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Cumaru (Brazilian Teak)

Dipteryx odorata

Cumaru is a high-density Brazilian hardwood featuring an interlocked grain, a distinct vanilla scent, and elite resistance to rot and wear.

Janka

3330

Price Tier

$$$$

Dent Risk

Low
Workability
Finishing
Uses
Buying
Straight-grain Cumaru wood lumber board showing golden-brown color with darker brown streaks and fine dense tropical hardwood grain.

Overview

Cumaru is often sold as Brazilian teak, but it behaves like its own animal: very hard, very durable, and naturally resistant to decay and insects. That makes it a workhorse for decking and flooring. It’s also dense and can be oily, so gluing and tool wear can take planning. If you want a long-lived surface and can handle the machining effort, it delivers.

Key takeaways

  • Elite natural rot and insect resistance for exterior timber use;
  • Dense enough to be hard on edges and slower to machine;
  • Oils and density can complicate glue and coatings.

At a Glance

Hardness & Heft

Janka: 3330 lbf
Dry weight: 69 lbs/ft³ (1105 kg/m³)

Color & Figure

Color: Light Brown

Grain: Interlocked grain
Figure: Ribbon figure

Stability & Movement

Movement: Medium expansion and contraction rate

Drying: Usually sold dried for flooring/decking; thicker

Workability

Plays nice with

  • Decking
  • Flooring
  • Exterior trim

Fights you on

  • Tool dulling / Severe blade blunting
  • Oily wood gluing
  • Planing tearout risk

Finishing

  • Surface Prep: 80 to 120 to 150
  • Blotch Risk: Low
  • Pores: Tight

Best Uses

Great for

  • Decking
  • Flooring
  • Exterior trim

Avoid for

  • Fine carving
  • Fast glue-ups
  • Soft tools

Where it comes from

Native to northern South America and the Amazon Basin

Map highlighting northern South America and the Amazon Basin where many tropical hardwood species originate.

Buying notes

Select boards for stability and minimal end checking; match color lots if appearance consistency matters.
  • Sold As: Decking boards, flooring, lumber
  • Look For: Straight boards, consistent thickness, minimal checks and splits

What to Watch Out For

  • End checking
  • Splitting when drilling
  • Occasional interlock tearout zones

Practical Alternatives

  • Ipe
  • Teak
  • Garapa

Shop Notes / Deeper Dive

Cumaru is a great alternative to Teak, but it has a nasty habit of tearing out if your planer knives aren’t razor-sharp. It’s dense and oily, so skip the fancy film finishes and stick to high-quality oils. Use it for heavy-duty exterior work. Just remember: it doesn’t just “move” with the seasons; it pushes. Use floating panels or you’ll wake up to a crack. Thinking about hand-planing? Good luck. You’ll be doing more sharpening than planing.

Like what you see?

While I occasionally work with some of these species, availability varies widely. If you’re researching woods for a custom project, feel free to reach out.

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Reference Notes:  Wood grain and color can vary significantly within a species depending on growing conditions, age, and cut orientation. Images on this page are provided as general reference examples and may not represent every possible variation of the species. Geographic distribution maps illustrate typical native or commonly cultivated ranges and may not reflect every region where the species occurs today.

Additional technical data and botanical information may be referenced from sources such as the USDA Forest Products Laboratory Wood Handbook.