Morado Hardwood Technical Species Information

Detailed scientific and mechanical properties for Morado wood

Morado

Description: Morado, which is also commonly referred to as Bolivian Rosewood, is a wildly beautiful species. The color of its heartwood is highly varied with shades of yellow, brown, red, orange, & violet intermixed with occasional black striping. As Morado ages it will darken to a deep violet brown color, while at the same time maintaining its intense and vibrant grain pattern. Morado is widely recognized for its beauty, often being used for many of the same purposes of another South American beauty, Brazilian Rosewood.
More Info: In some high-end woodworking circles Morado is sold as a cost-effective substitute to "true" rosewoods like Cocobolo, but due to their rarity those just aren’t something we see when it comes to flooring. Morado is truly in a class by itself when visually compared to other wood floor options. Nova USA offers Morado in a 3/4" x 3" width. The product is Clear grade with 1’-7’ lengths and is only available Prefinished.
Other Names: Bolivian Rosewood, Machaerium scleroxylon, Caviuna, Pau-ferro, Jacarandá-violeta
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Janka Hardness: 1,780 pounds
Strength (MOR): 17,700 psi
Stiffness (MOE): 1,351 1000 psi
Density (KG/m3): 880
Color: Heart and sapwood can be highly varied, ranging from reddish/orange to a dark violet/brown, usually with darker black streaks.
Photosensitivity: Moderate
Tangential Shrinkage: 6.7%
Radial Shrinkage: 2.9%
Family: Fabaceae
Tree Characteristics: The Morado trees grows up to 100 feet tall with a diameter of up to 5 feet.
Geographic Area: Tropical South America (mainly Brazil and Bolivia).
Texture: Fine to coarse.
Grain: Straight to irregular.
Luster: Medium to high.
Durability Rating: Highly resistant to decay and fungi.
Drying Characteristics: The timber is reported to be prone to check during drying.
Working Characteristics: Morado is considered overall to be of fair workability, as it can blunt the cutting edges of tools, and any irregular grain has a tendency to tearout during machining operations.
Applications: Flooring, decorative veneers, specialty items, cabinet work.