Ziricote

Names and distribution: Ziricote belongs to the Cordia genus (Boraginaceae family). This includes quite different, visually very interesting woods.

• Laurel (Cordia alliodora), medium-weight, walnut-colored, from Central America.
• Freijo (Cordia goeldiana), very similar to laurel, from Brazil
• Bocote (Cordia gerascanthus) heavy, decorative hardwood from SW Mexico
• and the rare and extremely decorative
• Ziricote (Cordia dodecandra) from the Mexican lowlands.

Wood appearance: Varying, generally decorative to very decorative.

Properties: The density of ziricote in the dried state is 0.85 – 0.90 t/m3. The tangential shrinkage is given as 5.2%, the radial shrinkage as 2.7%. Wood has low shrinkage. Drying is demanding and should only be carried out in the air. Dimensional stability is good, as is machinability. Planed and turned surfaces have an attractive sheen. The Brinell hardness is 35, the modulus of elasticity approx. 14,500 N/mm2.

Use: High-grade cabinet and turnery wood, musical instruments