If you were asked to name a material that costs $50,000 per pound, you probably wouldn't say wood. However, a type of wood known as Agarwood boasts such a price.

Agarwood is part of a group of woods known as exotic woods. Exotic woods are often prized and highly valued for their unique qualities. One particularly exotic wood is known as burlwood, which is more of a deformation than an actual wood.

Exotic wood isn't just valuable. They're fascinating as well. We'll discuss some incredible facts about exotic woods in this article.

What is Exotic Wood?

Exotic woods are popular woods that are often darker in color than other types of wood. The term exotic refers to the fact that most such woods originate outside Europe or the United States. Agarwood, for instance, grows naturally in Southern Asia.

Other common native regions for exotic woods are Africa, South America, and even Australia.

What is Burlwood?

Burlwood is another rare and highly sought-after wood, though it isn't an exotic wood. You could even argue that it's not technically even a 'wood' because it's not supposed to grow anywhere.

Burlwood can almost be compared to a benign tumor. It doesn't damage the tree in any significant way, but cutting it out can be dangerous.

It results from the tree being sickened or damaged during development. Ungrown buds are affected and create round growths called burls. The strange patterns formed by burlwood caused burlwood value to soar after 1900.

Exotic Woods are Tougher

If you're looking for tough wood, try exotic wood. Exotic woods are usually much tougher than domestic woods.

There could be many different reasons for this. One is that many exotic kinds of wood are angiosperms. Angiosperm seeds have more layers of protection around their nucleus so that they can survive in harsher conditions than gymnosperms.

All hardwoods are angiosperms, including domestic hardwoods. Since exotic woods have more plants and animals to compete with, they may have just evolved to be tougher. Exotic woods often come from the global south, which is also where most biodiversity hotspots are.

Popular Exotic Woods

As with many things, the rarest exotic woods are often the most valued. You may have heard of some of the most sought-after wood. They include woods like ebony, mahogany, bamboo, and acacia.

Also, exotic woods are popular among enthusiasts but not well-known by most people. Does the name padauk sound familiar? How about mopane, chakte viga, jarrah, or katalox?

Facts About Exotic Woods

In the fields of carpentry and design, exotic woods are beloved for their beauty and practical qualities, including strength. We've talked a bit about exotic woods and what they offer in the paragraphs above, but there's always more to learn.

You can find more information on exotic woods by looking around our site or reading our blog. You can even buy wood or wood products from us. Look around our shop and see if anything interests you. You never know what you'll find.

Global Wood Source is a family-owned and operated lumber yard and mill specializing in exotic woods from around the world and rare domestics. We personally acquire and inspect each piece of log and timber obtained from forests and jungles worldwide.