. Also known as Queensland box, Brisbane box, pink box, and vinegartree. Commonly used as a street tree in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. Cultivated in the United States and elsewhere.

Also known as the silk tree, Persian silk tree, pink silk tree, or mimosa. Native to southwest and east Asia. Chocolate albizia lumber can be similar in appearance to monkeypod — it is lighter in weight and color, and easier to work.

Commonly known as swamp mahogany or swamp messmate, native to eastern Australia. Grows in swampy or waterlogged soils up to 30m high with thick spongy reddish brown bark. An important winter-flowering species planted extensively around the world. Its timber is used for firewood and general construction.

Also known as tropical almond, Indian almond, and sea almond. Native to Asia, Australia, Pacific islands and Madagascar. Has high water resistance and was used to make canoes across Polynesia. Colors range from whites, yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, purples and browns — every board is very unique. Ease of use varies greatly with grain orientation complexity.

A species of flowering plant in the family Verbenaceae, native to southern Florida, the Caribbean, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. Also known as Florida fiddlewood and spiny fiddlewood. Mills well with band and circular saws and is easy to sand. Has a bright golden yellow grain with amazing chatoyance from unique pathways in its medullary rays.

A perennial tree native to South-East Asia, also known as small Philippine acacia and Taiwan acacia. Considered invasive in Hawaii. Its wood was used for support beams in underground mines in Taiwan and is also used as durable flooring. Formosa Koa is extremely dense but can be comparatively beautiful to Acacia koa, and occasionally difficult to tell apart.

Commonly known as mugga ironbark or red ironbark, endemic to eastern Australia. At about 1,130 kg/m³ it is one of the few timbers that will not float. The heartwood is dark red with fine grain that polishes to a high sheen. Very high resistance to rotting — untreated ironbark posts have been known to remain structurally sound over a century after installation. Prone to checking, cupping and bowing if not quarter sawn.

Also known as Australian pine tree or she-oak. Widely used as a bonsai subject in South-east Asia and the Caribbean. The wood is used for shingles, fencing, and makes excellent hot-burning firewood. Grown in Hawaii for erosion prevention and as windbreaks. Some boards show beautiful zone line spalting and bleaching from turkey tail and other fungi in the sapwood.

Also known as Mediterranean cypress, Tuscan cypress, or pencil pine. Native to the eastern Mediterranean region. Known for its very durable, scented wood — most famously used for the doors of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Traditionally used for Italian harpsichords and formerly used in distilleries as staves for mash ferments before stainless steel.

A species of flowering tree in the borage family, occurring in eastern Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, northern Australia and the Pacific Islands. In ancient Hawaiʻi, kou wood was used to make ʻumeke (bowls), utensils, and large calabashes because it did not impart a foul taste to food. The flowers were used to make lei, and a dye for kapa cloth was derived from the leaves. Sharp blades make kou easy to work with.

A tropical tree in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), related to lychee, rambutan, and guarana. Native to Southern Asia, with origins believed to be in the mountain range between Myanmar and southern China. Introduced to Hawaii and Florida in the 1900s. From our experience it is dense, hard, and similar to working with Lychee.

The sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. A tropical tree native to the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of China, with cultivation documented from 1059 AD. The wood is extremely dense and difficult to work without sharp blades. Most commonly used for chopping blocks and cutting boards, but the unique wild character of the grain makes it worth using for any high-end woodworking intended to last for generations.

Native to the Indian subcontinent and the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines. Mango trees are converted to lumber once their fruit-bearing lifespan has finished. Among the most common woodworking choices in Hawaii because of the tree's prevalence, ease of use, and beauty of its golden grain. Often has tight curl at trunk, branch intersections, and thick elbow joints. Wood left grounded can develop beautiful zone line spalting from turkey tail and other fungi.

Commonly known as the portia tree or Pacific rosewood. A small tree with a pantropical distribution found on coasts around the world. Introduced to the Pacific Islands by prehistoric Austronesian voyagers. Traditionally planted in sacred groves and used for religious sculpture throughout eastern Polynesia. In Tahiti, milo wood is used to make the to'ere (slotted wooden drum). The heartwood is dark reddish brown to chocolate brown. Very easy to work with considering its weight.

Also known as the rain tree, native to Central and South America. Frequently planted along roadways and as a shade tree in Hawaii — a mature tree absorbs almost 30 tons of CO2 annually. We specialize in monkeypod and it is usually the majority of our selection. Among the most popular woodworking woods in Hawaii for its beauty, ease of use, and prevalence. Has a walnut-like creamy brown heartwood and off-white to golden yellow sapwood. Often has compression curl at the base and branch intersections.

Also known as Amboyna wood, Malay padauk, Philippine mahogany, and Burmese rosewood. The national tree of the Philippines since 1934. The hardwood is purplish, termite-resistant, and rose-scented. The burl (amboyna) is finely sliced to produce an extremely decorative veneer used in furniture and marimba keys. A premium timber suitable for high-grade furniture, lumber, plywood, cartwheels, wood carving, and musical instruments.

Endemic to Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean. Araucaria were distributed worldwide during the Jurassic period. The timber is good for woodturning and is extensively used by Hawaii artisans. The wood has classic pine colors — off-white to yellow straight grain with small red-brown knots. In rare cases it can have a low-hertz invisible curl, and in even rarer cases the curl is made visible by blue stain spalting from a suspected Chlorociboria species fungus.

Commonly known as Manila tamarind, Madras thorn, or camachile. Native to the Pacific Coast of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Introduced to the Philippines via the Manila galleons and considered an invasive species in Hawaii. Also sometimes called monkeypod, though it is a distinct species from Samanea saman. Reaches a height of about 33–49 feet with a spiny trunk and bipinnate leaves.

Also known as Siamese cassia, kassod tree, and cassia tree. Native to South and Southeast Asia. As a hardwood, used for ornamentation on instruments (ukuleles and guitars) and decorative products — named pheasantwood for the similarity of its grain to pheasant feathers. Sometimes used in Chinese furniture (known as jichimu) interchangeably with Ormosia species.

Also known as blonde mahogany and gold tree. Native to Central America and southern Mexico, grown throughout the tropics. Primavera has an elegant light tone and is fairly easy to work with.

A genus of 23 species native to tropical rainforests of Central and South America. The heartwood quickly turns from light brown to a rich purple when cut. Exposure to UV light darkens it to brown — minimized with a UV-inhibiting finish. Very hard, stiff, and dense. Prized for fine inlay work on musical instruments, guitar fret boards, woodturning, cabinetry, flooring, and furniture. Exposure to dust can cause irritation and nausea.

A group of flowering trees in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to India and Southeast Asia. Hawaii's most common shower trees are the rainbow shower tree (Cassia x nealiae), pink shower tree (Cassia javanica), and yellow shower tree (Cassia fistula). The rainbow shower tree is the official City and County flower of Honolulu. Cassia fistula is the state flower of Kerala, India, and both the national tree and flower of Thailand. Frequently planted along roadways and in parks.

A forest tree in the mahogany family growing throughout southern Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia, planted throughout the tropics including Hawaii. Common names include Australian Red Cedar, Burma cedar, Indian cedar, and Indian mahogany. A striking red furniture wood that is easy to machine, sand, glue, and finish.

Commonly called tamanu, mastwood, beach calophyllum, or beautyleaf. A large evergreen tree native to tropical Asia and Wallacea. Spread in prehistoric times by Austronesian peoples across Oceania and Madagascar due to its importance in traditional shipbuilding of large outrigger ships. Also a source of the culturally important tamanu oil. Traditionally favored for canoes for its balance of high durability and low density. Medium-hard to work with.

Also known as blue gum or white ironbark, endemic to Australia. Widely distributed on plains and nearby mountain ranges of coastal South Australia and western Victoria. The leaves are distilled for the production of cineole-based eucalyptus oil, which has a history of wide application as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance, and in industrial uses.