Purpleheart Hardwood

This week, continuing with our Exotic Species Series, we’d like to introduce you to another beautifully unique hardwood – “Purpleheart.”

Genus: Peltogyne

Common Name: Purpleheart

Country of Origin: Tropical Rainforest regions of South and Central America. Brazil, Guyana, Panama

Janka Rating: 2520

Whether you’ve heard about this bazaar and gorgeous hardwood species or not, believe that the rumors are true:  this hardwood is actually purple!  That’s right, purple.  It’s hard to believe that a tree can grow and naturally have this wonderful color.  Most people, when thinking of wood in general, tend to think of all shades of brown.  And that’s true in many cases.  But that’s why we’ve introduced this exotic species series – to show you that there are so many more incredible options out there, and Puepleheart is a favorite among many woodworkers, and looks so stunning as flooring.

Purpleheart, “Peltogyne spp.” grows in the tropical climates of Central and South America, much like many of the other stunning exotic hardwoods we’ve gone over.  Purpleheart is known for its strength, and is used for many different applications, other than flooring.  It’s an incredibly dense and durable wood, that is also extremely water resistant.  It’s so strong, in fact, that it has been know to be used as the flatbeds in commercial trucks!  Besides having a stunning color, this hardwood is strong and stable, making it a great choice for flooring that will last.  With a Janka rating of 2520 lb p/f, this dense wood will surely stand the test of time in any home!

The graining feature of purple heart wood is straight and linear with many pieces having slight swirl markings. Purpleheart is a very clear wood without many knots.

Purpleheart Tree


Purpleheart Hardwood Flooring

When freshly cut, purpleheart is a light grayish brown with a hue of purple. Once exposed to UV rays, the color will transform to its renowned purple hue. The color transformation will start to take place within days of it being cut an exposed to the UV rays.

Purpleheart will continue to darken with prolonged exposure to UV light. It has the potential to deepen to such colors as eggplant purple, and brown with purple hues, to maroon.

If you would like to use purple heart as decking material, it is important to note that maintenance and upkeep is very important to retain the beautiful color of this wood. Without the proper care, purple heart will turn a silvery color that can not be fixed with a sanding. This is permanent.

Resisting the color changing process is as simple as applying a UV inhibitor polyurethane.

Purpleheart hardwood is very versatile. Popular uses for this wood include flooring, furniture making, cabinetry, decking and instruments.

Purpleheart hardwood flooring

Purpleheart Decking