Strange wood with the ability to change color: Ranked among the world's top in hardness and durability, Vietnam also grows it

Thanks to its special properties, this type of wood is sold at a quite expensive price.

Wood that can change color depending on the environment it is exposed to

This special type of wood with the ability to change color is called Purple Heart (scientific name: Peltogyne spp) or also known as purple heart wood. In Vietnam, this type of wood is called purple rosewood, purple incense . According to the An ninh Thu do newspaper , this is a typical type of wood of Central and South America, often found in tropical rainforests in Brazil, Suriname and Guyana.

The type of wood that can change color is called purple rosewood. (Photo: Pinterest).

The special feature of Purple Heart wood is that when newly cut it has a grayish brown or light purple color, after being exposed to air it will turn a darker purple color. If left in the environment for a long time and exposed to light, the wood will become dark brown mixed with a little purple.

Purple Heart wood is famous for its thickness and ability to withstand water, termites, and mold very well. It is ranked as one of the hardest and most durable woods in the world.

The purple mahogany tree belongs to the family Coccinea, it is one of 23 species of medium to very large flowering plants. The flowers are small, pale blue, the fruits are flat, kidney-shaped, and the seeds are flat, pale black.

Purple rosewood trees are characterized by large trunks, wide crowns, and heights of 20-25m. (Photo: Pinterest).

The purple rosewood tree is characterized by a large trunk, wide canopy, and height of 20-25m. The trunk diameter can reach nearly 1m, the trunk has fibrous bark, and cracks. However, purple rosewood has a rather slow growth rate, taking about 20 years to create economic value.

Rosewood is quite heavy and sturdy. The average weight of rosewood is usually from 800 to 1,000 kg/m3, depending on the humidity and the specific type of wood.

Rosewood trees are usually grown in tropical or subtropical regions, with average temperatures ranging from 20-35 degrees Celsius and humidity from 70-85%. If soil and climate conditions are suitable, rosewood trees can grow well and achieve the best wood quality.

Purple rosewood is quite heavy and sturdy. (Photo: Pinterest)

In Vietnam, purple rosewood is grown in many areas of the Central Highlands and the Southeast region such as Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Kon Tum, Tay Ninh, Lam Dong, Dong Nai.

One of the ways to identify purple rosewood is by its scent. This type of wood has a musty smell quite similar to the smell of bamboo soaked in water for a long time. This scent can repel many types of insects that are harmful to the tree.

According to the Environment & Life Magazine , in the wood classification table in Vietnam, purple rosewood is classified into group I - the group of precious woods and the classification of exploited and used woods . Group I includes types of wood with high economic value, in addition to high durability, high hardness, low shrinkage and not attacked by termites and is especially rare. In Vietnam, all types of rosewood are banned from exploitation, so products made from this type of wood on the market today mainly come from Laos, Cambodia and South Africa. Purple rosewood belongs to group 1 so it has a quite high price.

Purple rosewood is a type of wood with a fairly high price. (Photo: Pinterest).

Because the price of purple rosewood is expensive, it is often counterfeited by other wood products because the wood grain and color of this type of wood is similar to many other types of wood on the market. The price of purple rosewood is about 11.99 USD/Board Feet (about 5000 USD/1m ³ ), equivalent to 121 million VND/1m ³ .