Avodire

Overview

Avodire (Turraeanthus africanus) is pale yellow or cream, darkening to golden yellow, with wavy, mottled or rippled figure and a shimmering chatoyance. It is in the mahogany family and is mostly used as veneer.

Pros

• Cream to golden yellow with chatoyant figure.
• Good working characteristics; easy with hand and machine tools.
• Dimensionally stable, with a very good MOR-to-weight ratio.
• Janka 1,170 lbf, about 575 kg/m3.
• Medium price for lumber.

Cons

• Non-durable and susceptible to insects.
• Tear-out on interlocked grain; slight cutter blunting.
• Reported to cause skin irritation, nosebleeds, internal bleeding and asthma-like symptoms.
• IUCN Vulnerable.
• Mostly veneer, so lumber is hard to find.

Variants and subspecies

• Turraeanthus africanus: the sole species.
• White mahogany, African satinwood: marketing names. Wood Database says white mahogany also names Roseodendron donnell-smithii and a Eucalyptus; African satinwood is more often movingui.
• Substitute: Hard maple for pale furniture stock.

Working and finishing

Easy to work; light cuts on interlocked grain.

Staining and finishing colour

Darkens with age to golden yellow. Usually finished clear to show the chatoyance.

Sustainability and handling

CITES: not listed (Wood Database; APHIS CITES Timber Species Manual, checked 2026-09-30). IUCN: Vulnerable, from a population reduction of over 30% in three generations (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: acceptable with provenance, but Vulnerable. Health: skin irritation, nosebleeds, internal bleeding and asthma-like symptoms 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, cabinetry, furniture, millwork and plywood.

Buying notes

Commonly sold as veneer; boards are available. The price here is an estimate.