To request a quote and freight rate, click here or call  816‒506‒4131

SpecialtyLumberSolutions.com

Bringing you high-quality lumber from the nation’s largest wholesalers of tropical hardwood products and domestic lumber mills

  • Home
  • Decking
    • IPE Decking
    • Cumaru Decking
    • Garapa Decking
    • Mahogany Decking
    • Massaranduba Decking
    • Tigerwood Decking
    • Deck Tiles
  • Ipe Siding and more
    • Rain Screen Siding – Viking Clip and Our New Viking Clip 2 No-Batten Systems
    • Traditional Siding & Paneling
  • Flooring
    • Brazilian Cherry Flooring
    • Brazilian Teak Flooring
    • Brazilian Walnut Flooring
    • Tigerwood Flooring
  • Lumber
    • African Mahogany Wood
    • Cypress
    • Genuine Mahogany
    • Sapele
    • Teak
    • Western Red Cedar
  • Specials
  • Blog
  • Request Quote
  • Contact Us

Know Your Wood: Jatoba

January 29, 2012 by Charles

Jatoba

Common trade names: Brazilian Cherry, Jatoba

Genus: Hymenaea courbaril, Hymenaea resinifera

Janka Hardness (pounds-force): 2820

Description: Jatoba is referred to popularly as Brazilian Cherry, but it is in not related to the Cherry species commonly used in North America. It tends to darken with age. The grain is generally pretty plain, with hues ranging from light orange-brown to a deeper red-brown tone. Has a medium texture and its pores are relatively large.

Location: Mexico through South America

Common Aliases: Guapinol, Brazilian Cherry, Colorado, Jatoba trapuca, Jatoba verdadeiro, Simiri

Performance: Take care when planing Jatoba, as the interlocking grain patterns tnd to tear over time. It’s considered relatively difficult to work due to a combination of density and the grain pattern. Jatoba is very durable to rot resistance. Additionally, Jatoba features very high insect resistance, though there is evidence that marine borers can inflict harm on the wood. Regardless, it is stiff, strong, and hard, and is among the most durable of all marketable woods.

Acclimation: Please, always properly store and set aside your lumber! We can’t stress enough the importance of just a little patience when receiving your order. For air drying, simply allow a half-inch or so among parallel planks stacked and spaced by level. It’s that easy, and in two or so weeks’ time, the lumber is ready for installation in your climate!

Common Uses: Very commonly used domestically as an interior flooring. Other uses include furniture building, cabinetry, shipbuilding, turnings, and virtually any other woodworking project requiring a hard and durable species.

From: The Wood Database

Common Name(s): Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry
Scientific Name: Hymenaea courbaril
Distribution: Central America, southern Mexico, northern South America, and the West Indies
Tree Size: 100 ft (30 m) tall, 2-4 ft (.6-1.2 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 62 lbs/ft3 (990 kg/m3)
Basic Specific Gravity: .77
Hardness: 2,820 lbf (12,540 N)
Rupture Strength: 23,430 lbf/in2 (161,600 kPa)
Elastic Strength: 2,717,000 lbf/in2 (18,740 MPa)
Crushing Strength: 11,860 lbf/in2 (81.8 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.5%, Tangential: 8.5%, Volumetric: 12.7%, T/R Ratio: 1.9

Get a quote

Recent blog posts

Finish Solutions: U/V or not U/V?

Environmental Issues and Hardwood Decking

Considerations: Composite vs. Hardwood

Relative Humidity, Part II

Deck Tiles and Hanover Accessories: A Winning Combination!

Specialty Lumber Solutions

3824 Fremont Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64129
816‒506‒4131
Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST)

Charles at 816‒506‒4131

Contact us

Specialty Lumber Solutions represents the nation’s largest wholesalers of tropical hardwood products and domestic lumber mills. If you are looking for Ipe, Teak, Cumaru, Massaranduba or another species, we sell tropical hardwood rain screen siding and decking materials at the best prices.

For high end domestic species, we offer clear grade Western Red Cedar and Select Southern Cypress custom milled to your specifications. We also have your flooring needs covered by working with direct importers to offer a line of tropical hardwood flooring at the most competitive prices.

© 2025 SpecialtyLumberSolutions.com