Lignumvitae (Guaiacum spp.) in numbers: hardness, weight, strength, shrinkage, movement and decay resistance, taken from the tables of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory’s Wood Handbook, followed by what the wood is like to work and what it is used for. The values are averages from small, clear, straight-grained test specimens; real boards with knots, sloping grain or a different moisture content will differ.
| Property | Lignumvitae |
|---|---|
| Janka side hardness, 12% moisture | 4,500 lbf (20,017 N) |
| Janka side hardness, green | not reported |
| Hardness rank | harder than 167 of the 168 woods with a 12% hardness value in our database |
| Density at 12% moisture | 88.1 lb/ft³ (1,411 kg/m³)* |
| Weight per board foot (12%) | 7.34 lb* |
| Specific gravity (ovendry weight, green volume) | 1.05 |
| Specific gravity at 12% moisture | 1.26* |
| Bending strength (modulus of rupture), 12% | not reported |
| Stiffness (modulus of elasticity), 12% | not reported |
| Crushing strength (compression parallel to grain), 12% | 11,400 psi |
| Shrinkage green to ovendry: radial / tangential / volumetric | not reported |
| Tangential / radial shrinkage ratio | — |
| Dimensional change per 1% moisture (radial / tangential) | not reported |
| Heartwood decay resistance | very resistant |
What it is
Lignum vitae (written lignumvitae in the Handbook) is the wood of Guaiacum trees. For many years the only species used on a large scale was G. officinale, native to the West Indies, northern Venezuela, northern Colombia and Panama. With that species nearly exhausted, harvesters turned to G. sanctum, which occupies the same range and extends to the Pacific side of Central America and southern Mexico, and it is now the principal commercial species.
The Handbook calls lignum vitae one of the heaviest and hardest woods on the market. It has a distinctive green colour, an oily or waxy feel, a fine uniform texture and closely interlocked grain. Its resin can make up a quarter of the air-dried weight of the heartwood.
Working properties
Lignum vitae has the highest Janka hardness of any wood with a hardness value in our database, 4,500 lbf at 12% moisture content. Our density figure of about 88.1 lb per cubic foot is estimated from its specific gravity; at that density it sinks in water. The Handbook does not report bending strength, stiffness or shrinkage for it, so those rows of the table are empty.
It is hard to cut but turns beautifully. The resin content means glue joints are unreliable without wiping the surfaces with a solvent first, and many turners simply leave it unfinished or buff it, since the wood polishes itself. Its heartwood is in the very resistant decay class of Table 14-1. All Guaiacum species are listed in CITES Appendix II, so trade needs export permits.
Weight and density
At 12% moisture content lignumvitae weighs about 88.1 lb per cubic foot (estimated from its specific gravity and shrinkage), so one board foot (144 cubic inches) weighs about 7.34 lb. An 8 ft board of actual size 3/4 × 5-1/2 in. (a 1×6) holds 0.229 cubic feet and weighs about 20.2 lb; an 8 ft piece 1-1/2 × 3-1/2 in. (a 2×4 size) weighs about 25.7 lb. Green wood is much heavier because of the water it holds.
Density here is ovendry weight plus 12% water, divided by volume at 12% moisture content (Wood Handbook Eq. 4-12: density = specific gravity at 12% × 62.43 lb/ft³ × 1.12).
How it compares
| Species | Janka (lbf) | Density (lb/ft³) | Bending (psi) | Stiffness (Mpsi) | Tangential shrink (%) | Decay resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lignumvitae | 4,500 | 88.1* | — | — | — | very resistant |
| Ipe | 3,680 | 64.0† | 25,400 | 3.14 | 8.0 | very resistant |
| Purpleheart | 1,860 | 49.8* | 19,200 | 2.27 | 6.1 | very resistant |
| Courbaril (jatoba) | 2,350 | 53.8* | 19,400 | 2.16 | 8.5 | resistant |
| Greenheart | 2,350 | 62.3* | 24,900 | 3.25 | 9.6 | very resistant |
| Shagbark hickory | 1,880 | 50.3 | 20,200 | 2.16 | 10.5 | slightly or nonresistant |
Uses
Lignum vitae was used chiefly for bearing or bushing blocks for ship propeller shafts: its strength and tenacity, together with the self-lubricating resin, make it especially suited to use under water. It is also used for mallets, pulley sheaves, caster wheels, stencil and chisel blocks, and turned products.
Frequently asked questions
Is lignum vitae the hardest wood?
It is the hardest in our database: the Wood Handbook gives it 4,500 lbf of Janka side hardness at 12% moisture, ahead of ipe. A few very rare woods not covered by the Handbook are sometimes quoted as harder.
Does lignum vitae sink?
Yes. At about 88.1 lb per cubic foot (our estimate at 12% moisture) it is denser than water, which is about 62.4 lb per cubic foot.
Why was lignum vitae used for propeller shaft bearings?
It is strong and tough, and its high resin content makes it self-lubricating, so it works well under water.
Is lignum vitae protected?
All Guaiacum species are on CITES Appendix II, so international trade needs permits. Buy from suppliers who can show them.
Sources
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-190, 2010. Chapter 2 (species descriptions), Chapter 4 (Tables 4-3, 4-4 shrinkage; Eq. 4-7, 4-9, 4-12 density), Chapter 5 (Tables 5-3b, 5-5b strength and hardness), Chapter 13 (Table 13-5 dimensional change coefficients), Chapter 14 (Table 14-1 decay resistance)
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Wood Handbook, 2021 edition (FPL-GTR-282)
Last reviewed: 24 October 2026. Numbers are generated from our parsed copy of the Handbook tables, so every page uses the same data. Values marked * are estimates computed with the Handbook’s own equations. Spotted an error? Please let us know.