Guanacaste

Common Name(s): Guanacaste, Parota

Scientific Name: Enterolobium cyclocarpum

Distribution: Primarily Central America, as well as Mexico and northern South America

Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 5-8 ft (1.5-2.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 27 lbs/ft3 (440 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .34, .44

Janka Hardness: 470 lbf (2,100 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 8,640 lbf/in2 (59.6 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 1,226,000 lbf/in2 (8.46 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 5,390 lbf/in2 (37.2 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 2.2%, Tangential: 4.9%, Volumetric: 7.1%, T/R Ratio: 2.2

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is light to medium brown, sometimes with a reddish hue. Darker streaks of brown are sometimes present. Sapwood is pale yellow and is clearly demarcated from the heartwood.

Grain/Texture: Grain usually slightly interlocked. Very coarse texture. Moderate natural luster.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; solitary and radial multiples; very large pores in no specific arrangement, very few; mineral/gum deposits occasionally present; parenchyma vasicentric, confluent; narrow to medium rays, spacing wide.

Rot Resistance: Rated as durable to very durable; mixed insect resistance.

Workability: Easy to work with hand and machine tools. However, tearout is common during planing, and fuzzy surfaces may be seen after machining, especially on quartersawn surfaces. Glues and finishes well.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Guanacaste has been reported to cause eye and respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Because of the large trunk size, very large slabs of natural-edged Guanacaste are not uncommon (and their weight is generally much lighter than other imported hardwoods). Boards and other sawn lumber is also occasionally available. Prices should be moderate for an imported hardwood.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Common Uses: Furniture frames, table slabs, boatbuilding, millwork, and turned objects.

Comments: Guanacaste has a unique appearance and texture, which is mostly due to its very large pores, which give it a somewhat coarse-textured, almost fibrous look.