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Don't let the name of Rubberwood put you off; it's an eco-friendly, sustainable and high quality wood!
Rubberwood is taken from Hevea brasiliensis, also called the rubber tree or Para rubber tree.
1. These trees are cultivated for their natural latex sap, but they also yield a high quality wood with a tight grain which can be used in a wide range of applications.
2. Despite the name, rubberwood does not bounce or stretch; the name is a reference to the parent tree. In addition to being beautiful, rubberwood is also an ecologically sustainable timber, making it popular with people who are concerned about the health of the world's forests.
3. Rubber trees are in the maple family, and like maples, they produce a commercially valuable sap. People have been tapping rubber trees for their latex for centuries, and although synthetic alternatives have been developed, there is still a lively market for natural latex.
4. However, after around 30 years, a rubber tree will start to produce much less latex, making it no longer commercially sustainable. These older trees are cut down so that new rubber trees can be planted.
5. The wood of felled rubber trees has traditionally been used for fuel and to make furniture in the regions where these trees are cultivated, but latex farmers realized that the wood could have commercial value as well, and they started to export it.
6. Since the trees are not felled specifically for timber use, many people consider rubberwood to be ecologically sound, simply using up a waste product of the latex production industry
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