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What is afzelia?

The Wood Guide · The wood register

Tropical hardwood · reference

Afzelia

In the trade it is usually called doussié. From the rainforests and savannahs of Africa, from trees that live for more than two hundred years.

  • Five species in the trade
  • Doussié and non-doussié
  • Very dimensionally stable
Afzelia spp.
Afzelia close up: warm orange-brown with a fine, calm grain (Afzelia spp.)
Afzelia close up: warm orange-brown with a fine, calm grainAfzelia spp.
Planed afzelia board with crisp, straight edges (Afzelia spp.)
Planed afzelia board with crisp, straight edgesAfzelia spp.
Afzelia tree with a broad crown in South African savanna (Afzelia quanzensis)
Afzelia tree with a broad crown in South African savannaAfzelia quanzensis
In pictures · Afzelia1 / 5
Chapter 1 · The species

Afzelia

In the trade it is usually called doussié. From the rainforests and savannahs of Africa, from trees that live for more than two hundred years.

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Summary

Afzelia in brief

From the tropical rainforests and savannahs of Africa. The trees grow up to 25 metres tall with a trunk diameter of around 90 centimetres, and some specimens are more than two hundred years old.

Belgium imports five botanical species of afzelia, divided into two groups: doussié and non-doussié. Each group has its own characteristics and fields of use, and the trade name doussié covers the higher-quality half.

Afzelia's reputation rests on one property above all others: it barely moves. Of all tropical hardwoods it is one of the most dimensionally stable, which makes it exceptionally well suited to windows, doors and anything that has to keep fitting precisely.

The yellow deposits

In afzelia you regularly find yellow to orange deposits in the vessels — crystalline, resin-like inclusions. They are typical of the species, but on contact with water they can run and stain light-coloured materials, and they blunt tools more quickly.

Origin
tropical Africa: rainforest and savannah
Tree
up to 25 m, trunk diameter about 90 cm
Age
specimens over 200 years old
Trade groups
doussié and non-doussié
Species in the Belgian trade
five
Strength in
dimensional stability

To be fair: the trade name tells you too little. Under ‘afzelia’ or ‘doussié’, five botanical species come in with noticeable differences in colour, density and durability. Ask for the botanical name if the application is demanding — and watch out for the yellow deposits on light-coloured paving.

Who's who

Doussié and non-doussié

The division is commercial, not botanical. Doussié stands for the species with the most valued combination of colour, dimensional stability and durability; the non-doussiés are related but more variable in quality.

Doussié

The trade quality for demanding exterior joinery: reddish brown, very dimensionally stable and durable.

Non-doussié

Related species with a similar appearance but more variable properties; often used in construction and general carpentry.

How you can tell

By the weight and the evenness of the colour. Large colour differences within one batch point to mixed origins.

What to ask

The botanical name and the country of origin. A good supplier can give you both.

Uses

What afzelia is used for

Use Why afzelia What to look for
Windows and doors Exceptionally dimensionally stable The classic use in the Low Countries
Exterior joinery Durable and stable Use stainless fixings
Decking Hard and durable Yellow deposits can stain light-coloured paving
Furniture Attractive reddish brown Heavy; pre-drilling essential
Stairs and floors Hard and hard-wearing Changes colour in light
Marine and hydraulic engineering Good Azobé and bilinga are more common here
Why window-frame makers choose it

A window frame has to close just as well at thirty degrees in summer as at minus five in winter. That calls for a wood that hardly moves — and in that respect afzelia is one of the very best. It costs more than meranti, and it does not stick.

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about afzelia

Is afzelia the same as doussié?

Doussié is the trade name for the higher-quality half of the afzelia on offer. All doussié is afzelia, but not all afzelia is doussié.

Why is afzelia so dimensionally stable?

Because of its cell structure and low shrinkage in both directions. It is one of the most dimensionally stable tropical hardwoods, and that is exactly why it goes into windows and doors.

What are the yellow specks in afzelia?

Crystalline, resin-like inclusions in the vessels. Typical of the species, but on contact with water they can run onto light-coloured paving, and they blunt tools more quickly.

Can afzelia go in the ground?

Better not, at least not without precautions. For ground contact and marine work, azobé and bilinga are the species to use.

More in The Wood Guide

Afzelia in perspective

The wood of window frames that still close after twenty years.

To The Wood Guide Tropical hardwood How wood moves

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Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Afzelia spp. — Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Afzelia spp. — Tim van de Staak, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Afzelia quanzensis — SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0

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