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Very durable; it is used for sills, stair-treads, piling, decking, bridging or fences. Typically a little greasy or oily to touch it is dark yellowish-brown to dark olive-brown with slight lustre or sheen due to the oils present. Vitex finishes better than Kwila and is a little easier to work with. It is a stable and strong timber that has been used throughout the Pacific region for generations. It is often compared with Teak, and thus the potential for Vitex in marine applications are obvious.

A comparison to true Teak (Tectona grandis) is not unwarranted: Teak screws and nails extremely well, turns well, and has earned an excellent reputation in cabinets, furniture, joinery and boat-building. In recent times Teak has become expensive. The lower comparative price of Vitex will see it used much more readily in the future for purposes normally reserved for Teak.

PROPERTIES
Density	700 – 800kg/m3 @12% m.c
Colour	Pale yellowish-brown to greyish, olive-brown.
Texture	Fine and even; slightly lustrous.
Grain	Sometimes straight but usually interlocked.
Figure	Distinct striped or ribbon figure on quarter sawn faces.
Durability	Durable.
Permeability	Heartwood, impermeable to pressure impregnation.
Lyctid-borer	Resistant.

WORKABILITY
General	Good working and finishing properties, where there are no grain irregularities.
Sawing	Readily sawn.
Planing	Good planing characteristics with the grain.
Blunting	Low.
Boring	Excellent characteristics.
Turning	Very good characteristics finishing with sharp arrises.
Nailing	Nails well, pre-drilling advisable to prevent splitting on board ends.
Gluing	Care required due to natural greasiness of wood.
Finishing	Works and sands to a smooth finish; takes an excellent polish.

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Strength	SD3 (seasoned).
Structural	Grade F27 (select grade).
Toughness	(Izod) 7.3J (seasoned), 15J (unseasoned).
Hardness	(Janka) 5.6kN (seasoned), 5.1kN (unseasoned).
Max. Crush	64 MPa (seasoned), 42 MPa (unseasoned).
Elasticity	14 GPa (seasoned), 12 GPa (unseasoned).
Rupture	133 MPa (seasoned), 80 MPa (unseasoned).

SEASONING
General	Seasons slowly, but well, with little degrade. Preferable to preliminary air dry prior to kiln drying. A high humidity equalizing treatment should be applied at end of drying cycle.
Movement	Medium.
Shrinkage	Medium.