Sonokeling

Overview

Sonokeling is the Indonesian name for Dalbergia latifolia, the same species the rest of the world calls East Indian rosewood. The Wood Database says it is native to India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, where it is called sonokeling, and notes some believe it was introduced to Indonesia rather than native there. Wikipedia says it is grown on plantations in India and Java. This page exists so that a buyer who meets the name "sonokeling" can find the right guidance; most of the detail lives in East Indian rosewood.

Pros

• Same wood properties as East Indian rosewood: Janka 2,350 lbf, 855 kg/m3, rated very durable (Wood Database).
• Plantation-grown stock in Java is a more traceable source than wild-harvested wood.

Cons

• Dense, with interlocked grain and occasional chalk-like deposits that dull cutting edges quickly.
• Reported sensitizer; skin irritation is the commonest reaction (Wood Database).
• Subject to the same CITES listing and the same Vulnerable IUCN status as the Indian wood.

Variants and subspecies

None of note: one species with a regional name. It should not be confused with Sheesham (D. sissoo), which is also sometimes sold as "Indian rosewood".

Working and finishing

Treat it as East Indian rosewood. The Wood Database says that species can be somewhat difficult to work because of interlocked grain and density, finishing can be problematic as with most rosewoods, and it generally turns and glues well.

Staining and finishing colour

Usually finished clear to show the purple-brown colour and dark streaks. Test finishes on offcuts first.

Sustainability and handling

Dalbergia species outside Appendix I are CITES Appendix II under annotation #15 (CITES Appendices text valid from 5 March 2026; checked 2026-09). That covers sawn wood and veneer; finished products up to 10 kg of wood weight per shipment are excluded. A plantation origin does not remove the permit requirement for lumber. The IUCN lists D. latifolia as Vulnerable (2020). Reported sensitizer, so use dust extraction and a mask.

Popular projects

Furniture, guitars and turned items, as for East Indian rosewood.

Buying notes

Ask for the botanical name and a CITES permit. No sonokeling price was found; the figure above is a proxy using East Indian rosewood, the same species.