What is Cumaru?
The Wood Guide · The wood register
Tropical hardwood · referenceCumaru
Also called Brazilian teak, although it has nothing to do with teak. Warm chocolate brown, extremely hard, and the most popular step down from ipé.
- Dipteryx odorata
- Tree up to 48 m
- Class 1–2
Cumaru
Also called Brazilian teak, although it has nothing to do with teak. Warm chocolate brown, extremely hard, and the most popular step down from ipé.
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Cumaru in brief
From the tropical rainforests of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and the Guianas. Family Leguminosae — known for hard, durable woods.
The trees reach forty-eight metres, with trunk diameters of up to a metre. The wood they yield is warm chocolate brown with a fine, sometimes wavy figure, and it combines high density with durability class 1 to 2.
In practice cumaru is best known as the alternative to ipé: almost as hard, almost as durable, and noticeably cheaper. For decking that has to last twenty to thirty years without paying top price for ipé, it is the logical choice.
The species name odorata refers to the scent: the seed of the cumaru tree is the tonka bean, with a strong vanilla-almond aroma used in perfumes and flavourings. Freshly sawn cumaru smells faintly of it.
- Botanical
- Dipteryx odorata
- Family
- Leguminosae
- Origin
- Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, the Guianas
- Tree height
- up to 48 m, trunk up to 1 m
- Colour
- warm chocolate brown
- Durability
- class 1 to 2
To be fair: cumaru has a lot of interlocked grain, which makes planing tricky and the board more prone to movement than ipé. Decking boards can cup if they dry unevenly — kiln-dried wood and narrower boards limit that.
Cumaru versus ipé
| Cumaru | Ipé | |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical | Dipteryx odorata | Handroanthus spp. |
| Colour | Warm chocolate brown | Reddish brown to olive blackish brown |
| Durability class | 1 to 2 | 1 |
| Service life outdoors | 20 to 30 years | 25 to 50 years |
| Grain direction | Often interlocked | Mostly straight |
| Price | Noticeably lower | Top end |
For a private deck that has to last twenty to thirty years, cumaru is almost always enough. Ipé only earns its higher price on heavily used public decks.
What cumaru is used for
Decking and boardwalks
The main use. Choose kiln-dried, narrower boards and leave generous gaps.
Cladding
Durable and weathers attractively to grey, although it is heavier than usual for cladding.
Outdoor furniture
Heavy but practically indestructible.
Indoor flooring
Very hard-wearing; the interlocked grain gives a lively look.
As with any very hard tropical hardwood: pre-drilling is a must, and fixings should be stainless steel. Ordinary steel rusts away and also leaves dark streaks in the wood.
Frequently asked questions about cumaru
Is cumaru the same as teak?
No. The trade name Brazilian teak refers only to its appearance. Teak is Tectona grandis from Asia; cumaru is Dipteryx odorata from South America.
Cumaru or ipé for my deck?
For a private deck, cumaru is almost always enough: twenty to thirty years at a lower price. Ipé earns its higher price on heavily used public decks.
Why is my cumaru deck cupping?
Because of interlocked grain combined with uneven drying. Kiln-dried wood, narrower boards and treating the top and underside the same way limit it.
What is the tonka bean?
The seed of the cumaru tree, with a strong vanilla-almond aroma used in perfumes and flavourings. Hence the species name odorata.
Cumaru in perspective
The sensible step down from ipé — almost everything ipé can do, for less.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Dipteryx odorata — Fred Benenson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dipteryx odorata — Tatters, CC0