Wood Species Guide
Java Plum
Syzygium cumini
Also called: Jambolan, Jamun, Jambul, Malabar Plum, Indian Blackberry
About the name “Java Plum”
Java plum is not a true plum. It is a myrtle-family tree related to clove and rose apple, and it has nothing to do with orchard plum. Hardness and weight data exist for its genus as a whole but not for this species, so the numbers here are a range for Syzygium timbers.
What Java Plum looks like
Wood in this genus runs from grayish or pinkish brown to reddish or purple-brown, sometimes with darker streaks. The sapwood is a little paler and not always sharply set off.
Grain and texture
Grain is typically interlocked and often wavy or irregular, with a moderately fine, even texture and little shine.
Working Java Plum: planing, cutting and gluing
Planes to a good surface when tools are sharp, though the interlocked grain can tear out. It cuts fine with carbide blades and glues reasonably well. Fresh-cut wood stains quickly, so get it stickered and drying right away.
Finishing Java Plum: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes oil, hardwax oil and film finishes well and polishes nicely. Expect moderate shrinkage and some checking, so fill or stabilize cracks before a final finish. Seal the surface and any checks before an epoxy pour.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Durability varies within the genus, and the sapwood is prone to powderpost beetles and termites, so keep it indoors. Shrinkage runs moderate to high, so dry it slowly. In Florida, acclimate the slab in AC and finish both faces.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Java plum is a Category I invasive that grows all over Southwest Florida, so tree crews take a lot of them down. We get slabs from local tree work now and then, so ask us what is on hand. Mill it thick, seal the ends and let it dry slowly, because the interlocked grain wants to move. The purple fruit stains everything, so clean it off the logs early.
Common uses for Java Plum
Furniture, flooring, construction lumber, tool handles and turned work in its native range.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices. In Florida it is a Category I invasive species on the Florida Invasive Species Council list, so milling removed trees is a good use for them.
Safety and toxicity
- No common reactions reported
Few reports. Nothing specific is documented for this wood's dust, so treat it like any unfamiliar hardwood.
- 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.
Few reports. No specific wood dust reactions are well documented for Java plum, but every dust can irritate, so use dust collection and a mask.
Java Plum in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Java Plum 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: Cherries & Fruitwoods
- Black CherryIn stockPrunus serotina Black cherry is the wood that gets better with age: pale pink when cut, deep reddish brown after...
- AppleMalus domestica and related Malus species Apple is a dense, fine-grained fruitwood with warm pinkish-brown heartwood. It comes in small pieces from orchards and...
- LycheeLitchi chinensis Lychee is a South Florida fruit tree whose hard, reddish wood is mostly seen as root and stump...
- MangoMangifera indica Mango is a South Florida backyard favorite and a surprisingly good hardwood once the fruit is done. It...
- OlivewoodOlea europaea Olivewood is hard, heavy and loaded with dark swirling figure on a creamy background. It is the classic...
- PearPyrus communis Pear is a fine, even-grained European fruitwood with a soft rosy tone. Carvers, turners and instrument makers prize...