Many species of
Dalbergia are important
timber trees, valued for their decorative and often fragrant
wood, rich in aromatic oils. The most famous of these are the
rosewoods, so-named because of the smell of the timber when cut, but several other valuable woods are yielded by the genus. Species such as
Dalbergia nigra known as Rio, Bahia, Brazilian rosewood, palisander de Rio Grande, or jacaranda and
Dalbergia latifolia known as (East) Indian Rosewood or Sonokeling have been heavily used in furniture and musical instruments, given their colour and grain. Several East Asian species are important materials in traditional
Chinese furniture. The (Brazilian)
tulipwood (
D. decipularis) is cream coloured with red or salmon stripes. It is most often used in crossbanding and other veneers; it should not be confused with the "tulipwood" of the American tulip tree
Liriodendron tulipifera, used in inexpensive cabinetwork. The similarly used (but purple with darker stripes), and also Brazilian,
kingwood is yielded by
D. cearensis. Both are smallish to medium-sized trees, to 10 m. Another notable timber is
cocobolo, mainly from
D. retusa, a Central American timber with spectacular decorative orange red figure on freshly cut surfaces which slowly fades in air to more subdued tones and hues.
Dalbergia sissoo (Indian rosewood) is primarily used for furniture in northern India. Its export is highly regulated due to recent high rates of tree death due to unknown causes.
Dalbergia sissoo has historically been the primary rosewood species of northern India. This wood is strong and tough, with color golden to dark brown. It is extremely durable and handsome, and it maintains its shape well. It can be easily seasoned. It is difficult to work, but it takes a fine polish. It is used for high quality furniture, plywoods, bridge piles, sporting goods, and railway sleepers. It is a very good material for decorative work and carvings. Its density is 770 kg/m3.
African blackwood (
D. melanoxylon) is an intensely black wood in demand for making
woodwind musical instruments.
Dalbergia species are used as food plants by the
larvae of some
Lepidoptera species including
Bucculatrix mendax which feeds exclusively on
Dalbergia sissoo. The
Dalbergia species are notorious for causing allergic reactions due to the presence of sensitizing
quinones in the wood. ==Conservation==