Sandalwood

Material Type:
Hardwood

Also Called:
East Indian Sandalwood, Indian Sandalwood, White Sandalwood

Durability Notes:
The Agroforestree Database (World Agroforestry, 2009) describes the timber as durable. We have not found a published durability class for it.

Properties:
The timber weighs about 870 kg/m3 and is described as durable and strong, with close-grained heartwood. (Source: the Agroforestree Database (World Agroforestry, 2009).)

Typical Uses:
Ornamental and carving work; heartwood oil for perfumery, soap and medicines; incense

More Info:
Sandalwood oil is distilled from the heartwood, with yields of 4-10%. The roots hold the most oil, which makes them especially valuable. (Source: the Agroforestree Database (World Agroforestry, 2009).)

Folklore and traditions:
These are traditional beliefs, not established facts.
Powder from the heartwood is used to make incense sticks, burnt as perfume in houses and temples, or ground into a paste and used as a cosmetic. (Source: the Agroforestree Database (World Agroforestry, 2009).)

Sustainability:
Santalum album is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (category read via GBIF). The Agroforestree Database notes that a serious pathogen, spike disease, kills trees in India.

Interesting Facts:
As a rule of thumb, each tree adds about 1 kg of heartwood a year after the age of 15, and a well-grown tree of about 40 years, including the roots, can yield over 250 kg of scented heartwood. (Source: the Agroforestree Database (World Agroforestry, 2009).)

No FAQs yet for this timber.