How to Identify Purpleheart Wood (Peltogyne spp.)

Purpleheart, Peltogyne spp.: color, grain, end grain, Janka hardness (1,860 lbf) and weight, and how to tell it from Dyed/stained wood imitating purple color, quoted from the USDA Wood Handbook and The Wood Database.

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At a glance

Scientific name: Peltogyne spp.
Type: Hardwood
Origin: Central and South America
Color: Freshly cut heartwood is a dull grayish/purplish brown, turning a deep eggplant purple within a few days of UV exposure; darkens further over time unless a UV-inhibiting finish is used.
Grain and texture: Grain usually straight, but can be wavy or irregular; medium texture with good natural luster.
End grain: Diffuse porous; growth rings distinct or indistinct depending on species; vessels medium to large, few, with purplish deposits common; parenchyma winged, lozenge, confluent, unilateral, and occasionally banded; rays medium width, barely visible without a lens.
Janka hardness: 1,860 lbf
Specific gravity (12% MC): 0.67
Other clue: Most Peltogyne species have no characteristic odor, though some can be pungent; can exude a gummy resin when heated by dull tools or high cutter speeds.

What Purpleheart looks like

Freshly cut heartwood is a dull grayish/purplish brown, turning a deep eggplant purple within a few days of UV exposure; darkens further over time unless a UV-inhibiting finish is used. Grain usually straight, but can be wavy or irregular; medium texture with good natural luster. End grain: Diffuse porous; growth rings distinct or indistinct depending on species; vessels medium to large, few, with purplish deposits common; parenchyma winged, lozenge, confluent, unilateral, and occasionally banded; rays medium width, barely visible without a lens.

Hardness and weight

Janka hardness 1,860 lbf (side hardness: the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter). Specific gravity 0.67 at 12% moisture content, so a cubic foot weighs roughly 42 lb. Weight in the hand is one of the quickest checks: compare a piece of known size against a board you already know.

Purpleheart vs Dyed/stained wood imitating purple color

Genuine purpleheart's purple color develops naturally from a grayish-brown cut surface after a few days of light exposure (not applied as a surface dye) and the color runs through the entire heartwood, distinguishing it from any wood merely painted or dyed purple.

Smell, weight and other clues

Most Peltogyne species have no characteristic odor, though some can be pungent; can exude a gummy resin when heated by dull tools or high cutter speeds.

Where you will meet it

Inlays/accent pieces, flooring, furniture, boatbuilding, heavy construction, and specialty wood items.

Working it

Can exude gummy resin that clogs tools if heated by dull cutters or high speeds; planing may cause tearout depending on grain orientation; moderate dulling effect on cutters; reported as a sensitizer causing eye/skin irritation and nausea.

How to photograph it for identification

Photograph a freshly cut or sanded face in daylight, not a finished or stained surface, since stain hides color and finish flattens grain. Add a close-up of the end grain: cut a clean end, wet it or sand it to 220, and shoot from straight on; pore pattern and rays are the most reliable marks. Put a ruler in frame. The app suggests the likely species; confirm with the end grain and weight.

FAQ

How hard is Purpleheart?

Janka hardness 1,860 lbf. For comparison, Red Oak is about 1,290 lbf and Eastern White Pine about 380 lbf.

How do I tell Purpleheart from Dyed/stained wood imitating purple color?

Is Purpleheart a hardwood or a softwood?

Purpleheart is a hardwood: it comes from a broadleaf tree. Hardwood and softwood describe the kind of tree, not how hard the wood is; some hardwoods are softer than some softwoods.

What color is Purpleheart?

Freshly cut heartwood is a dull grayish/purplish brown, turning a deep eggplant purple within a few days of UV exposure; darkens further over time unless a UV-inhibiting finish is used.

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