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What is Jatoba Wood?

The Wood Guide · The wood register

Tropical hardwood · reference

Jatoba wood

Sold as Brazilian cherry, botanically nothing to do with cherry. One of the hardest flooring woods there is, with edible fruit and a resin that becomes varnish.

  • Hymenaea courbaril
  • Tree up to 40 m
  • Floors and stairs
Hymenaea courbaril
Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)JatobaHymenaea courbaril
Planed jatoba board: reddish brown with dark streaks (Hymenaea courbaril)
Planed jatoba board: reddish brown with dark streaksHymenaea courbaril
Fresh jatoba surface in orange-red, with fine grain (Hymenaea courbaril)
Fresh jatoba surface in orange-red, with fine grainHymenaea courbaril
In pictures · Jatoba wood1 / 6
Chapter 1 · The species

Jatoba wood

Sold as Brazilian cherry, botanically nothing to do with cherry. One of the hardest flooring woods there is, with edible fruit and a resin that becomes varnish.

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Summary

Jatoba in brief

From the tropical highland forests of South and Central America, especially Brazil. Family Leguminosae — botanically a legume, not a cherry.

The trade name Brazilian cherry comes from the colour, not the botany: the heartwood is orange-red to reddish brown and changes over the years to a deep, warm walnut tone. The sapwood is clearly lighter and easy to tell apart.

Where jatoba really excels is wear resistance. The wood is so hard that it is standard for heavily used floors and stairs — the place where most wood species show visible signs of wear after ten years.

Copal, the tree's resin

The jatoba tree secretes a resin called copal, which is used in varnish and in religious ceremonies. The fruits are large and edible; they are eaten locally and used in traditional medicine.

Botanical
Hymenaea courbaril and relatives
Family
Leguminosae – Caesalpiniaceae
Origin
Brazil, South and Central America
Tree
30 to 40 m; branch-free trunk of 18 to 24 m
Trunk diameter
60 to 90 cm, rarely up to 150 cm
Heartwood
orange-red to reddish brown, darkens

To be fair: jatoba changes colour strongly under the influence of light. What you see on delivery is not what you have after a year: the wood becomes noticeably darker. Put a rug on a new floor and after a year you will see exactly where it lay.

Recognition

The tree and its wood

Thirty to forty metres

With branch-free trunks of 18 to 24 metres — that yields long, knot-free boards.

Swollen trunk base

Characteristic, and the reason the lowest part of the trunk is usually not sawn.

Heartwood and sapwood

The orange-red heartwood stands out clearly against the light sapwood — easy to sort, and a good check when buying.

Large edible fruits

Eaten locally and used in traditional medicine.

Uses

What jatoba is used for

Use Suitable? Why
Flooring Excellent The main use: extremely hard-wearing
Stairs Excellent Withstands heavy use without wearing in
Furniture Good Beautiful colour and figure, but heavy
Outdoor furniture Good Durable enough, provided it is treated
Veneer and decorative work Good The colour is the reason
Hydraulic engineering Limited Azobé and bilinga are more suitable for that
Why it isn't cherry

True cherry (Prunus) is European or North American, much softer and lighter in colour. The trade name Brazilian cherry refers only to the colour. You come across such misleading names more often — Philippine mahogany is meranti, and Brazilian walnut is ipé.

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about jatoba wood

Is jatoba really cherry wood?

No. Jatoba is Hymenaea courbaril, family Leguminosae — botanically a legume. The name Brazilian cherry refers only to the reddish colour.

Does jatoba change colour?

Yes, considerably. Under the influence of light it becomes noticeably darker and warmer in tone. On a floor that means: no rug or furniture in the same place for months if you want an even colour.

Can jatoba be used outdoors?

Sheltered and treated, yes. It is durable enough for garden furniture, although teak is more common for that. For hydraulic engineering, choose azobé.

What is copal?

The resin of the jatoba tree. It is processed into varnish and used in religious ceremonies — a by-product with a trade of its own.

More in The Wood Guide

Jatoba in perspective

A reference species in our register — the flooring wood of the tropics.

To The Wood Guide Tropical hardwood Ipé wood

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

Hymenaea courbaril — Tim van de Staak, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hymenaea courbaril — Philipp Zinger, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Hymenaea courbaril — Conrado, CC BY 3.0

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