Color/Appearance: Sapwood is cream colored, with highly variable heartwood (in both width and color). Heartwood ranges from being just barely darker than the sapwood, to dark reddish brown.
Grain/Texture: Grain is straight, with a fine, uniform texture and good natural luster.
Rot Resistance: As most material is composed of sapwood, hawthorn should be considered perishable, with poor insect resistance.
Workability: Generally easy to work, but can be difficult to dry, with warpage and distortion common. However, the wood is somewhat more stable once dry.
Odor: No characteristic odor.
Allergies/Toxicity: Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, no further health reactions have been associated with tejocote. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Pricing/Availability: Usually only a shrub or small tree, tejocote is not a commercial timber. Generally the tree is valued more for its fruit than its wood, so availability should be very limited.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Common Uses: Turned objects, carving, and other small specialty wood items.
Comments: Tejocote is known much more for its fruit than its wood. The tree bears small, crabapple-like fruit that’s popular throughout its natural region.