Greenheart
Also called: chlorocardium
One page. Other spellings and regional names stay on this URL.
Greenheart is a very heavy, hard-wearing timber used for marine work and other jobs where strength and resistance to wear matter.
Strength and density
Greenheart is stronger and stiffer than white oak, and air-dried wood has a density above 960 kilograms per cubic metre. Density is the amount of wood packed into a given volume, so this is exceptionally heavy stock to move, support and clamp. Its hardness and density also make it more difficult to work with hand tools, which calls for sharp edges, firm workholding and patient cuts.
Marine use
Greenheart is a major shipbuilding timber and has been used where a member must withstand hard service. Marine borers, often called sea-worms, do not attack it, which explains its value in work exposed to seawater. The shipbuilding name covers several varieties, so confirm what the supplier means by greenheart before matching boards or ordering replacements.
When to choose it
Use greenheart when the job genuinely needs its strength, stiffness, wear resistance or marine durability. Its cost has historically limited it outside marine work, where it could be essential. Ipe is another very strong timber whose air-dried performance is comparable with greenheart, but similar strength does not make the two woods identical in working behaviour or appearance.