Wood Species Guide
Sissoo
Dalbergia sissoo
Also called: Sheesham, Shisham, Indian Rosewood, North Indian Rosewood, Tali
About the name “Sissoo”
"Indian rosewood" is used for two different trees: sissoo, and the darker East Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), which has its own page. In Florida, where sissoo was planted widely and now grows wild, locally milled wood sold as rosewood is often sissoo, but only the leaves or a sample can confirm it.
What Sissoo looks like
Heartwood ranges from golden brown to a deeper reddish brown, sometimes with darker streaks, and it is lighter than most rosewoods. The pale straw sapwood is clearly set off.
Grain and texture
Grain is usually straight but can be strongly interlocked. Texture is medium to coarse, with a good natural luster.
Working Sissoo: planing, cutting and gluing
Machines well overall, but interlocked sections tear out in the planer, and occasional chalky deposits dull blades quickly. It turns, glues and finishes well, with a mild rosewood scent while cutting.
Finishing Sissoo: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Oil and hardwax oil bring up a warm golden brown. It is less oily than most rosewoods, but an acetone wipe and a thin seal coat before epoxy still help, and the open pores will bubble if you skip the seal. The color darkens with light.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Heartwood is durable against decay, though the sapwood is easily attacked by insects. Crooked trees mean lots of internal stress, so slabs can move while drying. In Florida, dry it slowly, acclimate it indoors and finish both faces.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Sissoo, sold as sheesham in imported furniture, is a hardworking rosewood for tables, cabinets and turnings. Florida trees grow crooked and wide, so local slabs can have wild grain and some sapwood to work around. Expect some movement in a fresh slab and flatten it in stages on the CNC. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Sissoo
Furniture, cabinetry, flooring, veneer, plywood, carving, percussion instruments, boatbuilding and turned objects.
Sustainability and CITES status
Listed on CITES Appendix II with all Dalbergia rosewoods, so commercial shipments across borders need permits. In Florida it is a Category II invasive species on the Florida Invasive Species Council list.
Safety and toxicity
- Skin irritation
- Sensitizer (allergy builds with exposure)
Milder than most rosewoods, with skin irritation the main report. It is still a Dalbergia, so sensitivity can build with repeated exposure.
- In the shop
- Dust collection + mask or respirator 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.
Sissoo is usually milder than other rosewoods, but skin irritation has been reported and rosewood dust can sensitize. Use dust collection, a mask or respirator, and gloves if you react.
Sissoo in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Sissoo 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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