Photo: Rahime Gül

What is the bluest wood?

Blue Mahoe is one of very few woods with an overall gray heartwood appearance (in its fresh and unweathered state), and perhaps the only commercially available wood that can exhibit a bluish hue.

wood-database.com - Blue Mahoe | The Wood Database (Hardwood)

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Color/Appearance: Heartwood can be highly varied in color, usually grayish or olive brown colored, sometimes with streaks of green, blue, or purple. The narrow sapwood is pale yellow and is clearly demarcated from heartwood. Blue Mahoe is one of very few woods with an overall gray heartwood appearance (in its fresh and unweathered state), and perhaps the only commercially available wood that can exhibit a bluish hue. Grain/Texture: Grain is usually straight or shallowly interlocked, with a uniform fine to medium texture and a low natural luster. Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; medium to large pores in no specific arrangement (few to moderately numerous); solitary and radial multiples or clusters of 2-4; growth rings indistinct; rays not visible without lens; parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, vasicentric. Rot Resistance: Reports range from moderately durable to very durable regarding decay resistance. Also reported to be resistant to insect attacks. Workability: Overall easy to work with both hand and machine tools. Turns, glues, and finishes well.

Odor: Blue Mahoe has a characteristic odor when being worked.

Allergies/Toxicity: Blue Mahoe has been reported to cause sneezing. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information. Pricing/Availability: Past over-exploitation has led to very scarce availability of this lumber. Currently, Blue Mahoe is very seldom exported out of its natural range, and wood is typically only available in very small pieces. Expect prices to be high 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: Cabinetry, furniture, turned objects, carvings, musical instruments, inlay, marquetry, and interior trim. Comments: Blue Mahoe is the national tree of Jamaica, where it’s prized as a quality furniture wood. Unfortunately, this wood is now in very low supply, and is only infrequently seen (in very small sizes and quantities). It’s perhaps one of the only commercial hardwoods in the world that comes close to possessing a blue heartwood color.