I have recently fallen in love with the beautiful veining in ipe. There’s no doubt that it brings a refined note to landscaping. Starting as a deep olive-brown, it takes only oiling to bring out warm shades of deep red with orange notes. It is truly remarkable…and works extremely well with natural stone.

Ipe is one of the world’s densest woods. Known for its hardness and durability, it is also high among the woods most resistant to weather, insects, fungus, rot and mildew. It adapts to the ambient humidity and does not contract in sunshine. Be aware, however, that its very density means that it requires more time for labour; it has to be pierced prior to sawing, and the woodworker must use high-performance tools with sharp blades to work it.

Ipe requires little or no maintenance, just oiling to show off its colour. Unoiled, it becomes a silvery grey. It is used for wood flooring, outdoor wood finishings, docks and decks. We have chosen to use it for a sinuous footbridge above a magnificent two-level pool that we are currently building –  the perfect place to lounge while listening to the waterfall and admiring the aquatic plants.

Ipe, which is also called green ebony or pau-d’arco, is an exotic wood coming mainly from South America. While there are a few comparable species such as teak, an exotic semi-precious wood, there are certainly more ecological choices that focus on species from closer to home. Having said that, I’ll add that it’s important to ensure that the ipe used is sourced from a responsibly managed forest in terms of both surrounding biodiversity and cut selection. This is a renewable material with a very long lifespan.