What is rubberwood?

The Wood Guide · The wood register

Broadleaf wood · reference

Rubberwood

The tree that first yields latex for years and then furniture wood. A by-product that changed the furniture industry — with the same limitation as any by-product.

Hevea brasiliensis
After 25 to 30 years of latex
Also called parawood

Hevea brasiliensis

Rubber treeHevea brasiliensis

Tapped rubber tree: white latex runs from the cut into a cup (Hevea brasiliensis) — Tapped rubber tree: white latex runs from the cut into a cupHevea brasiliensis

Rubber trees in straight rows on a plantation (Hevea brasiliensis) — Rubber trees in straight rows on a plantationHevea brasiliensis

Summary

Rubberwood in brief

From the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), planted in Southeast Asia for latex production. Also called parawood.

A rubber tree yields latex for twenty-five to thirty years. After that the yield drops and the plantation is replanted. In the past the wood was burnt; today it goes to the furniture industry.

That makes rubberwood one of the most circular furniture woods there is: the tree was already there, it has already been harvested once for something else, and no natural forest was felled for it. The wood itself is pale cream to light yellow, moderately hard and very even in structure.

Why it is so affordable

Because the raw material is a by-product. The plantation makes its money from latex; the wood is extra income when it is replanted. That puts the price well below wood from forests managed specifically for timber.

Botanical: Hevea brasiliensis
Other name: parawood
Origin: plantations in Southeast Asia
Source: trees after 25 to 30 years of latex production
Colour: pale cream to light yellow
Durability: low — indoors only

To be fair: rubberwood is very susceptible to fungi and insects. Freshly sawn, it has to be treated immediately, or it develops blue stain and mould within days. It has no place outdoors, and even indoors a damp cellar is not a good spot.

At a glance · the two lives of the rubber tree1 / 6

The first life

25 to 30 years of latex

Rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) are planted in Southeast Asia for latex. A tree yields for twenty-five to thirty years; after that the yield drops and the plantation is renewed.

Click a chapter or use the arrows · timelines drawn for illustration.

Measurable

What characterises rubberwood

Pale and even

Cream to light yellow with a very even structure and little contrast between growth rings — it takes stain evenly.

Moderately hard

Hard enough for tabletops and cabinets, comparable with beech.

Easy to work

It saws, sands and glues nicely, and holds screws well.

Not durable

Very susceptible to fungi and insects. Indoors only, and dry.

Uses

What rubberwood is used for

Use	Suitable?	Why
Indoor furniture	Excellent	Affordable, even, finishes well
Kitchen worktops	Good	As a stave-laminated top; finish it well
Toys	Good	Can be finished smooth and splinter-free
Cabinets and drawers	Excellent	Stable and affordable
Outdoor furniture	Unsuitable	Not durable
Damp rooms	Not recommended	Prone to mould

A genuinely circular argument

Unlike many 'sustainable' claims, this one holds up: every cubic metre of rubberwood comes from a tree that was already standing and was going to be cleared anyway. Compare it with mango wood, which comes about in exactly the same way.