Wood Species Guide
Gumbo Limbo
Bursera simaruba
Also called: Gumbo-limbo, Tourist Tree, Naked Indian, West Indian Birch, Indio Desnudo, Copperwood, Almácigo, Chaca, Gum Elemi
What Gumbo Limbo looks like
Wood is white to pale yellow or light brown, with little difference between heartwood and sapwood. It can stain blue-gray quickly if not dried fast.
Grain and texture
Fairly straight to irregular grain with a fine to medium texture. Light and soft.
Working Gumbo Limbo: planing, cutting and gluing
Very easy to cut and carve, which is why it was once used for carousel horses. It can fuzz and tear, so use very sharp, thin edges and slow feed rates.
Finishing Gumbo Limbo: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Soaks up finish, so use a sealer coat first. It takes paint well for carvings. Seal before any epoxy pour to keep bubbles down.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Not durable. It stains and rots fast once cut, so dry it quickly and keep it indoors.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Gumbo limbo is the red, peeling-bark native that Floridians call the tourist tree. The wood is light and soft, a carver's wood rather than a furniture wood. If you have a downed one, cut it up and get it drying right away to avoid blue stain. Painted signs, carvings and decoys are good uses.
Common uses for Gumbo Limbo
Carving, carousel horses (historically), decoys, crates, matches and painted crafts.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices. A common Florida native, often planted.
Safety and toxicity
- Skin irritation
Few reports. The sticky resin can irritate some people's skin, but the wood is not known for strong reactions. Fresh-cut logs are sappy, so wear gloves when handling them.
- In the shop
- Normal dust collection and a mask; gloves for fresh, sappy wood
- Food contact
- Not recommended for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
The tree's resin may irritate some people's skin. Use normal dust precautions.
Gumbo Limbo in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Gumbo Limbo 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.
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