African blackwood is a tree known for its finely textured, oily, and dense wood. These qualities make it an ideal material for manufacturing woodwind instruments. Bagpipes, clarinets, flutes, oboes, and piccolos are often made of African blackwood. In Africa, the tree is called by its Swahili name, mpingo. African artists also use the wood to create elegant statues and carvings for sale to museums, collectors, and tourists.
The African blackwood grows in the dry savanna regions of central and southern Africa. The tree grows extremely slowly. It takes 70 to 100 years to reach harvestable size, when its trunk is at least 9 1/2 inches (24 centimeters) wide. It generally grows to be 15 to 25 feet (4.5 to 8 meters) tall.
African blackwood ranks as one of the world’s most expensive and sought-after woods. Many African blackwood trees are cut down each year. Instrument manufacturers require perfect blanks (blocks of wood) without splits, voids, or sapwood (the soft new wood found beneath the bark). For this reason, the manufacture of musical instruments can waste 90 percent of the tree’s wood. Bridge and highway construction in the regions where the tree grows have made it easier to harvest and ship African blackwood, placing increasing pressure on the plant. Overharvesting threatens the future of the African blackwood tree.
