Hevea- Rubber tree
Hevea Brasiliensis

Where does it grow?
Its home is in Brazil. It is a natural source of rubber and it is grown in many plantations of South-East Asia and Western Africa; e.g. Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Burma, Vietnam; Liberia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast.

Look
The sapwood and heartwood colours are not distinguished, wood is yellowish white, it can get dark to yellow-brown, old trees can be rosy-brown inside.
Its texture is even, only slightly blistered, e.g. striped in radial section, less decorative.

Qualities
Hevea offers light and hard wood, its compactness is 560-640 kg/m3 when dried. The trees are lumbered after 30 years first when the production of latex is to the end. Its wood is good for wood working, convenient for production of floors, walls, handles, clogs and centre rods; in the market there also is laminated wood from veneer and other laminated veneer material. Its qualities are convenient for gluing and wood joints and colouring.