Wood Species Guide

African Padauk

Pterocarpus soyauxii

Also called: Padauk, Padouk, Vermilion, Barwood, African Coralwood, Corail

African padauk is the wood people pick when they want real red. It's hard, stable and easy to machine, and that bright orange-red slowly deepens into a rich brown over time.
ImportHardwoodColorful Import Hardwoods
Good forOutdoor & Rot-ResistantTurningCITES-Restricted

What African Padauk looks like

Fresh-cut padauk is a loud orange-red that looks almost painted. Over months it mellows to a deep reddish brown, and with enough sun it heads toward a dark, warm brown. If you want the red to last, keep it out of direct light and use a finish with UV blockers.

Grain and texture

The grain is mostly straight, sometimes interlocked, with a medium-coarse texture and open pores. It has a soft natural luster once it's sanded clean.

Working African Padauk: planing, cutting and gluing

Padauk machines nicely for a wood this hard. It planes clean on most boards, though interlocked sections can tear out, so take light final passes or finish with a sander. It glues well and holds screws without drama. The dust is bright orange and gets on everything, so run the collector.

Finishing African Padauk: oil, film finishes and epoxy

Almost any finish works, but the red dust and oily solvents will bleed into light woods and white fills, so wipe joints with a dry rag rather than solvent and seal before you pour light-colored epoxy next to it. A seal coat also cuts down on bubbles from the open pores. Hardwax oils make the color pop; water-based finishes keep it a little truer to the raw tone.

Durability, stability and Florida humidity

Heartwood is rated durable and holds up well against rot and termites. It is also one of the more stable imported hardwoods once dry, which helps in Florida, where boards swing with the seasons. Acclimate it indoors for a week or two before final milling.

Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop

We carry African padauk as rough-sawn lumber, and it's a favorite for accent strips, cutting board stripes and inlays because nothing else gives you that red. Pair it with maple or white oak for contrast, but keep the shavings off the lighter boards. On a glue-up with maple, scrape the squeeze-out and don't wipe with a wet rag or you'll stain the maple pink. Expect the bright color to calm down over the first year; customers who know that up front are happier.

Common uses for African Padauk

Cutting board accents, inlay and banding, small furniture, turned bowls and pens, tool handles, flooring and musical instrument parts.

Sustainability and CITES status

African populations of Pterocarpus, including padauk, were added to CITES Appendix II in 2023 (logs, sawn wood, veneer, plywood and transformed wood). A 2025 proposal to remove the Central African populations did not pass, so legal imports need CITES paperwork. Buy from suppliers who can show it.

Safety and toxicity

Our toxicity rating ModerateWhat the ratings mean
  • Sensitizer (allergy builds with exposure)
  • Skin irritation
  • Respiratory / asthma
  • Eye irritation

Padauk is a known sensitizer that can irritate eyes, skin and airways, though severe reactions are uncommon. The red dust gets everywhere, so control it at the source.

In the shop
Dust collection + mask or respirator when sanding; gloves for sensitive skin
Food contact
Use with care for cutting boards, bowls and utensils

General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.

Padauk is a known sensitizer and can irritate eyes, skin and airways. Wear a dust mask or respirator and use dust collection, especially when sanding.

Wood toxicity and dust safety guide: every species compared

African Padauk in stock now

Hardwood lumber in stock (2)

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Similar woods: Colorful Import Hardwoods

See the Colorful Import Hardwoods group guide

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