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What is meranti?

The Wood Guide · The wood register

Tropical hardwood · reference

Meranti

From the forests of Southeast Asia, from trees that grow seventy metres tall. Light in weight, easy to work — and quite possibly in your window frames.

  • Genus Shorea
  • Red, white and yellow meranti
  • Class 2–4, depending on the species
Shorea spp.
Meranti end grain under a lens: open pores in reddish-brown wood (Shorea spp.)
Meranti end grain under a lens: open pores in reddish-brown woodShorea spp.
Trunk of a meranti tree (Shorea leprosula) in Malaysian rainforest (Shorea leprosula)
Trunk of a meranti tree (Shorea leprosula) in Malaysian rainforestShorea leprosula
Summary

Meranti in brief

A collective name for dozens of species of the genus Shorea, family Dipterocarpaceae. In practice they are grouped by colour: red, white and yellow.

Meranti is the workhorse among tropical timbers: light enough to work comfortably, strong enough for window frames and furniture, and widely available. That is exactly why you find it in exterior joinery, garden furniture and the swing benches in our own range.

The trees themselves are giants: up to seventy metres tall with trunk diameters of more than two metres. They play a key role in the rainforest ecosystem — providing habitat for orangutans, among others, and storing large amounts of carbon.

Origin really matters here

Meranti comes from primary rainforest in Southeast Asia, where the pressure on the forest is high. Ask your supplier where the timber comes from and how the forest is managed — with this species, that carries more weight than with European timber.

Botanical
Shorea spp. (Dipterocarpaceae)
Origin
Southeast Asia
Tree height
up to 70 metres, trunk up to 2 metres thick
Colour groups
red, white and yellow meranti
Durability
class 2–4, depending on the group
Strength in
workability and availability

To be fair: 'meranti' says little without the colour group. Dark red meranti is clearly more durable than light red or white — yet they are sold under the same name.

At a glance · meranti, from rainforest giant to window frame1 / 7
In the rainforest

Up to seventy metres tall

Meranti trees are among the largest in the tropical rainforest: up to seventy metres, with trunk diameters over two metres. They provide habitat for countless species, including the orangutan, and store large amounts of carbon.

Click a chapter or use the arrows · tree and person to the same scale; map stylised.

Three groups

Red, white and yellow meranti

The trade name covers dozens of species. In practice, this colour grouping determines what you get.

Species Characteristics Main uses
Red meranti Reddish brown, medium density. Dark red is more durable than light red Furniture, construction, veneer, window frames
White meranti Lighter in colour and weight, less durable Interior joinery, mouldings, board materials
Yellow meranti Yellowish brown, average properties General carpentry and interiors
Ask for dark red

For outdoor work, dark red meranti is the only group you want: heavier, denser and clearly more durable. Light red and white meranti belong indoors.

In the rainforest

A giant with a role

Up to seventy metres

With trunk diameters of more than two metres, meranti trees are among the largest in the tropical rainforest.

Winged nuts

Typical of the Dipterocarpaceae: the fruits have wings and spin down like little helicopters.

Habitat

The trees provide habitat and food for countless species, including endangered primates such as the orangutan.

Carbon storage

Because of their size they store large amounts of carbon — all the more reason to take care over origin.

Uses

What meranti is used for

Window frames and exterior joinery

The classic use in the Low Countries: easy to work, dimensionally stable and, with the right group, durable enough.

Garden furniture

Our hardwood swing bench is made from meranti — light enough to handle, strong enough to stay standing.

Sheet materials

Much plywood with a tropical core uses meranti veneer.

Interior joinery

Mouldings, doors and stairs, especially in the lighter groups.

What we make with it

In our range, meranti turns up in hardwood furniture such as the swing bench. For picnic tables we use pressure-treated spruce, for benches more often teak — see the wood register for how they compare.

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about meranti

Is meranti suitable for outdoor use?

Dark red meranti is, provided it is treated: it reaches class 2–3. Light red and white meranti are less durable and belong indoors. So always ask for the colour group.

How does it differ from teak?

Teak is denser, richer in oil and reaches class 1 without treatment; meranti is lighter, cheaper and easier to work, but needs protection. The full comparison is in teak or hardwood.

Why is it sometimes called lauan or Philippine mahogany?

Those are trade names for the same genus, Shorea. 'Philippine mahogany' is misleading: botanically it is not mahogany, and it does not have mahogany's properties either.

What about its origin?

Meranti comes from primary rainforest in Southeast Asia, where the pressure on the forest is high. Ask your supplier explicitly where the timber comes from and how the forest is managed.

More in The Wood Guide

Meranti in perspective

Meranti is a reference species in our register — timber you will find in a few of our hardwood furniture pieces.

To The Wood Guide Hardwood furniture Teak or hardwood?

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

Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Shorea spp. — G-Lignum, CC BY 4.0 · Shorea leprosula — Wiki Asmah, CC BY 4.0

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