Dalbergia retusa is a plant in the papilionaceous subfamily (Faboideae) of the Dalbergia genus and grows in Central America, extending from Venezuela through Columbia to southern Mexico. A hard wood, cocobolo is obtained from two types of tree with Dalbergia retusa the more sought-after. When freshly cut its heart wood can take many colours, ranging from
dark orange to an intense deep red. Its sap wood in contrast is generally a very pale yellow. Cocobolo is extremely hard and difficult to split, however still good to work with. It has diffused pores and a slightly wavy fibre direction. Typical uses include domestic equipment, tool and knife handles, musical instruments (wind instruments), sticks and brushes. Cocobolo is also used as an inlay for high-quality cues. It is popular with sculptors and woodcarvers because although relatively expensive as a raw material it produces few offcuts.