Friendly Forest Products

Nargusta

Botanical Name: Terminalia amazonia

Other Names: Nargusta, Almendro, Amarillon, Naranjo

The Wood: Nargusta is variable in color from a yellow cream to golden brown color. It typically has prominent red, brown or magenta stripes, sometimes very heavy striped. I have seen about one out of every 100 trees produce a curly figure although rarely with stripe.

Tree Data: Nargusta is a fast-growing, tall tree, reaching 100 to 140 feet in height in the natural forest, with a trunk of 2 to 5 feet in diameter. The trunk develops well-formed and straight boles of 60 to 70 feet above the large buttress root.

Uses: Because of its beauty, nargusta is used for furniture and cabinet work, boat building, turnery, flooring, interior trim, doors. It is similar in strength to oak and therefore also used in heavy construction.

Natural Durability: The heartwood is resistant to decay and is rated as medium to high. It is reported to be resistant to dry-wood termites, but susceptible to attack by subterranean termites and powder post beetle.

Distribution: The natural growth range of the species is reported to extend from southern Mexico southward through Central America and into northern South America to Brazil and Peru.

 

Descriptive Data Source
Chudnoff, M. 1984. Tropical Timbers of the World. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 607, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

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