Wood Species
Brazilian Maple
Not a real maple — inconsistent trade name, no single confirmed botanical identity
- Janka hardness
- 1700 lbf
- Specific gravity
- 0.68
- Workability
- Varies by the actual species sold under this name
This might be the least botanically precise name in the entire flooring trade. Maple (genus Acer) doesn't grow in Brazil, full stop — "Brazilian Maple" exists purely as a marketing name, picked because the wood sold under it happens to be pale like North American hard maple, not because the two trees share so much as a family reunion. Reported Janka hardness for products labeled Brazilian Maple ranges from about 1,500 up to nearly 2,000 lbf depending on the source, a spread wide enough to suggest more than one actual species is hiding under this one name.
What This Means Practically
Buying "Brazilian Maple" flooring or lumber, ask the supplier for the actual botanical species — hardness, movement, workability will all depend on what that specific product actually is, not on this label.
Typical Uses
Flooring, sold as a harder, less expensive-looking alternative to North American hard maple.