Okoume

Aucoumea klaineana · Hardwood · West Africa

Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana) wood and tree photograph
Janka 380 lbf≈21 lb/ft³ dried (est.)Not durable

Properties

Janka hardness380 lbf (1,690 N)
Average dried weight (est.)21 lb/ft³ (330 kg/m³)
Specific gravity0.33
Modulus of rupture7,400 psi (51.0 MPa)
Modulus of elasticity1.14 million psi (7.86 GPa)
Crushing strength3,970 psi (27.4 MPa)
Shrinkage — radial4.1%
Shrinkage — tangential6.1%
Shrinkage — volumetric11.3%
Shrinkage T/R ratio1.5

Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5-5b p. 5-24; shrinkage Table 4-4 p. 4-9.

Okoume is a very light west-central African hardwood (specific gravity 0.33, Janka hardness 380 lbf) found only in a restricted natural range around Gabon and Guinea but extensively planted within it. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is not listed in the CITES Appendices.

Appearance & grain

The heartwood is salmon-pink in color and the narrow sapwood is whitish or pale gray. The wood has a high luster and a uniform texture that is slightly coarser than that of birch.

Durability

The Handbook describes okoume heartwood as nondurable, so the wood belongs in protected, above-ground applications unless treated.

Workability

The Handbook notes that the nondurable heartwood dries readily with little degrade, and that sawn lumber is somewhat difficult to machine because of its silica content — but the wood glues, nails, and peels into veneer easily. Its medium-intensity color permits toning to either lighter or darker shades, giving unusual flexibility in finishing.

Common uses

  • Decorative plywood paneling
  • General utility plywood
  • Doors
  • Furniture components
  • Joinery
  • Light construction

Conservation: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable (checked 2026-10-25).

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Photo: Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (France). Programme Bois. Producteur d'un fonds d'archives · Public domain (source)

Property data: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282 (2021).