Definition

• Rubberwood is a tropical tree also known as Hevea brasiliensis. For more than 100 years, rubberwood plantations in places like India have harvested latex, which produce it as part of their sap. Harvesting the timber from the trees is a more recent development.
  
  

Appearance

• Sap being drained from a rubber tree, courtesy greenlivingtips.com
  
  Rubberwood is valued for its pale cream color, which is usually preserved by quickly cutting and varnishing the wood. If allowed to sit, the wood changes to a yellow-brown tone. It is a smooth wood with a largely straight grain pattern that deviates only slightly in large samples.
  
  

Properties

• Rubberwood has a light density and very little shrinkage, which means it is easy to handle and does not change much in shape or weight when dried. It is resistant to many types of fungus and mold, and it form a strong bond with wood glue.
  
  

Ecological Benefit

• Rubberwood is seen as an environmentally friendly timber option since timber production is its secondary use. On the plantations where latex is harvested, the trees only produce a usable yield of sap for about 30 years and then must be replaced. These trees had been burned or discarded but are now "recycled" and used for their timber.
  
  

Considerations and Availability

• The wood is used to make a wide variety of furniture and is available in many stores, sometimes under the more technical name of parawood to avoid confusion about the "rubber" part of its name. Because rubberwood is light and easy to work with, it can be fashioned in complex designs, but it is suitable only for indoor objects and cannot easily withstand weather damage.