Red Sandalwood
Scientific name: Pterocarpus santalinus
Overview
Red Sandalwood is a highly distinctive tropical hardwood in the Fabaceae family, native to southeastern India and particularly associated with the Eastern Ghats. Pterocarpus santalinus is renowned for its exceptionally rich red heartwood, high density, fine texture, and historical importance in carving, decorative woodworking, traditional crafts, and specialty applications.
Freshly cut heartwood can range from vivid orange-red to deep crimson or reddish purple. With age and exposure to light, the color generally deepens toward darker red, reddish brown, or purplish-brown tones. The sapwood is much paler, creating a dramatic contrast with the intensely colored heartwood. Grain is commonly interlocked or irregular and can occasionally produce attractive figure.
Red Sandalwood is also a conservation-sensitive and heavily regulated species. Its valuable heartwood has been subjected to substantial illegal harvesting and international trafficking. Because of these pressures, collectors and woodworkers should place exceptional importance on legal provenance, documentation, and current trade regulations when acquiring material.
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Red Sandalwood
- Alternate Common Name(s): Red Sanders, Red Sanderswood, Saunderswood
- Scientific Name: Pterocarpus santalinus
- Region: Asian Hardwoods
- Tree Size: Approximately 25–40 ft (8–12 m) tall, occasionally larger
- Average Dried Weight: Approximately 60–65 lbs/ft³ (960–1,040 kg/m³), with natural variation
- Janka Hardness: Reliable standardized species-specific Janka values are not consistently documented
- Grain: Interlocked to irregular
- Texture: Fine to medium
Identification Characteristics
Red Sandalwood is distinguished primarily by its intensely colored heartwood. Fresh material can display vivid orange-red, crimson, or deep red coloration that gradually darkens with age and exposure.
The sapwood is typically pale cream, yellowish, or light brown and contrasts strongly with the heartwood. Grain is commonly interlocked or irregular, and some material can exhibit attractive figure. Texture is generally fine to medium, and properly polished surfaces can develop a smooth, lustrous appearance.
Key identification traits include:
- Vivid red to deep crimson heartwood
- Color darkens with age and light exposure
- Pale cream to yellowish sapwood
- Strong sapwood and heartwood contrast
- Interlocked to irregular grain
- Fine to medium texture
- Excellent polished appearance
Working Properties
Red Sandalwood is a dense, hard wood that can require considerable effort to machine. Its density increases cutting resistance, while interlocked or irregular grain can contribute to tear-out during planing and other surfacing operations.
Sharp carbide tooling and light machining passes can improve results. Despite its machining difficulty, the wood is highly suitable for detailed carving, turning, and decorative work when proper techniques are used. Its fine texture allows finished surfaces to take an excellent polish.
- Dense and resistant to cutting
- Sharp tools are strongly recommended
- Interlocked grain can produce tear-out
- Turns well with appropriate tooling
- Suitable for detailed carving
- Sands and polishes exceptionally well
- Pre-drilling is advisable for fasteners
Safety Note
Wood dust from Red Sandalwood may cause irritation or sensitivity in some individuals. Its fine dust should not be inhaled, and prolonged skin exposure should be minimized.
Effective dust extraction, respiratory protection, eye protection, and appropriate protective clothing are recommended when sawing, routing, turning, or sanding this species.
Common Uses
The intense natural coloration, fine texture, density, and ability to take a high polish have made Red Sandalwood desirable for numerous specialty and decorative applications, including:
- Fine carving
- Turned objects
- Decorative boxes
- Furniture accents
- Inlay
- Decorative objects
- Traditional crafts
- Musical instrument components
- Specialty woodworking
- Collector specimens
Sustainability & Notes
Red Sandalwood requires considerably greater sourcing scrutiny than an ordinary commercial hardwood. Pterocarpus santalinus has suffered from overexploitation and illegal harvesting driven by the high value of its red heartwood.
The species is internationally regulated under CITES, and international movement of wood and wood products can be subject to permits, documentation, and other restrictions. Regulations can change, so buyers should verify current CITES requirements and applicable national laws before purchasing, importing, exporting, or transporting material internationally.
For collectors, documented pre-existing stock, legally sourced material, and specimens accompanied by credible provenance are strongly preferable to undocumented wood.
The species should not be confused with true sandalwoods of the genus Santalum. Despite the Red Sandalwood name, Pterocarpus santalinus belongs to an entirely different botanical group.
Comparative Notes & Related Species
Narrah – Another Asian member of the Pterocarpus genus, valued for reddish coloration, attractive figure, furniture, cabinetry, and decorative woodworking.
African Padauk – A commercially important Pterocarpus known for brilliant orange-red to deep reddish-brown heartwood and excellent decorative characteristics.
Sangre – Another Pterocarpus producing reddish wood and providing a useful comparison with the intensely colored heartwood of Red Sandalwood.
Related Guides
Pterocarpus Species Guide
Explore the Pterocarpus genus and compare Red Sandalwood with Padauk, Narrah, Sangre, and other related woods based on coloration, distribution, properties, and uses.
Understanding CITES & Protected Species
Learn how international wildlife and timber regulations affect the trade, transportation, documentation, and ownership of protected wood species.
Why Some Species Become Restricted
Explore how overharvesting, habitat loss, illegal logging, international demand, and conservation concerns can lead to restrictions on valuable timber species.
Color Changes in Tropical Hardwoods Over Time
Learn how exposure to oxygen and ultraviolet light can alter the brilliant natural colors found in red, orange, purple, and other tropical hardwoods.
Building a Documented Wood Collection
Learn why scientific identification, acquisition records, geographic origin, legal documentation, and provenance are especially important for rare and regulated wood specimens.
Compare Wood Properties
See how this species ranks in density and hardness using our Wood Density & Janka Hardness Chart. You can also explore Hardest Woods, Softest Woods, and Most Dense Woods for quick comparisons.
Collector Notes
Red Sandalwood is an exceptional collector species because it combines remarkable natural coloration, high density, botanical interest, historical significance, and an important conservation story.
A documented specimen can be particularly valuable within a Pterocarpus collection alongside African Padauk, Narrah, Sangre, and other members of the genus. The comparison demonstrates the extraordinary range of red, orange, and brown coloration found within this group.
Provenance is critical. A collector label should ideally retain the scientific name, geographic origin when known, acquisition date, source, and any legal or trade documentation associated with the specimen. For a regulated species such as Red Sandalwood, this documentation forms an important part of the specimen’s educational value.
Share Your Photos of This Species
Do you have lumber, wood samples, tree photographs, woodworking projects, furniture, carvings, turnings, musical instruments, or other items made from this species?
Exotic Woods of the World welcomes photographs from woodworkers, collectors, sawyers, researchers, and wood enthusiasts around the world. Selected submissions may be featured on this page and throughout our website to help document and showcase real-world examples of this species.
When submitting photos, please include the common name, scientific name (if known), a brief description, and any information you would like us to share with the image.
Wood Sample Collection
This species is part of an ongoing effort to document and preserve wood samples from around the world.
Learn more about contributing to the collection:
Resources
Authoritative botanical and forestry references used in compiling information about this species include:
• USDA Forest Service – Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material
https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/products/publications/
• The Wood Database – Global reference for wood identification, physical properties, and woodworking characteristics
https://www.wood-database.com/
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Plants of the World Online – Botanical taxonomy and species distribution database
https://powo.science.kew.org/
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Red List) – Global conservation status assessments
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) – International trade regulations for protected plant species
https://cites.org/
Additional forestry publications, academic research papers, and regional timber studies may also be referenced where available.
Love This Species?
Enjoy learning about this wood species?
Help support the continued growth of Exotic Woods of the World by participating in our Adopt a Species program. Your support helps fund species research, educational content, photography, videos, and future conservation awareness initiatives.
Support Forest Conservation
This species is part of the growing Exotic Woods of the World reference archive, dedicated to documenting and preserving knowledge of the world’s wood species.
Through the Adopt a Species program, visitors can help support ongoing species research, educational content, photography, video production, and future conservation awareness initiatives.
Contributions help fund the continued expansion of this archive while promoting sustainable forestry education and the long-term appreciation of the world’s forests.
Interested in supporting this species? Visit our Adopt a Species and Conservation Partners pages to learn more.
Availability & Where to Buy
Exotic hardwood availability can vary significantly depending on region, sustainability regulations, and supplier inventory.
As this archive grows, recommended suppliers and specialty wood retailers will be listed here to help woodworkers locate responsibly sourced material.
Lumber Suppliers:
Availability varies — see the Where to Buy Exotic Woods page for current sources.
Related Tools & Products:
Availability varies — see the Where to Buy Exotic Woods page for current sources.
Share This Wood Species
Stay Connected
Follow the latest species additions, educational resources, videos, conservation initiatives, and major project milestones through our Site Updates archive.
The Site Updates archive provides a permanent record of new content, library growth, and future developments across Exotic Woods of the World.