Tamarind
From Floor Coverings
Contents |
Wood Species
Tamarind
Biological name
Dialium, guianense
Originates from or commonly found in
Brazil and other areas in South and Central America
Physical appearance
The Tamarind tree grows to a height of 115 feet with trunk diameters of 2-3 feet. The tree has soft, yellowish sapwood and hard, dark red heartwood. The leaves branch out into 10–40 leaflets. The flowers grow off the stems into yellow blossoms. The fruit is a brown pod-like legume, which contains a soft acidic pulp and many hard-coated seeds.
Flooring Properties
Tamarind is a hardwood with a uniform orange brown color very similar to Brazilian Cherry. This hardwood species is also ideal for flooring because it is extremely hard and durable. However, the wood is therefore rated as very difficult to work because of its high density and high silica content. Specially tipped cutters are required to effectively saw or machine this wood. With aging and sunlight exposure, Tamarind will darken from the orange-brown after finishing to a darker reddish brown.
Janka rating
Tamarind has an impressive hardness rating of 3000.
