What is tamarindo?
The Wood Guide · The wood register
Tropical hardwood · referenceTamarindo
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
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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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.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
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.
Tamarindo in perspective
A reference species in our register — rare, orange-red and rock-hard.
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Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Dialium guianense · Pernambuco, Brazil — Tarciso Leão, CC BY 2.0