Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) red narra, amboyna, New Guinea rosewood, angsana, Solomon padauk: all these names refer to a beautiful tall evergreen tree, that grows in SE Asia, including the Philippines, Borneo, New Guinea, Cagayan, Mindoro, Palawan, Cotabato and the Malay Archipelago. It is the national tree of the Philippines. The wood shows beautiful luster and has a very pleasant fragrant odor, the colour ranges from yellow, rose to intensive deep fiery red, the heartwood surrounded by pale straw sapwood. The wood is quite hard, dense and very durable, yet easy to work with hand tools. This attractive wood is very much sought after for high-end furniture and flooring purposes, therefore legal restrictions were erected to protect this natural treasure. Narra wood is still one of the most expensive timbers in the world, only the highly figured burls of narra trees surpass prices far beyond this level!
