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Mango wood is the hardwood timber cultivated from the mango fruit tree (Mangifera indica). Native to the Indian subcontinent but also grown the world over in any place where the climate is frost free, notably in India, much of East Asia, Brazil and Mexico, the mango tree is grown primarily as a fruit bearing tree.

The mango tree is an extremely large, long-lived species which can grow as tall as 100 feet in height and 5 feet in diameter. Like most hardwood trees native to tropical climates it is an evergreen tree with leaves which change from red to green and small white flowers. The fruit is consumed all over the world and is a very common ingredient in Indian and East-Asian cuisine.

Although long lived, mango trees stop producing fruit as the age so are felled regularly to allow space for new plantations. At the end of its fruit-bearing life, rather than being wasted, the tree is then used to produce timber for use in furniture, kitchen equipment and decorative carvings. Already a very popular timber wood in much of Asia, the beautiful mango wood is becoming more and more popular the world over.

Mango wood is a hard, dense timber, although is far lighter than most other hardwoods such as teak or oak. Its beautiful grain is often made up of many different colours and tones, ranging from a dark or light green through browns and light tan colours. This stunning grain looks lovely in its natural form but looks even better with a coat or two of beeswax polish and provides a look that betters with age.

The strong timber is also a great choice for furniture due to its mechanical properties. It is a pleasure to work with and takes cutting and turning easily. The multi-hued grain looks best in large flat panels and sweeping curves which allow the splendour of the grain to show. The wood looks especially beautiful crafted into large, simply formed items such as bookcases or tables, letting the grain sell itself rather than requiring ornate features.

Mango Furniture the benefits

As the mango timber comes from a tree which is grown primarily for its fruit, the wood is actually a recycled waste by-product. The perpetual turnover of these large trees means that mango wood is an extremely sustainable and ecologically sound material for furniture production. It would be extremely wasteful to not use such a beautiful timber and so the mango farmers sell on this wood to local woodworkers to subsidise their income.

Most mango wood products found in western countries are fair trade items. This means the highly skilled craftsmen that produce the furniture, as well as the farmers that grow the wood, are paid a fair price for their produce. As the cost of living in India is substantially lower than that of the UK and US, added to the recycled nature of the timber, means that furniture and decorative items produced from this versatile wood are not only affordable but also provide a good living for the traditional craftsmen and farmers whose hard work produces them.

If you enjoyed this articles, and would like to find out more please visit Mango Wood Furniture. This article was written by James Rockford, who has a passion for furniture and writes regularly for sites such as Oak Sideboard amongst others.