The climate in and around the farms of Finca Leola S.A. allows us to grow a wide range of valuable native and introduced timber species. In addition to supplying our Maderas Para Siempre wood shop with greater flexibility and options when creating and designing wood products, our mixed plantations are managed to simulate a second-growth forest environment, providing a home to increasing numbers of wildlife. Here are the species we are using most to craft our wood products.

Acacia has a dark ash brown tone and is used for furniture, cabinets, turnery, and floors. It is also suitable for veneer. Due to its rapid growth and tolerance of very poor soils, Acacia mangium is playing an increasingly important role in efforts to sustain a commercial supply of tree products while reducing pressure on natural forest ecosystems.

Teak has been cultivated for more than 100 years, so it is a mainstay for many plantations.  It is considered a very valuable wood because of its ability to withstand weather. It even prevents any metal used in it from rusting. Teak is very stable, which means that it does not warp when subjected to variations in humidity and temperature, making it an excellent choice for outdoor furniture.

Laurel is highly valued and used extensively in Costa Rica. Cordia alliodora is widely used for internal and external construction, general carpentry, cabinetry, furniture, veneers, and the tongue-and-groove ceiling and wall boards known in Costa Rica as tablilla.

Spanish cedar is of the same family as mahogany. The aromatic wood is in high demand in the American tropics because it is naturally termite and rot resistant. In Costa Rica, the wood is used extensively for homes and especially for furniture, cabinetry, and paneling. There is considerable variation in the color of the wood, but all of it is beautiful. It is very stable, so it is also preferred for making musical instruments.

The ojoche tree is a proud giant of our forests which sometimes produces a red heartwood of matchless quality and appearance. The white sections often develop interesting patterns of black lines called spalting (photo at right, below). Among its uses are furniture, cabinets, and construction lumber.

Corteza, often sold as ipe, is extremely hard and very heavy. Its strong, tough, resilient properties make it an excellent material for commercial and residential decking and outdoor furniture. It is ideal for any kind of furniture and wood flooring where durability and high shock resistance are needed, such as in industrial environments, decks, and park benches, particularly for any project near a sea resort.