African Padauk

Scientific name: Pterocarpus soyauxii

Overview

Padauk is an African hardwood best known for its vivid orange-red coloration when freshly cut and its tendency to darken to a deeper reddish-brown over time. It is valued for its durability, relative ease of workability, and bold appearance, making it a popular choice for both decorative and functional applications.

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Watch a visual overview of African Padauk including grain patterns, color variation, working characteristics, and common woodworking uses.

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Quick Facts

  • Common Name: Padauk
  • Scientific Name: Pterocarpus soyauxii
  • Region: African Hardwoods (Central & West Africa)
  • Tree Size: 100–130 ft tall, 2–4 ft trunk diameter
  • Average Dried Weight: 45 lbs/ft³ (720 kg/m³)
  • Janka Hardness: 1,720 lbf
  • Color: Bright reddish orange when freshly cut, darkening to reddish brown with age
  • Grain: Usually straight, occasionally interlocked
  • Texture: Coarse and open

Identification Characteristics

  • Padauk is most easily identified by its bright orange-red to deep red heartwood when freshly cut. With exposure to light and air, the color gradually darkens to a more muted reddish-brown.
  • The grain is typically straight but may be interlocked. The texture is moderately coarse, and freshly worked Padauk often produces a noticeable scent.

Working Properties

Padauk is generally considered easy to work compared to many other exotic hardwoods.

  • Machines and hand-tools well
  • Sharp tools recommended for interlocked grain
  • Natural oils may affect glue and finish adhesion
  • Sands to a smooth surface

Safety note: Padauk dust may cause skin or respiratory irritation in some individuals. Proper dust collection and respiratory protection are recommended.

Common Uses

Common applications include:

  • Furniture
  • Cabinetry
  • Flooring
  • Turned objects
  • Musical instruments
  • Inlays and decorative accents
  • Knife handles

Sustainability and Notes

Padauk is generally more available than many African hardwoods but should still be sourced responsibly.

  • Availability is typically good
  • Color darkening over time is expected
  • Often used as a substitute for other red-toned exotic species

Comparative Notes & Related Species

Asian Padauk – A closely related species with similar bright orange-red coloration, often used in furniture and decorative woodworking.

Kosso – A dense African hardwood with warm reddish tones, commonly used in furniture and specialty woodworking.

Narra – A tropical hardwood known for its rich color variation and use in fine furniture and cabinetry.

Video Overview

Learn Through Video:

Watch a visual breakdown of African Padauk including its color grain and common uses.

Related Guides

Wood Toxicity and Allergies Guide – Learn which wood species may cause skin irritation, respiratory reactions, or allergic responses, along with practical safety recommendations for cutting, sanding, and finishing wood.

Color Changes in Tropical Hardwoods Over Time
Padauk species are known to darken over time with exposure to light and air.

Storing Exotic Wood Samples
Provides best practices for storing vibrant hardwood samples like Padauk to help preserve color and prevent rapid oxidation or darkening over time.

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

Padauk is highly prized by collectors for its vivid coloration and long-term durability. Freshly cut material often displays a bright orange to red hue that gradually deepens to a rich reddish-brown or purplish-brown with age and exposure to light, a natural color shift that many collectors intentionally account for when selecting stock.

Boards with uniform color and straight grain are commonly favored for furniture, flooring, and accent work, while pieces showing subtle figure or darker streaking are often reserved for decorative or contrast applications. Because Padauk’s color evolution is a defining characteristic, collectors may seek either freshly milled material for its intensity or well-aged stock that has already reached a more settled tone.

Properly seasoned Padauk is especially desirable, as the wood benefits from careful drying to minimize surface checking and movement. Older, stabilized boards are often preferred for long-term storage, curated sample collections, or reference libraries where predictability and color maturity are valued alongside visual impact.

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Wood Sample Collection

This species is part of an ongoing effort to document and preserve wood samples from around the world.

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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.

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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.

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Availability varies — check the Where to Buy Exotic Woods page for current sources

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