Common uses
Furniture, veneer, flooring, turned objects, musical instruments, tool handles and specialty objects.
Congo-DRC timber profile
Padauk
Pterocarpus soyauxii
Species overview
Distinctive by nature.
Padauk is valued for toughness, stability and decorative color. Freshly cut wood is vivid red-orange and gradually matures to a warm brown when exposed to light.
Common namesPadouk, African Padauk
Scientific namePterocarpus soyauxii
DistributionTropical and Central Africa
Tree size100–130 ft (30–40 m) tall; 2–4 ft (0.6–1.2 m) trunk diameter
Average dried weight47 lbs/ft³ (745 kg/m³)
Crushing strength8,130 lbf/in² (56.0 MPa)
ShrinkageRadial 3.3%; Tangential 5.2%; Volumetric 7.6%; T/R Ratio 1.6
Color & appearance
Heartwood ranges from pale pinkish orange to deep brownish red. Most pieces begin reddish orange and darken substantially to reddish or purplish brown.
Grain & texture
Usually straight but sometimes interlocked, with a coarse open texture and good natural luster.
Rot resistance
Excellent decay resistance; rated durable to very durable and reported resistant to termites and other insects.
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