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What is iroko hardwood?

The Wood Guide · The wood register

Tropical hardwood · reference

Iroko

Also sold as kambala. An African hardwood that comes close to the durability of teak, with a warm golden-brown colour that darkens over the years.

  • Chlorophora regia · excelsa
  • ±650 kg/m³
  • Heartwood class I–II
Chlorophora spp.
Iroko (Milicia excelsa)IrokoMilicia excelsa
Planed iroko board with a coarse, even grain (Milicia excelsa)
Planed iroko board with a coarse, even grainMilicia excelsa
Iroko close up: golden-brown heartwood with light streaks (Milicia excelsa)
Iroko close up: golden-brown heartwood with light streaksMilicia excelsa
Summary

Iroko at a glance

Iroko has been earning its stripes in construction, joinery and the furniture industry for decades. If you are looking for a hardwood that can cope with our weather without intensive maintenance, you soon end up with it.

The wood combines impressive natural durability with a warm, golden-brown look that darkens to dark brown on exposure to air. At around 650 kg per cubic metre it is sturdy without being leaden — a pleasant middle ground between teak and the really heavy tropical species.

Iroko is often called "poor man's teak". That sells it short: the durability is comparable, the price a good deal friendlier, and the only real difference is that iroko contains less natural oil.

Note: heartwood only

The heartwood reaches class I to II, but the yellowish-white sapwood is in class V — not durable. For construction and outdoor work only heartwood is therefore used. Ask for it explicitly.

Botanical
Chlorophora regia and C. excelsa
Heartwood
golden brown, darkens to dark brown
Sapwood
yellowish white, not durable
Density
±650 kg/m³
Outdoors
class I–II (heartwood)
Maintenance
none; greys without loss

To be fair: iroko contains hard calcium deposits that damage saw blades and chisels, and with interlocked grain it can tear out. Sharp carbide tooling is no luxury.

In pictures · iroko, the African hardwood that comes close to teak1 / 9
Note

Heartwood only

The golden-brown heartwood reaches durability class I to II, but the yellowish-white sapwood is in class V — not durable. For construction and outdoor work only heartwood is therefore used. Ask for it explicitly.

Click a chapter or use the arrows · ranges and cross-sections schematic.

Two species, one name

Where iroko comes from

The trade name covers two botanical species, both belonging to the genus Chlorophora.

Chlorophora regia

Grows in the wet rainforests of West Africa, from Gambia to Ghana — mainly in coastal areas with high rainfall.

Chlorophora excelsa

Has a much larger range, from Senegal to Mozambique, and copes better with dry periods.

In practice

Both produce wood with comparable properties and are rarely told apart. You simply buy "iroko".

Ask where it comes from

As a tropical hardwood from African rainforest, forestry practice is a real point of attention. Ask your supplier where the wood comes from. If you are looking for a European alternative with comparable durability, look at robinia.

Measurable

Technical properties

Property Description
Colour and texture Golden-brown heartwood that turns dark brown in the air; yellowish-white sapwood. Moderately fine grain, straight to interlocked
Density Average ±650 kg/m³ — sturdy without being leaden
Durability heartwood Class I–II — durable to very durable, highly resistant to rot and fungi
Durability sapwood Class V — not durable; not used for outdoor work
Workability Good, by machine and by hand; use adapted cutting angles with interlocked grain
Distinctive May contain hard calcium deposits that damage tools
The calcium deposits

Iroko can have stone-hard calcium deposits in the wood. They are rare but notorious: they can ruin a saw blade in one pass. Anyone working a lot of iroko allows for them.

Uses

What iroko is used for

Exterior joinery

Windows, doors and frames — the classic use, thanks to its combination of durability and dimensional stability.

Garden furniture

Tables and benches that can stand outdoors for decades without treatment.

Decking and cladding

Greys evenly to silver grey, just like teak.

Laboratory worktops

A lesser-known use: iroko resists many chemicals.

Shipbuilding

As a substitute for teak on decks and panelling, at a lower price.

The strongest use

Iroko as cladding

Of everything you can do with iroko, cladding is probably the use in which it makes fullest use of its properties. A façade is vertical, so water runs off; it is not walked on, so wear resistance hardly matters. What counts is dimensional stability, rot resistance and how the wood ages — and iroko scores highly on all three.

Moves little

Iroko is exceptionally stable for a tropical hardwood. On a façade ten metres wide that means gaps that are still just as wide after five years.

No treatment needed

Durability class 1 to 2 without impregnation. You can fit an iroko façade and forget it.

Greys evenly

The golden brown turns to silver grey within a year — and unlike many species it does so evenly, without patches in the places that catch more rain.

Lighter than most hardwoods

Around 650 kg/m³ compared with 1,100 for ipé. That makes a difference in the substructure and in the fitting work.

What to watch when fitting

Use stainless steel fixings: the substances in iroko react with ordinary steel and cause black streaks. Provide a ventilated cavity behind the cladding so both sides dry equally fast — a cladding board closed off on one side will warp. And seal the end grain, because that is where moisture gets in fastest.

Two ways

Let it grey or keep the colour

The same story as with teak: choose one and stick with it.

New or oiled — golden brown After 1–2 years — silver grey
What you do

For durability you don't need to do anything. If you want to keep the golden-brown colour, oil it every year with a wood oil in the right colour — see the Restol collection. Clean with lukewarm water and a soft brush; no pressure washer.

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about iroko

Is iroko as good as teak?

For outdoor use it comes close: the heartwood reaches class I to II, teak class 1. The difference lies in the natural oil — teak contains more, which makes it even more stable. Iroko is, however, noticeably cheaper.

Why is iroko also called kambala?

That is simply another trade name for the same wood, depending on the country of origin and the supplier. "African teak" also crops up, although that is misleading — botanically it is not teak.

Can iroko go outdoors untreated?

Yes, provided you use heartwood. That reaches durability class I to II and needs no treatment. The sapwood does: it is in class V and does not belong in outdoor work.

Why does iroko damage my tools?

Because of hard calcium deposits that are sometimes in the wood. They are rare but hard enough to ruin a saw blade. Use carbide and watch out for sparks or sudden resistance.

Do you sell iroko?

No. Our furniture is made of pressure-treated spruce, Douglas fir, teak and other hardwood. Iroko is in our register because it is a frequently asked question for exterior joinery and decking.

More in The Wood Guide

Iroko in perspective

Iroko is a reference species in our register — wood we don't work with, but do know.

To The Wood Guide Compare with teak What is hardwood?

Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.

Milicia excelsa — Tim van de Staak, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Milicia excelsa — Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Milicia excelsa — Christleo, CC BY-SA 4.0

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