Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei)

Greenheart is an imported hardwood

Location

Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei [= Ocotea rodiei]) is essentially a Guyana tree although small stands also occur in Suriname.

Characteristics

The heartwood varies from light to dark olive green or nearly black. The texture is fine and uniform, and the grain is straight to wavy. Greenheart is stronger and stiffer than white oak (Quercus alba) and generally more difficult to work with tools because of its high density; density of air-dried wood is more than 960 kg/m3 (60 lb/ft3). The heartwood is rated as very resistant to decay fungi and termites. It is also very resistant to marine borers in temperate waters but much less so in warm tropical waters.

Primary Uses

Greenheart is used principally where strength and resistance to wear are required. Uses include ship and dock building, lock gates, wharves, piers, jetties, vats, piling, planking, industrial flooring, bridges, and some specialty items (fishing rods and billiard cue butts).

*Much of the base wood information presented here is made available by the USDA FPL FS. If you are interested in a much more technical description of wood properties, I encourage you to visit the source.