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Lysiloma bahamensis
Tzalam
Often compared to American black walnut and Hawaiian koa — a dense, weather-resistant hardwood equally at home indoors and out.
View Selected InventoryAbout Tzalam
Tzalam — also known as Caribbean Walnut, Mayan Walnut, or False Tamarind — carries a light-to-medium brown heartwood, sometimes touched with reddish or purple hues, in an open, uniform texture with a medium luster and generally straight grain. Some boards resemble Hawaiian koa, and it's frequently compared to American black walnut for both look and character. It's a dense, hard wood — durable, resistant to wear, and naturally resistant to rot and decay — which is exactly why it shows up everywhere from fine furniture and cabinetry to flooring, decorative veneer, and door and window frames. That same resistance to weather and humidity makes it just as suitable outdoors, for docks, outdoor furniture, and other exterior applications.
At a glance
- False Tamarind
- Caribbean Walnut
- Mayan Walnut
At a glance
- Origin
- The Bahamas, Cuba, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Southeast/Southwest Mexico, Turks and Caicos Islands
- Category
- Indoor Furniture · Flooring · Outdoor Furniture
- Best for
- Furniture, tables, chairs, cabinets, flooring, prefabricated parquet, sliced decorative veneers, door and window frames, handicrafts, outdoor furniture
- Working properties
- Moderately hard and dense — difficult to work by hand or with different machining operations, though it responds well to individual tools. Edges and ridges may fracture when nailing outside of pilot holes; screwing is recommended, and low-angle sanding for a fine finish.
Spec sheet
Physical-mechanical properties
Physical-mechanical values for Tzalam from the approved Final Content document.
Density
630 kg/mu00b3
MOE Flex u2014 Elastic Modulus
134000 kg/cmu00b3
RLE Flex u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit
256 kg/cmu00b2
RR Flex u2014 Rupture Resistance
574 kg/cmu00b2
PMOE Com for u2014 Elastic Modulus, Compression Parallel
903 kg/cmu00b2
PRLE Com for u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit, Compression Parallel
123500 kg/cmu00b2
RR Com for u2014 Rupture Resistance
371 kg/cmu00b2
RLE Com for u2014 Elastic Resistance Limit, Perpendicular Compression
385 kg/cmu00b2
RR Shear for u2014 Rupture Resistance, Parallel Shear
330 kg/cmu00b2
JK Lateral u2014 Lateral Face Hardness
635 kg
JK Lateral u2014 Transverse Face Hardness
543 kg
Where it's used
Built for the demanding jobs
01 — Furniture
Indoor & outdoor furniture
02 — Flooring
Premium hardwood flooring
03 — Musical Instruments
Tonewood & musical instruments
04 — Marine
Marine decking & boat building
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