Azobé / Ekki — Extreme Density and Durability

Azobé / Ekki — Extreme Density and Durability

Azobé, also known commercially as Ekki or Bongossi, is the timber of Lophira alata, a large tropical African tree in the family Ochnaceae. It is one of the heaviest and most durable structural timbers commonly traded from tropical Africa.

Species profile

Botanical name Lophira alata (syn. Lophira procera in older timber literature).

Range & habitat Native from West Tropical Africa eastward to Uganda, where the species occurs primarily in wet tropical forest.

Colour & appearance Heartwood is typically dark red to purple-brown. The sapwood is clearly demarcated, and pale or whitish mineral deposits can occur in the pores.

Grain & texture Grain is strongly interlocked and the texture is coarse, giving Azobé a powerful, rugged appearance rather than the fine texture of a cabinet hardwood.

Density Tropical-timber reference data places average density near 1.06 g/cm³ at 12% moisture content—about 1,060 kg/m³. It is heavy enough that logs do not normally float.

Durability Azobé is naturally durable against decay and is also rated durable against termites and dry-wood borers. Its natural durability allows severe-service use, including ground and fresh-water contact.

Workability Its very high density, hardness and interlocked grain make it demanding to saw and machine. Sharp, robust tooling and conservative feed rates are appropriate; the wood is not a casual substitute for ordinary cabinet species.

Movement & stability Like other very dense tropical timbers, careful drying and machining are important. Interlocked grain and substantial shrinkage mean stock should be allowed to acclimate before final dimensioning.

Typical uses Bridges, marine and harbour work, heavy decking, industrial flooring, sleepers, hydraulic works and other structural applications where wear resistance and service life matter more than low weight.

Identification note The combination of extreme weight, dark red to purple-brown colour, coarse texture and pronounced interlocked grain is characteristic, but colour alone is not sufficient for positive identification.

Visual reference

Azobe tree — Lophira alata

Grain variations

Azobe wood grain from Exotica Wood
Azobe grain and surface variation from Exotica Wood

Exotica Wood example

Real Azobe piece from Exotica Wood

EVIDENCE TRAIL

Go deeper. Verify the material.

Exotica Woods separates trade names, visual clues and confirmed botanical identity. These specialist references let you continue the investigation beyond this article.

01
Kew — Plants of the World Online

Accepted botanical names, synonyms, native range, distribution and plant-level taxonomy.

 02
InsideWood — Wood Anatomy

Microscopic and macroscopic anatomy using IAWA wood-identification features and reference images.

 03
USDA Forest Products Laboratory

Wood structure, moisture, physical properties, mechanical behaviour, drying, durability and engineering context.

 04
CITES — Timber Identification

Identification resources and trade-regulation material for listed timber groups and species.

 05
IUCN Red List

Species-level conservation assessments, range, population trend, threats and conservation actions when assessed.
Identification rule: wood anatomy can often narrow an unknown sample to a genus or group, but species-level identification is not always possible from wood alone. When the evidence does not justify certainty, Exotica keeps the identification conservative.