With Ipe and Cumaru’s 2025 CITES listing restricting international trade, many architects, contractors, and homeowners are actively searching for alternatives. The good news: the hardwood decking market offers several strong options. The less good news: not all of them are as sustainable, as readily available, or as genuinely durable as they’re sometimes marketed to be.
Here’s a clear-eyed comparison of the most commonly considered Ipe alternatives.
Black Locust — The Most Sustainable High-Performance Option
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) | Growth cycle: 20–30 years | Janka: 1,700 lbf | USDA Durability: Very Resistant
Black Locust is the most direct and defensible substitution for Ipe. It matches Ipe’s USDA decay resistance classification and performs across all climate zones. Unlike Ipe, which requires 200–300 years to reach harvestable size and is now CITES-listed due to overharvesting, Black Locust is a fast-growing pioneer species that reaches harvestable size in just 20–30 years. It requires no chemical treatment, no import permits, and no deforestation of old-growth tropical forest. It’s harder than White Oak, harder than Walnut, and has a track record on high-traffic commercial boardwalks and municipal parks going back decades.
Trade-offs: shorter board lengths than plantation-grown tropical hardwoods, natural color variation (a feature for many designers, not a defect), and a higher price point than softwoods. FSC-certified options available.
Best for: Any application where Ipe was previously specified. Residential decks, commercial boardwalks, rooftop terraces, coastal installations, parks and playgrounds. See our project gallery for real-world examples.
Garapa — A Transitional Option
Species: Apuleia leiocarpa | Origin: South America | Janka: 1,650 lbf | USDA Durability: Resistant
Garapa (also called Brazilian Ash) is a light-colored tropical hardwood that’s gained traction as a lower-cost alternative to Ipe. It’s not currently CITES-listed, which makes it easier to source than Ipe today. However, it is still a slow-growing tropical hardwood harvested from South American forests, still faces chain-of-custody certification challenges, and still depends on continued non-listing status — which could change as harvesting pressure increases.
Best for: Projects where the Ipe aesthetic (light color, tropical hardwood appearance) is specifically desired and sustainability is a secondary concern.
Cumaru (Brazilian Teak) — High Performance, Same Core Issues
Species: Dipteryx odorata | Origin: South America | Janka: 3,540 lbf | USDA Durability: Very Resistant
Cumaru is one of the closest performance matches to Ipe available — extremely hard, very durable, with a similar warm brown color and fine grain. Until recently, it was widely recommended as a premium Ipe alternative. That’s no longer a straightforward recommendation.
Cumaru was listed on CITES Appendix II alongside Ipe in 2025 for the same reason: decades of overharvesting in Brazilian tropical forests have put the species at risk. It now carries the same trade restrictions, export permit requirements, compliance complexity, and sourcing concerns as Ipe itself. Choosing Cumaru today is not a solution — it’s the same problem with a different name.
Best for: Projects where the specific hardness and appearance of Cumaru is required and full CITES compliance documentation can be obtained. Not a general-purpose Ipe alternative.
Massaranduba (Brazilian Redwood) — Good, But Same Sustainability Concerns
Species: Manilkara bidentata | Origin: South America | Janka: 3,190 lbf | USDA Durability: Very Resistant
Massaranduba is genuinely excellent decking — very hard, very durable, with a deep reddish-brown color. It’s not CITES-listed at present, which currently makes it more accessible than Ipe. But it’s still a slow-growing tropical hardwood with the same long-term sustainability and sourcing questions. Choosing it is a lateral move away from Ipe’s specific problems, not a structural solution to the underlying issue of old-growth tropical forest depletion.
Thermally Modified Ash or Pine — The Chemical-Free Option
Thermally modified wood is softwood (commonly Ash or Radiata Pine) that has been heat-treated to dramatically improve rot resistance and dimensional stability. It’s a legitimate sustainability story — no chemicals, renewable, lower carbon footprint — and performs well in moderate climates.
Trade-offs: More brittle than hardwoods, prone to cracking in high-traffic areas, typically lighter in color with less character than tropical hardwoods. Best suited for sheltered or lighter-duty applications.
Composite Decking — The Low-Maintenance Category
Composite decking (Trex, TimberTech, Deckorators, etc.) sidesteps the wood sourcing question entirely. It requires minimal maintenance and comes in a wide range of colors and profiles. It’s a genuinely different product category — not a hardwood substitute, but a functional alternative for homeowners whose primary goal is low maintenance.
Trade-offs: Higher heat retention, plastic manufacturing environmental footprint, less authentic appearance, end-of-life disposal challenges, and typically higher costs on premium lines.
The Summary
For most applications where Ipe was previously specified, the most sustainable and supply-chain-stable alternative is Black Locust. Its fast growth cycle, minimal ecological impact, and exceptional durability make it the only species that genuinely solves the problem Ipe’s CITES listing has created — rather than simply substituting one slow-growing tropical hardwood for another. Compare all species side by side →
