Purple Heart

Color/Appearance: When freshly cut the heartwood of purpleheart can be a dull grayish/purplish brown. Upon exposure—usually within a few days—the wood becomes a deeper eggplant purple. With further age and exposure to UV light, the wood becomes a dark brown with a hint of purple. This color-shift can be slowed and minimized by using a UV inhibiting finish on the wood.
Common Uses: Construction lumber, railroad crossties, flooring, veneers, boatbuilding, furniture, cabinetry, and turned items.

Workability: Working with purpleheart can present some unique challenges: if the wood is heated with dull tools, or if cutter speeds are too high, purpleheart will exude a gummy resin that can clog tools and complicate the machining process. Depending on the grain orientation, can be difficult to plane without tearout. Purpleheart also has a moderate dulling effect on cutters.

Common Uses: Inlays/accent pieces, flooring, furniture, boatbuilding, heavy construction, and a variety of specialty wood items.

Origin of Wood Type South America
Botanical Name Peltogyne pubescens
Specific Gravity 0.86
Avg. Weight Per BF 4.5 lb/ bf
Color Range Purple – Dark Brown
Rarity / Availability Readily Available
Typical Avg. Width 4″ to 12″
Typical Avg. Length 8′ to 12′
Avg. Waste Factor 0.3
Wood Uses Fine Furniture, Architectural Millwork, Wood Turning, Boat Building, Wood Carving, Inlaying, Outdoor Construction, Flooring, Gymnasium Equipment and many other uses
Lumber Grades FAS
Other Trade Names Amaranth, Violetwood, Koroboreli, Saka, Sakavalli, Pau Roxo, Nazareno, Tananeo

Ready to order? Please indicate your board length and width in the comments section of your order information. If you have questions, please email DCW Hardwoods & Slabs for pre-order assistance.

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