Common Names:

Scientific Name:

Availability on Catapu: 

Tree

Timber

Leadwood, Nangali and Monzo

Combretum imberbe

Commercially available in small volumes, can be supplied in planks, turnings, turning blanks and furniture. Limited volumes can be supplied

A medium to large tree between 7 and 15 m in height, occurring at medium to low altitudes, in mixed woodlands.

Source - Tress of Southern Africa - Keith Coates Palgrave and Meg Coates Palgrave 

The heartwood is dark brown in colour with blackish streaks. Weighing 1,130kg/m3 at a SG of 12% the timber is hard, heavy and durable. It sandpapers well and takes varnishes and oils well to come up with a high lustrous finish. It needs sharp tools. It is difficult to use for furniture but is well suited to turning and carving and has even been used for machine bearing. The wood is so hard that Africans made blades for their hoes before metal became available.