Hardwood · Central and South America

Purpleheart

Peltogyne spp.

Brown when cut, turning vivid purple with air exposure.

Janka hardness2,520 lbf

Density (12% MC)56.0 lb/ft³

Weight per board foot4.7 lb

Rot resistanceVery high

Workability2/5

Price$$$$

Hardness compared

White pine Yellow Poplar Black Cherry Red Oak Hard Maple Shagbark Hickory Purpleheart Jatoba

Heat from dull tools turns it brown — keep everything sharp. UV slowly browns it again.

Typical uses: Inlay, accents, cutting boards, turnings.

Tangential coefficient (flatsawn)	0.00218 per 1% MC
Radial coefficient (quartersawn)	0.00114 per 1% MC
T/R ratio	1.91 (prone to cupping when flatsawn)
12" flatsawn board, 6% → 11% MC	0.131" (≈ 3.3 mm)

Wood & Materials Intermediate

3 min readOct 17, 2026