Wood Species Guide
Canarywood
Centrolobium spp.
Also called: Canary Wood, Arariba, Balaustre, Amarillo de Guayaquil, Putumuju
What Canarywood looks like
Yellow-orange to reddish orange with streaks of pink, red, purple or brown. Some boards show a striking two-tone sapwood/heartwood contrast. It darkens toward a warm amber over time.
Grain and texture
Straight to irregular grain with a medium texture and good luster.
Working Canarywood: planing, cutting and gluing
It machines and planes well, with some tearout where the grain is irregular. Glues and turns well. A good choice for people new to imported woods.
Finishing Canarywood: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes oil, hardwax oil and film finishes well. Use a UV-resistant finish to slow the color fade. Seal coat before epoxy pours.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Durable against decay and fairly stable. Indoors in Florida, normal acclimation and an even finish on all faces is enough.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Canarywood is a cheerful, colorful wood for cutting boards, boxes, small tables and turnings. The colorful streaks vary from board to board, so pick by eye. It works easily, glues well and is not oily, which makes it a friendly import. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Canarywood
Cutting boards, boxes, flooring, furniture, turnings, veneer.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices.
Safety and toxicity
- No common reactions reported
Few reports. No reactions beyond ordinary wood dust irritation are known.
- In the shop
- Normal dust collection + mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Use with care for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
No unusual reactions are widely reported beyond normal wood dust hazards. Use dust collection.
Canarywood in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Canarywood 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.
Similar woods: Colorful Import Hardwoods
- African PadaukIn stockPterocarpus soyauxii African padauk is the wood people pick when they want real red. It's hard, stable and easy to...
- Black LimbaIn stockTerminalia superba Black limba is a lightweight African hardwood with dramatic dark streaks over a pale olive base. It's easy...
- BloodwoodIn stockBrosimum rubescens (syn. B. paraense) Bloodwood is a dense South American hardwood with a bright, even red that stays vivid longer than most...
- LeopardwoodIn stockRoupala montana (syn. R. brasiliensis) Leopardwood is a hard South American wood covered in light flecks that look like a leopard's coat. It's...
- PurpleheartIn stockPeltogyne spp. Purpleheart turns a vivid purple shortly after cutting, with no stain needed. It's very hard, stable and decay...
- WengeIn stockMillettia laurentii Wenge is a heavy, nearly black African hardwood with fine tan stripes. It's the modern-design favorite for dark...