Domestic Wood Alternatives for Tropical Timber

Find local wood that you can use instead of endangered, or un-sustainably harvested tropical hardwoods.  Draftwood's national network of biological woodsman can provide you with local, green certified wood and forest products from horse-powered restorative forestry.  To find out more about Draftwood's wood products, click here...

Tropical Wood

Scientific Name

Countries of Origin

Teak

(Techtona grandis)

Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia.

Description

Uses

Domestic Wood Alternatives 

Heartwood is medium brown

Flooring, ship-building, decking, turnery, exterior and interior furniture.

Black Birch (AKA "Mountain Mahogany") or Black Walnut to match the beautiful brown heartwood of Teak.  For a hard weather resistant wood for outdoor furniture, try Black Locust.

Ipe

(Tabebuia serratiafolia), lapacho, pau d'arco.

Mexico, Central and Latin America

Light brown to olive brown

Outdoor decking, truck flooring, railroad cross ties, turnery, tool handels veneer.

Black Locust is an excellent alternative for rot resistant decking