Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry

(Hymenaea courbaril)

South America

The growth range of the species is limited to Amazon rainforest and parts of tropical Central America. Jatoba has been heavily exploited because of its beauty and high value, and is now rare and in danger of extinction outside of national parks and preserves.

Jatoba is also called Brazilian Cherry, stinking toe, algarrobo, azucar huayo, jataí, copal, Brazilian copal, courbaril, nazareno, Cayenne copal, demarara copal, gomme animee, pois confiture, guapinol, guapinole, loksi, South American locust. In the Peruvian Amazon the tree is called azucar huayo and, in Brazil, jatobá. The Hymenaea genus comprises two-dozen species of tall trees distributed in tropical parts of South America, Mexico, and Cuba.

This exotic and imported hardwood is a strong wood that is salmon red to orange- brown in color when freshly cut and becomes russet or reddish brown when dried. It has an interlocking grain with a golden luster or glow bene