African walnut (lovoa)

Overview

African walnut (Lovoa trichilioides) has golden-yellow to reddish-brown heartwood, sometimes with darker streaks, that darkens with age. It is not a true walnut but is related to mahogany. It is easy to work and seen mainly as veneer.

Pros

• Golden to reddish brown with darker streaks.
• Easy to work; turns, glues and finishes well.
• Light (Janka 940 lbf, about 540 kg/m3).
• Not CITES-listed and IUCN Least Concern.
• Moderate shrinkage (3.7% radial, 5.9% tangential).

Cons

• Only moderately durable.
• Tear-out on interlocked grain.
• Seldom seen as lumber in the US except flooring planks.
• Reported to cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation, and systemic effects.
• Not related to Juglans walnuts.

Variants and subspecies

• Lovoa trichilioides: the sole species, in the Meliaceae family like Khaya and Spanish cedar.
• Look-alikes: true walnut (Black walnut, European walnut) and Peruvian walnut.

Working and finishing

Light cuts on interlocked grain. Turns, glues and finishes well.

Staining and finishing colour

Colour darkens on exposure and with age. Usually finished clear.

Sustainability and handling

CITES: not listed (Wood Database; APHIS CITES Timber Species Manual, checked 2026-09-30). IUCN: Least Concern (Wood Database). FSC availability is not verified here. The US Lacey Act makes it unlawful to trade wood taken or exported in breach of the source country's laws (fws.gov/law/lacey-act), so buy from dealers who can name the country and species. If a piece will be exported to or sold in the EU, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (the EUDR) requires due-diligence evidence that wood products are deforestation-free and legally produced; check its current application date with your buyer.

Ethical call: a good lower-risk alternative to scarcer dark woods. Health: skin, eye and respiratory irritation, with other systemic effects reported. The US National Cancer Institute reports strong, consistent associations between wood-dust exposure and cancers of the nasal cavity and sinuses, so use extraction and a respirator when sanding.

Popular projects

Veneer, plywood, flooring, furniture, cabinetry and turned objects.

Buying notes

Mostly veneer; lumber is seldom seen outside flooring. The price here is an estimate. Be clear that you are buying Lovoa, not a Juglans walnut.