Andiroba is a mid-density hardwood from the Amazon basin, related to true mahogany and often used as a more affordable substitute for it — a good fit for furniture and interior joinery that calls for reddish-brown color and workability over extreme hardness.
Andiroba (Carapa guianensis) belongs to the same family as true mahogany, and it shows — pale-to-medium reddish-brown heartwood, straight to interlocked grain, and a workability profile that furniture and cabinet makers recognize immediately. It's harvested across the Amazon basin and the Caribbean/Central American coast.
It isn't a top-tier hardness or exterior species — at 1,220 lbf on the Janka scale it's roughly on par with black walnut, well below the dense structural species in our catalog — but its heartwood resists decay fungus well and it machines, glues, and finishes cleanly, which is why it shows up so often in furniture, cabinetry, and interior millwork rather than decking or framing.
| Botanical Name | Carapa guianensis |
|---|---|
| Family | Meliaceae (mahogany family) |
| Janka Hardness | 1,220 lbf |
| Specific Gravity | 0.56 (oven-dry weight / green volume) |
| Average Dried Weight | ~41 lbs/ft³ (660 kg/m³) |
| Durability / Decay Resistance | Durable to very durable against decay fungi; not recommended for ground contact |
| Insect / Termite Resistance | Reported inconsistently across sources — see note below |
| Workability | Works well with hand and power tools; pre-bore for nailing |
| Color | Pale to medium reddish-brown heartwood, darkening with age; pale pink to tan sapwood |
| Grain & Texture | Straight to interlocked/wavy grain; fine to coarse, uniform texture |
| Origin | Amazon Basin, Central America, and the Caribbean |
Durable to very durable against both brown- and white-rot fungus in normal exterior exposure, though we don't recommend it for direct ground contact.
Genuinely mixed in the published data — some technical sources rate it vulnerable to dry-wood termites and borers, others call it insect-resistant. Given that split, we don't market this species as termite-resistant; treat it as a furniture and interior wood rather than an exterior/ground-contact one.
A mid-density hardwood, so it resists ignition better than softwoods, but it isn't in the same density class as our hardest structural species and shouldn't be assumed to perform the same way in a fire-rated application.
1,220 lbf Janka — comparable to black walnut, well below our decking- and framing-grade species. Works easily with hand and power tools, glues and finishes well, and takes stain readily; pre-bore for nailing since interlocked grain can cause splitting.
Common Applications
At 1,220 lbf on the Janka scale, Andiroba is roughly in the range of black walnut — hard enough for furniture and cabinetry, but well below our decking and structural species. It's chosen more for its mahogany-like color and workability than for extreme hardness.
It's often used that way — same plant family, similar reddish-brown color and grain, and generally more available and affordable than genuine mahogany, though it's somewhat denser and can be a bit more work to machine.
Published data is genuinely mixed on this point — some sources rate it vulnerable to dry-wood termites, others call it insect-resistant. Because the evidence is split, we don't market it as termite-resistant, and we'd recommend it for interior or protected exterior use rather than ground contact.
Furniture, cabinetry, flooring, interior joinery and millwork, veneer, plywood, and turned objects — general-purpose cabinet-grade lumber more than an exterior structural wood.
Andiroba from Rare Earth Hardwoods is sourced through our own Zero Impact Brazil facility, harvested sustainably and ethically, in compliance with all applicable regulatory agencies — the same accountable supply chain behind every species in our catalog.
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