Wood Species Guide

Cativo

Prioria copaifera

Also called: Camíbar, Cautivo

Cativo is a lightweight Central American wood that comes in huge live-edge slabs. It's easy to work and budget-friendly for big tables, with a natural gum you should plan around when finishing.

ImportHardwoodTropical Slab Woods

Good forTabletops & Slabs River Tables

What Cativo looks like

Heartwood is light tan to medium brown, often with darker streaks and some reddish tones. The sapwood is wide and pale. Slabs often have strong color variation from edge to center.

Grain and texture

Usually straight to slightly interlocked with a medium texture. It's fairly plain, with some figure where the grain twists.

Working Cativo: planing, cutting and gluing

Cativo is lightweight and easy on tools, and it cuts and planes about like poplar. Interlocked areas can fuzz or tear out, so use sharp knives and sand. It can contain gum, which builds up on blades and sandpaper. Clean blades often.

Finishing Cativo: oil, film finishes and epoxy

Well-dried cativo usually finishes fine, but gum can still bleed in heat. Wipe sticky spots with acetone and use a shellac or thin epoxy seal coat before flood coats, or the gum can soften and interfere with the cure. Oil finishes are easy and forgiving.

Durability, stability and Florida humidity

Not rot resistant and vulnerable to termites and fungi, so it's for indoor use only. Fairly stable once kiln-dried. In Florida, keep it inside the AC and finish all sides.

Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop

We carry cativo as big live-edge slabs, some up to 48 inches wide, at a good price for the size. It's light enough to handle, which makes it a smart choice for large dining or conference tables and river tables. We'll flatten it on the CNC, which handles the interlocked grain better than a planer. Plan on a seal coat before epoxy because of the natural gum.

Common uses for Cativo

Live-edge tables and desks, interior millwork, veneer and plywood cores, furniture parts and boxes.

Sustainability and CITES status

Not listed in the CITES Appendices. Costa Rica treats it as a threatened species locally, so buy from legal, documented sources.

Safety and toxicity

Our toxicity rating LowWhat the ratings mean

No common reactions reported

Few reports. Nothing beyond normal wood dust irritation is well documented, though mill workers have mentioned the sawdust bothering them. Gum pockets can bleed resin, so wipe them before finishing.

In the shop: Normal dust collection and a 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 major reactions are well documented, but use normal dust precautions like a mask and dust collection.

Wood toxicity and dust safety guide: every species compared