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What is mango wood?

The Wood Guide · The wood register

Broadleaf wood · reference

Mango wood

A wood with an unusual origin: it comes from mango trees that stop bearing fruit after twenty years and would otherwise simply be discarded.

  • Mangifera indica
  • 550–670 kg/m³
  • Class 3–4
Mangifera indica
Mango tree (Mangifera indica)Mango treeMangifera indica
Sanded mango boards: light to golden brown, with dark streaks (Mangifera indica)
Sanded mango boards: light to golden brown, with dark streaksMangifera indica
Mango wood in long grain and end grain: no two pieces alike (Mangifera indica)
Mango wood in long grain and end grain: no two pieces alikeMangifera indica
Summary

Mango in brief

Once a by-product of fruit growing, today a valued furniture wood — and a textbook example of turning a waste stream into something worthwhile.

A mango tree bears fruit for twenty to twenty-five years. After that the yield drops and the tree is replaced. The wood used to end up in the stove; today it is sawn into boards. That means every piece of mango furniture is made from a tree that was already there, and no natural forest was felled for it.

The wood itself is medium-heavy and medium-hard — comparable to oak — with a lively figure ranging from light brown to golden brown, sometimes with dark streaks or flames. Two boards are rarely the same.

Why it turns up in affordable furniture

Because the raw material is a by-product, the price is well below that of tropical hardwood felled specifically for timber. So you get characterful solid wood without the price of teak.

Botanical
Mangifera indica
Origin
Southeast Asia, India, Brazil
Source
retired fruit trees of 20–25 years
Density
550–670 kg/m³ — medium-heavy
Durability
class 3–4 — moderate
Stability
good, provided it is dried properly

To be fair: at class 3 to 4, mango is not a long-term choice outdoors. Unsheltered, it lasts only a few years; it is at its best indoors.

In pictures · from fruit tree to table1 / 7
An unusual origin

Twenty to twenty-five years of fruit

A mango tree (Mangifera indica) stays commercially productive for twenty to twenty-five years. Then the yield drops and the orchard is renewed — the tree is felled because it has done its job, not because wood is needed.

Click a chapter or use the arrows · tree, timeline and weathering schematic, years speeded up.

From fruit to furniture

A second life for the mango tree

  1. Twenty to twenty-five years of fruitThat is how long a mango tree stays commercially productive. After that the yield drops and the orchard is renewed.
  2. Harvested after its fruiting yearsThe tree is cleared because it has done its job, not because timber is needed.
  3. Sawn into boardsWhat used to become firewood now goes to the furniture industry — mainly in Southeast Asia, India and Brazil.
  4. Less felling elsewhereEvery cubic metre of mango used as furniture wood is a cubic metre that does not have to come from a natural forest.
Measurable

Technical properties

Property Value Special feature
Density 550–670 kg/m³ Medium-heavy wood
Durability class 3–4 Moderately durable — at its best indoors
Hardness Medium Comparable to oak
Stability Good Little movement once properly dried
Bending strength Average More than enough for furniture

Colour

Light brown to golden brown, sometimes with dark streaks or flames. Outdoors it weathers to an attractive grey.

Structure

Medium to coarse texture with irregular grain direction — hence the lively figure.

Character

Playful knots and natural colour variation are part of it. If you want an even surface, you are better off with another species.

Uses

What mango is used for

Field of use Examples Why
Furniture Tables, cabinets, beds Solid, characterful and affordable
Interior fit-out Wall panelling, shelves Decorative figure
Accessories Chopping boards, trays Dense enough and odourless
Outdoor furniture Garden sets, planters Fairly weather-resistant, provided it is treated and sheltered
Outdoors in moderation

Mango is sometimes sold as a garden furniture wood. That works, but count on treating it and giving it a sheltered spot. For furniture that stands out in all weathers all year round, choose a species in class 1 or 2 — see the durability classes.

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about mango wood

Is mango wood sustainable?

In terms of origin, excellent: it comes from fruit trees that are cleared after twenty to twenty-five years anyway, so no natural forest is felled for it. In terms of service life it is average — class 3 to 4.

Can mango wood go outdoors?

Sheltered and treated, yes; unsheltered, not for long. For garden furniture that stays outside all year, choose teak or acacia.

Why does every mango board differ in colour?

Because of the irregular grain direction and the natural colour variation from light brown to golden brown, often with dark flames. That is the character of the species — some people find that is exactly its charm.

How hard is mango wood?

Medium-hard, comparable to oak. Hard enough for a table top in daily use, and soft enough to be pleasant to work.

More in The Wood Guide

Mango in perspective

Mango is a reference species in our register — a wood we do not work with, but do know well.

To The Wood Guide Durability classes What is hardwood?

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

Mangifera indica — Kurt Kaiser, CC0 · Mangifera indica — Kurt Kaiser, CC0 · Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Mangifera indica — Philipola, CC0

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