African Blackwood Tree (Dalbergia melanoxylon)
Scientific Name: Dalbergia melanoxylon — African Blackwood.
Native Home: Eastern and southern Africa.
Height: 4–15 metres.
Lifespan: Several decades to over 100 years.
Uses and Harvesting
Timber: Extremely dense, dark hardwood prized for clarinets, oboes, woodwind instruments, and fine carving.
Harvesting: Slow-growing trees are selectively harvested; overexploitation has reduced wild populations.
Age to Harvest: Often 60–100 years or more to develop commercially valuable heartwood.
Products: Musical instruments, ornamental carvings, tool handles, and luxury woodcraft.
History and Global Production
Traditional Use: Used by African craftspeople for carving and specialist wooden objects.
Global Spread: Native to dry regions of Africa; its dark timber is traded internationally, and the species faces conservation pressures.
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