Denya
Colour
Durability
Density in kg/m3
The TreeThe tree may be 55m or more in height and 2.5m to 3m in diameter. The usual diameter of commercial logs is about 1.0m or slightly more. The buttresses are rarely more than 1.0m high, and the bole is straight, cylindrical, and without branches for about 24m.
The TimberThe sapwood is pinkish and very distinct from the heartwood which varies from yellow to brown with a greenish tinge: on exposure the colour becomes dark red-brown. The grain is interlocked and the texture is coarse, but the surface of the wood is lustrous. It is a hard and very heavy timber.
DryingDenya tends to check and distort in drying; it dries slowly.
StrengthVery high strength values, comparable with greenheart and karri, though slightly inferior.
Working QualitiesMedium - In spite of its hardness, denya works quite well, though with some dulling effect on tools, and with a strong tendency to pick up on quarter-sawn surfaces. Planing requires a cutting angle no greater than 100. Stains and polishes quite well, but is too hard to be nailed without pre-boring.
Latin NameCylicodiscus gabunensis
Also known asOkan (Nigeria), Edoum (Gabon)
Wood TypeHardwood
TreatabilityExtremely Difficult
Moisture-
TextureCoarse
OriginSierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Gabon
Sourcing timber
The TDUK Wood Species Database provides practical information on wood species currently or recently available in the UK market.
Before importing any species listed, you must carry out due diligence to ensure compliance with environmental, social and legal standards, including CITES – the international agreement protecting endangered species.
When buying from existing stock, always source through a TDUK member, who will have completed the required due diligence, including CITES checks.
If a species is no longer commercially available, TDUK members can advise on legal, sustainable alternatives that match desired characteristics such as colour, appearance or density.
