Mango Wood Furniture - What Is It? Where Does It Come From?

Have you heard of mango wood? Many people haven't, yet have eaten the fruit. Mangoes are grown in many countries in the world, including much of Asia, Brazil and Mexico, yet are originally native to the Indian subcontinent. The mango tree (Mangifera indica) is grown usually for its fruit, but what happens to the rest of the tree?

Growing up to a massive 100 feet in height and a diameter of up to 5 feet, a fully grown, mature mango tree is a real giant. As with many tropical hardwood trees, its leaves are evergreen and have a striking colouring turning from a pale orange when young to red and then green as the leaf ages. Its fruit has been popular all over the world for many years but is most widely used in Asian and Indian cooking.

As the mango tree reaches its full maturity, it stops producing fruit which makes it useless for the farmers who grow the mangoes so it is cut down to make space for fresh planting. The felled tree is then sold to local sawmills where it is cut into boards to be used in the production of some of the most beautiful furniture on earth.

Mango wood is a hard, dense timber, although is far lighter than most other hardwoods such as teak or oak. Its beautiful grain is often made up of many different colours and tones, ranging from a dark or light green through browns and light tan colours. This stunning grain looks lovely in its natural form but looks even better with a coat or two of beeswax polish and provides a look that betters with age.

Mango wood is especially notable for its use in both rustically styled and more modern furniture and carvings as it is a lot easier to cut than tougher hardwoods such as mahogany or teak and looks especially beautiful when used for turnings or in large flat panels which allow the full range of colours present in the grain to show through.

Mango wood timber products are one of the most sustainable timber products on the planet, being made from what is essentially a waste by-product of the massive mango fruit industry in Asia. As the trees are continually being cut down to create space for younger trees which will produce more fruit, it would be a shame to waste such a valuable and decorative commodity hence the mango farmers sell on the timber to subsidise their livelihood.

The fair-trade mango furniture pieces and decorative items found in much of the western world are mainly produced in India by highly skilled, traditional craftsmen before being exported to other countries. As the cost of living in India is far lower than that of the western world, coupled with the fact that the mango wood is recycled from what is essentially a waste product, means that mango wood furniture is a very affordable alternative to many more common hardwoods and provides a good income for the skilled farmers and craftsmen that create it.

If you enjoyed this articles, and would like to read more more please visit Mango Wood Furniture. This particular article was written by James Rockford, who has a passion for furniture and also writes regularly for sites such as Oak Sideboard amongst others.