Wood Species Guide

Bishopwood

Bischofia javanica

Also called: Bishop Wood, Bishops Wood, Javanese Bishopwood, Toog, Tuai, Koka, Java Cedar (not a cedar)

Bishopwood is an Asian shade tree that has become a Category I invasive in South Florida. Salvaged trees give hard, reddish-brown slabs with interlocked grain that reward careful drying.
Domestic InvasiveFloridaHardwoodTropical Slab Woods
Good forTabletops & Slabs

About the name “Bishopwood”

Bishopwood is an Asian tree that was planted in South Florida as a shade tree and is now a Category I invasive here. It is sometimes called Java cedar, but it is not related to any cedar.

What Bishopwood looks like

Heartwood is reddish brown to purplish brown and clearly set off from the narrow, paler sapwood. Color darkens with exposure.

Grain and texture

Interlocked grain with a moderately fine to fairly coarse, even texture and a dull to slightly glossy surface. Fresh-cut wood has a sour, vinegar-like smell that fades as it dries.

Working Bishopwood: planing, cutting and gluing

Saws more easily green than dry, and it planes, shapes, turns and sands well once dry. The real challenge is drying: it tends to check, split and warp, especially flatsawn boards, so dry it slowly and keep weight on the stack. Quartersawn boards behave better.

Finishing Bishopwood: oil, film finishes and epoxy

Takes oil and film finishes well, and oil brings out the red-purple tones. Seal checks and end grain before an epoxy pour, and give the slab time to finish drying first, since it can keep moving.

Durability, stability and Florida humidity

Rated moderately durable to durable, but reports on decay resistance vary, and it is attacked by drywood termites and powderpost beetles. In Florida, inspect it for insects, dry it fully and keep it indoors with all faces finished.

Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop

Bishopwood is a South Florida invasive, so the slabs that come our way come from tree removals, and putting them to use beats the chipper. The red-brown wood makes handsome benches and tables if it is dried with patience. We get it from local tree work now and then; ask us what is on hand.

Common uses for Bishopwood

In its native range: construction, flooring, furniture, joinery, carving, veneer and plywood. In Florida: salvaged slabs for tables, benches and turned pieces.

Sustainability and CITES status

Not listed in the CITES Appendices. It is a Category I invasive species on the Florida Invasive Species Council list, so using removed trees is a good use of an invasive tree.

Safety and toxicity

Our toxicity rating LowWhat the ratings mean
  • No common reactions reported

Few reports. The wood is little studied, and nothing beyond ordinary dust irritation is documented.

In the shop
Dust collection + mask 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.

Few reports on the wood dust beyond ordinary irritation. It is little studied, so use dust collection and a mask, and gloves if you have sensitive skin.

Wood toxicity and dust safety guide: every species compared

Bishopwood in stock now

Ask us. We can often source it.

We don't have Bishopwood listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.

Call (239) 331-5925 Book a slab & lumber visit

Similar woods: Tropical Slab Woods

See the Tropical Slab Woods group guide

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