Tiete Rosewood

Tiete Rosewood (Guibourtia hymenaeifolia)

Common Name(s): Tiete Rosewood, Patagonian Cherry, Sirari

Scientific Name: Guibourtia hymenaeifolia (syn. G. chodatiana)

Distribution: South America

Tree Size: 130-165 ft (40-50 m) tall,3-6 ft (1-2 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 59 lbs/ft³ (945 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .76

Hardness: 2,790 lb_f (12,410 N)

Rupture Strength: 15,830 lb_f/in² (109,170 kPa)

Elastic Strength: 2,030,000 lb_f/in² (14,000 MPa)

Crushing Strength: No data available

Shrinkage: Radial: 4.0%, Tangential: 7.0%, Volumetric: 9.7%, T/R Ratio: 1.8

Color/Appearance: Generally an orange to pinkish brown. Color tends to darken and redden with age. Grain is typically straight with bland patterning, exhibiting a very uniform color and appearance.

Grain/Pore: Has a medium to fine texture with small shallow pores, similar to Bubinga.

Durability: No specific data is available on the decay resistance of Tiete Rosewood, but tests have shown that untreated wood used in exterior applications has a tendency to warp and check.

Workability: Tiete Rosewood is hard and dense, making it more difficult to work than lighter woods, but its straight and uniform grain give it a reasonable workability. Also, wood species in the Guibourtia genus tends to contain silica that can prematurely dull cutters.

Scent: Has a mild scent while being worked.

Safety: There have been no adverse health effects associated with Tiete Rosewood. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Relatively inexpensive for an import, Tiete Rosewood is likely to be around the same price as Ipe, another South American hardwood commonly used for flooring.

Comments: The most common use for Tiete Rosewood is for interior flooring; other uses include turned objects, and other small specialty wood items.