Hura (Hura crepitans)

Hura (Hura crepitans) grows throughout the West Indies from Central America to northern Brazil and Bolivia. It is a large tree, commonly reaching a height of 30 to 43 m (90 to 130 ft), with clear boles of 12 to 23 m (40 to 75 ft). The diameter often reaches 1 to 1.5 m (3 to 5 ft) and occasionally to 3 m (9 ft).

The pale yellowish-brown or pale olive-gray heartwood is indistinct from the yellowish-white sapwood. The texture is fine to medium and the grain straight to interlocked. Hura is a low-strength and low-density wood (density of air-dried wood is 240 to 448 kg/m3 (15 to 28 lb/ft3)); the wood is moderately difficult to air dry. Warping is variable and sometimes severe. The wood usually machines easily, but green material is somewhat difficult to work because of tension wood, which results in a fuzzy surface. The wood finishes well and is easy to glue and nail. Hura is variable in resistance to attack by decay fungi, but it is highly susceptible to blue stain and very susceptible to wood termites. However, the wood is easy to treat with preservative.

Hura is often used in general carpentry, boxes and crates, and lower grade furniture. Other important uses are veneer and plywood, fiberboard, and particleboard.