Wenge is a tree from West and Central Africa. Its wood is popular for making furniture and floors. The wood is beautiful and strong. It resists termites and fungus. This makes wenge great for furniture.
Wenge is a legume, now endangered. Over half the trees have been cut down in three generations. It's a large tropical tree with thick leaves. Purple flowers bloom at the start of the rainy season.
This tree grows in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests. It also grows in savannas and open groves.
Wenge is also called African rosewood, artificial ebony, and other names.
Wenge wood is dark brown, sometimes with light veins or stripes. It is heavy and dense, so it needs little extra work.
Wenge wood is very useful because of its qualities.
It is mainly used:
For parquet floors.
In cabinets, especially high-end furniture.
For interior woodwork.
For outside walls.
Wenge wood has natural oils and a strong structure. It lasts long and doesn't need treatment. It is dense and strong, so it is used for floors, furniture, walking sticks, and musical instruments. These include guitars from many brands.
Wenge is also used to make segmented wood items in custom shapes. Bow makers use wenge to create flat bows because it is strong and durable.
Besides strength, wenge wood is known for its color and look. It has a deep chocolate brown color with black lines.
The dark color is now a standard color in paint. The wood grain may show brown lines with black, depending on treatment. With oil, wenge wood can look almost black, like ebony.
The wood grain is straight and pleasing. Wenge lumber has a consistent color. Over months after cutting, the surface gets darker chocolate or black-brown tones.
Today, wenge wood is used less. However, its strength, structure, and look make it a top dark wood. It can be used alone or with lighter woods. Wenge is still in demand, even though its price is rising.
