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What is tamarindo?

The Wood Guide · The wood register

Tropical hardwood · reference

Tamarindo

A wood you rarely hear about until you come across it. A warm orange-red colour, and a hardness few tropical species can match.

  • Dialium guianense
  • Family Fabaceae
  • In the trade: ironwood
Dialium guianense
Branch of Dialium guianense with leaves and unripe fruits (Dialium guianense · Pernambuco, Brazil)
Branch of Dialium guianense with leaves and unripe fruitsDialium guianense · Pernambuco, Brazil
In pictures · Tamarindo1 / 6
Chapter 1 · The species

Tamarindo

A wood you rarely hear about until you come across it. A warm orange-red colour, and a hardness few tropical species can match.

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Summary

Tamarindo in brief

From the tropical lowland forests of Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela — family Fabaceae, the same legume family as robinia.

That family tie is not a detail. Fabaceae species are known for a rich concentration of natural resins and extractives in their heartwood, and it is precisely those substances that explain why tamarindo is so durable. The wood defends itself, just as teak does.

Its colour makes it instantly recognisable among other tropical species: a warm orange-red that deepens over the years. Combine that with a density most hardwoods can't match, and you have a species that can handle heavy structures, exterior joinery and luxury parquet alike.

Four names, one tree

Locally the tree is called Jutaí, Jatobá or Tamarindo montaña; in the English-speaking trade you come across ironwood, a reference to the rock-hard structure of the heartwood. Watch out for the name Jatobá — it is also used for a different species . Ask for the botanical name.

Botanical
Dialium guianense
Family
Fabaceae — like robinia
Origin
Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela
Colour
warm orange-red, deepens over the years
Trade name
ironwood
Strength in
hardness and durability

To be honest: the name confusion is real: Jatobá covers both tamarindo and Hymenaea courbaril, two different species with different behaviour. And as with any very hard tropical wood: pre-drilling is a must and your saw blades wear noticeably faster.

Measurable

What tamarindo can do

Very high density

Few tropical species match it. That explains the hardness, the wear resistance and the resistance to insects.

Rich extractives

Natural resins in the heartwood make it unattractive to fungi — the same strategy as teak.

Warm colour

Orange-red that becomes deeper and browner under the influence of light. Left untreated outdoors, it greys to silver.

Working

Pre-drilling is not optional. Expect to need carbide-tipped tools and more time than with European hardwood.

Uses

What tamarindo is used for

Use Suitable? Why
Heavy construction Excellent High density and load-bearing capacity
Exterior joinery Excellent Durable without treatment
Luxury parquet Excellent Hard-wearing and decorative in colour
Decking boards Good Heavy; generous gaps and pre-drilling
Furniture Good Beautiful, but heavy and hard to work
Fine joinery Limited Too hard for hand work
Rare in Europe

Tamarindo is not a standard species in the Belgian and Dutch timber trade. If you are looking for it, you will end up with specialist importers — and then the question of origin and documentation is all the more relevant.

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about tamarindo

What is tamarindo wood?

The wood of Dialium guianense, a tree from the tropical lowland forests of South America, family Fabaceae. It is orange-red, very hard and very durable.

Is tamarindo the same as jatoba?

No, although tamarindo is also locally called Jatobá. Jatoba in the trade is Hymenaea courbaril — a different species. Always ask for the botanical name.

Why is it called ironwood?

After the rock-hard structure of the heartwood. The name is, by the way, used for dozens of very hard species and says little in itself.

Can tamarindo be used outdoors?

Yes, it is naturally very durable and needs no treatment. Left untreated, it greys to a silvery grey without losing strength.

More in The Wood Guide

Tamarindo in perspective

A reference species in our register — rare, orange-red and rock-hard.

To The Wood Guide Tropical hardwood Jatoba wood

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Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Dialium guianense · Pernambuco, Brazil — Tarciso Leão, CC BY 2.0

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