Sipo, a beautiful reddish-brown wood from Central and West Africa, is known for its versatility and attractive aesthetics. This wood is suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications, but is not suitable for direct contact with water or soil. Sipo is valued for its durability and excellent workability, making it a popular choice for various construction and decoration projects.
Sipo is the commercial name for the botanical species Entandrophragma utile Sprague, belonging to the Meliaceae family. It is found in the evergreen tropical rainforests of countries such as Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo-Brazzaville.
Sipo trees can reach heights of up to 60 meters, with a diameter ranging from 70 to 130 centimeters above the root base. The straight, branch-free, cylindrical trunk measures 10 to 30 meters in length.
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Height | Up to 60 meters |
| Diameter | 70-130 cm |
| Branch-free trunk | 10-30 meters |
The heartwood of Sipo is reddish-brown and turns golden brown with exposure to sunlight. The sapwood is pinkish-gray. On the quarter-sawn surface, the wood is lightly striped with alternating dark and light bands due to cross grain or irregular grain. On flat-sawn wood, a purplish flame pattern often appears due to the parenchyma tissue. The grain is moderately to finely textured.
| Color | Description |
|---|---|
| Heartwood | Reddish-brown, golden brown due to sunlight |
| Sapwood | Pinkish-gray |
| Pattern | Purplish flames, light and dark bands |
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Average density | 650 kg/m³ |
| Radial shrinkage | 0.8%-0.9% |
| Tangential shrinkage | 0.8%-1.1% |
| Bending strength | 89 N/mm² |
