Avodire

Color/Appearance: Pale yellow or cream, darkening with age to golden yellow. Heartwood and sapwood are usually indistinguishable. Avodire can exhibit a range of grain patterns, such as wavy, mottled, and rippled, with an almost-shimmering chatoyance, making it a popular choice for veneering applications.

Grain/Texture: Grain can be straight, wavy, or irregular and interlocked. Texture is fine, with a high natural luster.

Rot Resistance: Avodire is non-durable in regards to decay resistance, and is susceptible to insect attack.

Workability: Avodire is generally regarded as having good working characteristics, and is easy to work with hand or machine tools, though wood with interlocked grain can pose a challenge with tearout while being planed. The wood also has a slight blunting effect on tool cutters. Glues and finishes well.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, avodire has been reported to cause skin irritation, nosebleeds, internal bleeding, and asthma-like symptoms. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Avodire is commonly sold as a veneer for a moderate price, though boards are also available. Avodire lumber is likely to be in the medium price range for an imported hardwood, though veneer or solid lumber with highly figured grain is likely to be much more expensive.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as vulnerable due to a population reduction of over 30% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation.

Common Uses: Veneer, cabinetry, furniture, millwork, and plywood.

Comments: Similar in working properties to the true mahoganies (Swietenia genus), avodire is indeed botanically related as both are in the Meliaceae family, and it’s sometimes sold under the name white mahogany (though this name is also applied to Roseodendron donnell-smithii, as well as Eucalyptus acmenioides). Not surprisingly, the wood is dimensionally stable and, like true mahogany, has good working characteristics. Avodire also has a very good MOR-to-weight ratio, though it used more often for decorative rather than structural purposes.

In addition to the wood being marketed under the halo name mahogany, avodire has also been marketed under the commercial name African satinwood, though this vague name is more commonly used for movingui (Distemonanthus benthamianus).