What is mango wood?
The Wood Guide · The wood register
Broadleaf wood · referenceMango wood
A wood with an unusual origin: it comes from mango trees that stop bearing fruit after twenty years and would otherwise simply be discarded.
- Mangifera indica
- 550–670 kg/m³
- Class 3–4
Mango treeMangifera indica
Mango in brief
Once a by-product of fruit growing, today a valued furniture wood — and a textbook example of turning a waste stream into something worthwhile.
A mango tree bears fruit for twenty to twenty-five years. After that the yield drops and the tree is replaced. The wood used to end up in the stove; today it is sawn into boards. That means every piece of mango furniture is made from a tree that was already there, and no natural forest was felled for it.
The wood itself is medium-heavy and medium-hard — comparable to oak — with a lively figure ranging from light brown to golden brown, sometimes with dark streaks or flames. Two boards are rarely the same.
Because the raw material is a by-product, the price is well below that of tropical hardwood felled specifically for timber. So you get characterful solid wood without the price of teak.
- Botanical
- Mangifera indica
- Origin
- Southeast Asia, India, Brazil
- Source
- retired fruit trees of 20–25 years
- Density
- 550–670 kg/m³ — medium-heavy
- Durability
- class 3–4 — moderate
- Stability
- good, provided it is dried properly
To be fair: at class 3 to 4, mango is not a long-term choice outdoors. Unsheltered, it lasts only a few years; it is at its best indoors.
Twenty to twenty-five years of fruit
A mango tree (Mangifera indica) stays commercially productive for twenty to twenty-five years. Then the yield drops and the orchard is renewed — the tree is felled because it has done its job, not because wood is needed.
Click a chapter or use the arrows · tree, timeline and weathering schematic, years speeded up.
A second life for the mango tree
- Twenty to twenty-five years of fruitThat is how long a mango tree stays commercially productive. After that the yield drops and the orchard is renewed.
- Harvested after its fruiting yearsThe tree is cleared because it has done its job, not because timber is needed.
- Sawn into boardsWhat used to become firewood now goes to the furniture industry — mainly in Southeast Asia, India and Brazil.
- Less felling elsewhereEvery cubic metre of mango used as furniture wood is a cubic metre that does not have to come from a natural forest.
Technical properties
| Property | Value | Special feature |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 550–670 kg/m³ | Medium-heavy wood |
| Durability class | 3–4 | Moderately durable — at its best indoors |
| Hardness | Medium | Comparable to oak |
| Stability | Good | Little movement once properly dried |
| Bending strength | Average | More than enough for furniture |
Colour
Light brown to golden brown, sometimes with dark streaks or flames. Outdoors it weathers to an attractive grey.
Structure
Medium to coarse texture with irregular grain direction — hence the lively figure.
Character
Playful knots and natural colour variation are part of it. If you want an even surface, you are better off with another species.
What mango is used for
| Field of use | Examples | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture | Tables, cabinets, beds | Solid, characterful and affordable |
| Interior fit-out | Wall panelling, shelves | Decorative figure |
| Accessories | Chopping boards, trays | Dense enough and odourless |
| Outdoor furniture | Garden sets, planters | Fairly weather-resistant, provided it is treated and sheltered |
Mango is sometimes sold as a garden furniture wood. That works, but count on treating it and giving it a sheltered spot. For furniture that stands out in all weathers all year round, choose a species in class 1 or 2 — see the durability classes.
Frequently asked questions about mango wood
Is mango wood sustainable?
In terms of origin, excellent: it comes from fruit trees that are cleared after twenty to twenty-five years anyway, so no natural forest is felled for it. In terms of service life it is average — class 3 to 4.
Can mango wood go outdoors?
Why does every mango board differ in colour?
Because of the irregular grain direction and the natural colour variation from light brown to golden brown, often with dark flames. That is the character of the species — some people find that is exactly its charm.
How hard is mango wood?
Medium-hard, comparable to oak. Hard enough for a table top in daily use, and soft enough to be pleasant to work.
Mango in perspective
Mango is a reference species in our register — a wood we do not work with, but do know well.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Mangifera indica — Kurt Kaiser, CC0 · Mangifera indica — Kurt Kaiser, CC0 · Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Mangifera indica — Philipola, CC0