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?

Mango fruit trees are a fast growing, large tree which have been known to grow to over one hundred feet tall and up to a diameter of five feet. This long lived evergreen flowers in small, white bunches and has leaves which start off orange in colour then turn through red to green as they mature. The fruit takes between three and six months to ripen and is very popular in Asian and Indian cuisine.

Although long lived, mango trees stop producing fruit as the age so are felled regularly to allow space for new plantations. At the end of its fruit-bearing life, rather than being wasted, the tree is then used to produce timber for use in furniture, kitchen equipment and decorative carvings. Already a very popular timber wood in much of Asia, the beautiful mango wood is becoming more and more popular the world over.

Mango timber is a relatively hard, dense timber but is deceptively light. It has a wondrous close grain which varies in colour within each tree, changing from a light tan colour all the way through green and grey hues to a mid to dark brown. It is this stunning grin which makes mango wood desirable for furniture and provides a charming rustic look to any home.

The strong timber is also a great choice for furniture due to its mechanical properties. It is a pleasure to work with and takes cutting and turning easily. The multi-hued grain looks best in large flat panels and sweeping curves which allow the splendour of the grain to show. The wood looks especially beautiful crafted into large, simply formed items such as bookcases or tables, letting the grain sell itself rather than requiring ornate features.

Possibly one of the most sustainable furniture timbers on the planet, mango wood is essentially a waste product of the intensive mango farming industry and as such is far more ecologically sound than other hardwoods and furniture produced from man-made boards. It simply makes sense for the mango farmers to capitalise on the great timber and sell it on to timber mills to make a welcome extra profit.

Ensure when purchasing mango wood furniture for your home that the items you are buying are fair-trade. This means that the farmers who grow the timber and the traditional, highly skilled craftsmen who manufacture all of this delightful furniture by hand are paid a good price for their produce. As the cost of living in the countries that produce the furniture is substantially lower than in western countries, the benefits work both ways. You get a stunning piece of furniture for a very affordable price while the skilled workers who produce it earn a good living.

This article is authored by James Rockford, who writes frequently for for prestigious sites such as Mango Furniture. James is passionate about furniture and home decor and also writes frequently for great sites such asOak Sideboard amongst others.