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Wood Specifications

Common Names(s): Yellowheart, Pau Amarello
Scientific Name: Euxylophora paraensis
Distribution: Brazil
Tree Size: 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 52 lbs/ft3 (825 kg/m3)
Specific Gravity: .67, .83
Janka Hardness: 1,790 lbf (7,950 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 16,810 lbf/in2 (115.9 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 2,413,000 lbf/in2 (16.64 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 10,080 lbf/in2 (69.5 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 5.6%, Tangential: 6.7%, Volumetric: 12.0%, T/R Ratio: 1.2

Sanded

Sealed

Color & Appearance

Heartwood color ranges from pale to golden yellow, darkening only slightly with age. Sapwood is a pale yellow/white.

Grain & Texture

Grain is usually straight, though some figured pieces may have wavy or interlocked grain. Fine uniform texture and a naturally high luster.

Diffuse-porous; large pores in no specific arrangement, few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; heartwood deposits occasionally present; growth rings indistinct; rays visible without lens; parenchyma not indiscernible with lens.

Rot Resistance

Rated as moderately durable in decay resistance, with mixed reports on its resistance to insect attacks.

Workability

Yellowheart is normally easy to work with hand or machine tools, though it can be more difficult if interlocked or figured grain is present. Yellowheart also has a moderate blunting effect on cutters. Glues and finishes well.

Odor

Yellowheart has a mild, unpleasant smell when being worked.

Allergies & Toxicity

Yellowheart has been reported to cause skin irritation in some people.

Pricing & Availability

A commercially important and widely harvested timber in Brazil. Good availability as lumber in a variety of widths. Should be fairly inexpensive for an imported hardwood.

Sustainability

This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Common Uses

Flooring, furniture, boatbuilding, accents, and turned objects.

Comments

Commonly referred to as Pau Amarello— which is Portuguese for “yellow wood”—few woods are as consistent and vibrant a yellow as Yellowheart. The wood is also sometimes sold as Brazilian Satinwood, though it is not to be considered a true satinwood.