Color/Appearance: 

When freshly cut the heartwood of Purple heart is a  dull grayish/purplish brown. Upon exposure the wood becomes a deeper eggplant purple. With further age and exposure to UV light, the wood becomes a dark brown with a hint of purple. This color-shift can be slowed and minimized by using a UV inhibiting finish on the wood.

Common Name(s): Purpleheart, Amaranth

Scientific Name: Peltogyne spp.

Distribution: Central and South America (from Mexico down to southern Brazil)

Tree Size: 100-170 ft (30-50 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 56 lbs/ft³ (905 kg/m³)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .76, .90

Janka Hardness: 2,520 lb_f (11,190 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 22,000 lb_f/in² (151.7 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 2,937,000 lb_f/in² (20.26 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 12,140 lb_f/in² (83.7 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 3.8%, Tangential: 6.4%, Volumetric: 10.6%, T/R Ratio: 1.7