Yucatan Rosewood

Yucatan Rosewood (Dalbergia yucatensis)

Common Name(s): Yucatan Rosewood Scientific Name: Dalbergia yucatensis* *This is a yet unverified scientific name used by wholesalers and retailers Distribution: Central and South America Tree Size: No data available Average Dried Weight: 48 lbs/ft3 (765 kg/m3) Basic Specific Gravity: .63 Hardness: 1,560 lbf (7,030 N)* *Estimated hardness based on specific gravity Rupture Strength: No data available Elastic Strength: No data available Crushing Strength: – lbf/in2 (- MPa) Shrinkage: No data available

Color/Appearance: Typically a cinnamon brown, heartwood color can be highly variable, ranging from a light brown to a deep, russet brown.  Grain tends to be somewhat bland, but darker streaks or swirled grain is occasionally present. Overall appearance similar to Bubinga or Honduran Rosewood.

Grain/Pore: Yucatan Rosewood has a medium texture with large open pores, giving it a somewhat uneven feel. Moderate natural luster. Grain is usually straight, though areas of wild grain are also seen.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous or semi-diffuse porous; medium to large pores in no specific arrangement; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; mineral deposits occasionally present; growth rings usually distinct due to increased pore size and frequency in earlywood; rays not visible without lens; extensive apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, paratracheal parenchyma vasicentric, also weakly aliform, confluent, and banded.

Durability: No data available.

Workability: Overall easier to work than other rosewoods, most likely on account of its lower density. Yucatan Rosewood also seems to have a lower oil content than other oily Dalbergia rosewoods, so gluing and finishing properties are somewhat better.  Turns well and takes a nice polish.

Scent: Unlike other rosewoods, Yucatan Rosewood has little to no scent while being worked.

Safety: Yucatan Rosewood is claimed to have a decreased occurrence of adverse health effects and allergic reactions. Although no scientific studies have been performed to date, its apparently lower oil content and lack of odor would suggest the wood to be of a different chemistry than other Dalbergia species. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Prices are in the low to mid range for an imported tropical species. Yucatan Rosewood is certainly much cheaper than most other Dalbergia species such as Cocobolo or Kingwood. At the time of this writing, (2011), Yucatan Rosewood is fairly new to the wood market, so it’s hard to tell if prices will remain stable, or increase due to over-harvesting—as is the unfortunate case with so many species within the genus. It is usually sold in the form of turning wood, or in thin or small stock sizes.

Comments: A caution that the given scientific name “Dalbergia yucatensis” is not currently listed or recognized by any authoritative scientific source. This also includes sources published as recently as 2007, such as Jose Linares’ article ”New Species of Dalbergia in Mexico and Central America.”

So, is Yucatan Rosewood the real deal? And can it adequately replace the scarce and expensive traditional rosewoods? It depends. After examining the endgrain zoom, (see below), it appears plausible that Yucatan Rosewood could indeed be from the Dalbergia genus, (based upon the large pores and diffuse-in-aggregates apotracheal parenchyma), but is it worthy of the “rosewood” moniker? Yucatan Rosewood is an admirable hardwood, and exquisitely figured pieces do exist, but on the whole, it certainly lacks much of the color, density, and figure that is so characteristic of true rosewoods.

The Dalbergia genus itself contains hundreds of species of trees and shrubs, and it has been said that all rosewoods are Dalbergia, but not all Dalbergia are rosewoods. So where does that leave Yucatan Rosewood? Perhaps only time will tell if the species is accepted, used, and welcomed into the annals of rosewood lore.

Related Species:

• African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
• Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)
• Burmese Rosewood (Dalbergia oliveri)
• Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
• East Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
• Honduran Rosewood (Dalbergia stevensonii)
• Kingwood (Dalbergia cearensis)
• Madagascar Rosewood (Dalbergia baronii)
• Sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo)
• Tulipwood (Dalbergia decipularis)

Scans/Pictures:

Yucatan Rosewood (sanded)	Yucatan Rosewood (sealed)
Yucatan Rosewood (endgrain)	Yucatan Rosewood (endgrain 10x)
Yucatan Rosewood, Osage Orange, Black Walnut (turned)