Garapa Hardwood Characteristics

Hailing from South America, Garapa has a light color that’s light on the wallet too. It’s one of the only light-colored hardwoods with good exterior durability that’s commercially available. Garapa may not have the hardness of an Ipe or Cumaru, but what it lacks in density this product makes up for in consistency, beauty, and affordability. The most common application for Garapa is exterior decking and siding.

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GARAPA

Characteristics Common Name(s) Garapa, Garapa Gold Scientific Name Apuleia leiocarpa Distribution South America Tree Size 65-100 ft. tall with a 3-5 ft. trunk diameter Color/Appearance Garapa has a golden to yellowish brown color, which darkens with age. The wood is fairly chatoyant, and appears to shift from dark to light coloring in different lighting angles.

Grain/Texture Grain is usually straight, but can also be interlocked.

Uniform medium texture with a moderate amount of natural luster.

Endgrain Diffuse-porous; solitary and radial multiples; medium to large pores in no specific arrangement, moderately numerous; yellowish brown mineral deposits common; parenchyma lozenge, winged, and confluent; narrow rays, spacing normal.

Rot Resistance Rated as durable, though vulnerable to termites and other wood boring insect attacks.

Workability Garapa is fairly easy to work, despite its density. It glues and finishes well, and is about average for dimensional stability.

Odor No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Garapa has been reported to cause skin irritation.

Sustainability This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with the exception of one species endemic to Ecuador, Carapa megistocarpa, which is listed as endangered due to a population reduction of over 50% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range.

Common Uses Flooring, decking, siding, soffits, docks, and boat building.

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