Wallaba (Eperua)

Wallaba is an imported hardwood

Location

Wallaba is a common name applied to the species in the genus Eperua. Other names include wapa and apa. The center of distribution is in the Guianas, but the species extends into Venezuela and the Amazon region of northern Brazil. Wallaba generally occurs in pure stands or as the dominant tree in the forest.

Characteristics

The heartwood ranges from light to dark red to reddish or purplish brown with characteristically dark, gummy streaks. The texture is rather coarse and the grain typically straight. Wallaba is a hard, heavy wood; density of air-dried wood is 928 kg/m3 (58 lb/ft3). Its strength is higher than that of shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). The wood dries very slowly with a marked tendency to check, split, and warp. Although the wood has high density, it is easy to work with hand and machine tools. However, the high gum content clogs sawteeth and cutters. Once the wood has been kiln dried, gum exudates are not a serious problem in machining. The heartwood is reported to be very durable and resistant to subterranean termites and fairly resistant to dry-wood termites.

Primary Uses

Wallaba is well suited for heavy construction, railroad crossties, poles, industrial flooring, and tank staves. It is also highly favored for charcoal

*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.