Risk Tool
Indian rosewood Dalbergia latifolia
Also know as: Indonesian rosewood, Bombay blackwood, Malabar rosewood, palisandre de l’Inde, roseta rosewood, East Indian rosewood, black rosewood, Indian palisandre, Java palinsandre, beete, and sitsal.
D. latifolia is native to India and Indonesia, but is also grown in Nigeria, Kenya, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other parts of tropical Africa and Asia as an ornamental plant. It can be 40 m tall and grows quickly under the right conditions. D. latifolia is well known for producing very hard and durable wood with a long straight bore, which makes it highly valued on the international market. Its bark is also used for medicinal purposes in its natural range.
In India, the average price of D. latifolia timber is higher than that of teak. It is used for furniture, plywood, veneer, decorative wood products, construction, musical instruments, and other wood products. The species is, however, slow-growing, and is threatened by overexploitation for its timber and by illegal logging. Large plantations in Java and India have been established to meet the demand for Indian rosewood. Its IUCN Red List status is “vulnerable.”
Species Details
D. latifolia logs and sawn timber is banned from export under the Indian Forest Act.
D. latifolia is a major export species and is traded to China, the U.S., and the EU, among others.
