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Machaerium scleroxylon
Machaerium scleroxylon is a deciduous tree in the pea family, grown for its timber, ornamental bark and as a pioneer species in woodland restoration. It is a tree-sized species rather than a houseplant, so the care points below apply to garden or plantation settings.
Machaerium scleroxylon is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae Common names for the species include pau ferro, morado, caviuna, Bolivian rosewood, and Santos rosewood. The wood is used as an alternative species to genuine rosewoods belonging to the genus Dalbergia.
Machaerium scleroxylon is a deciduous tree characterized by a spiny nature and a compact, vase-shaped crown, and has the potential to reach heights of 15 to 25 m. The trunk, featuring grooves and often branching at a low level, can attain a diameter of 50 to 90 cm. The tree is sought after for its appealing timber, leading to frequent wild harvesting. It also serves as a valuable pioneer species in woodland restoration and is commonly cultivated for ornamental purposes, prized for its attractive bark and delicate leaves.
Its wood has a similar feel and similar tonal attributes to genuine rosewoods, but is near 1000 points softer on the Janka hardness scale on average or more than all of the commonly traded species of rosewood except for Sisso and Amazonian rosewood (Dalbergia spruceana). It also ranks lower in density of 5-10 lbs per cubic foot compared to common rosewoods (roughly 54 lbs/cf compared to 60-66 lbs/cf), though it does have a negligibly higher crushing strength and modulus of rupture than a few species of rosewood. Pau ferro is lighter colored having more tans and light browns contrasting darker areas of its figure. The wood may also be used for flooring, fancy furniture, and handgun grips.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Machaerium scleroxylon by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
