Angsana Tree in Singapore

Standard Name: Angsana (Medium Hardwood)

Family: P. indicus

Botanica Name: Pterocarpus indicus

Distribution: Southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam

Grown and Harvested in Singapore: A large deciduous tree that grows up to 40m in height. Crown is dense, dome-shaped, wide-spreading & drooping. Leaves are simple pinnate compound.

General description: Sapwood is susceptible to wood borers and heartwood is naturally resistant to termite attacks. Yellowish brown generally and darkens on weathering.

Grain:

Texture: Fine and even

Common Uses:  Often finely sliced to produce an extremely decorative veneer, used for decoration and in making of furniture.

Our recommendation: Commonly used as shelving, DIY work of items like tissue boxes, cutting boards, dining tables and benches. It gives a light brownish yellow colour when treated with colourless oil-based varnish.

Trunks are irregular shape and seldom round, hence making it difficult to harvest large pieces of slabs from the tree. It is common to have joint pieces to get the width required.

Skilled carpenters would sometimes love to use these pieces as cabinets, shelves or even cutting boards. Readily available kiln dried pieces are mostly smaller and shorter.

Common sizes available:

Commonly available kiln dried pieces are

200mm x 20mm x 4ft – 5ft

200mm x 50mm x 4ft – 5ft