What is Ave Wood?
The Wood Guide · The wood register
Tropical hardwood · referenceAve wood
Better known as rosewood or pau-rosa. Pink to reddish brown, naturally lustrous, with an unmistakable scent of roses — and a story you should know before you buy it.
- Aniba rosaeodora
- CITES Appendix II
- Tree 30–40 m
Ave wood
Better known as rosewood or pau-rosa. Pink to reddish brown, naturally lustrous, with an unmistakable scent of roses — and a story you should know before you buy it.
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Ave in brief
The wood of Aniba rosaeodora, a tropical broadleaf tree from the rainforests of South America, particularly Brazil and the wider Amazon region.
The tree grows 30 to 40 metres tall with a straight trunk 60 to 90 centimetres in diameter. The heartwood ranges from pink to reddish brown, the sapwood from almost white to light yellow. The texture is fine to medium with a mostly straight grain; interlocked grain occurs.
What makes it unmistakable is the scent. Freshly sawn ave wood smells of roses — the origin both of the trade name rosewood and of the problem attached to it.
The rose scent comes from linalool, a substance harvested for perfume. Whole trees were felled and distilled for that oil — not for the wood, but for the scent. That is why Aniba rosaeodora is listed in Appendix II of CITES: trade is only permitted with a permit and with proof of legal origin.
- Botanical
- Aniba rosaeodora
- Other names
- rosewood, pau-rosa, bois de rose
- Origin
- Amazon region, mainly Brazil
- Tree
- 30 to 40 m, trunk 60 to 90 cm
- Scent
- rose scent from linalool
- Status
- CITES Appendix II — permit required
To be fair: this is not a wood you simply buy. The species has declined sharply through overexploitation for perfume oil and is listed in CITES Appendix II. Without papers proving legal origin, leave it alone — however beautiful it is.
Appearance and structure
Colour
Heartwood pink to reddish brown, sapwood almost white to light yellow. The contrast between heartwood and sapwood is clearly visible.
Texture and grain
Fine to medium, with a mostly straight grain. Interlocked grain sometimes occurs and then makes planing harder.
Lustre
A natural lustre that makes the wood attractive even without a finish — the reason it is valued as veneer.
Scent
A distinctive rose scent, strongest when the wood is freshly sawn.
What it was used for
| Use | Why ave | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Perfume oil | Linalool from the wood | The main cause of the overexploitation |
| Luxury furniture | Colour, lustre and scent | Rare and permit-only |
| Veneer | Decorative surface | Mainly found in old pieces |
| Musical instruments | Sound and appearance | Limited, with papers |
| Decorative carving | Fine texture | Small pieces, often reused |
Frequently asked questions about ave wood
Can ave wood still be traded?
Only with a CITES permit and proof of legal origin. Aniba rosaeodora is listed in Appendix II, which allows trade but ties it to strict documentation. Without papers: do not buy.
Why does ave wood smell of roses?
Because of linalool, a natural fragrance compound in the wood. The same substance is used in the perfume industry, and extracting it is why the species became endangered.
Is ave the same as palisander?
No. Palisander is Dalbergia and is also called rosewood in English — one of the most confusing name overlaps in the timber trade. Ave is Aniba rosaeodora, an entirely different genus.
Ave in perspective
A reference species with a warning attached — beautiful wood, vulnerable tree.
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Photo via Wikimedia Commons: French Guiana, 1920s — Unknown (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Gallica), Public domain