There are many trees that produce ebony. They belong to a family known as the Ebenaceae which grows in the tropical parts of Africa and Asia, especially India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. In Asia forests with trees of the Ebenaceae family are found up to altitude of more than 1,500 meters.

The ebony tree has broad leaves and is very large. Its wood is exported throughout the world because of its many uses, but the tree also provides fruit which is quite pleasant and eaten locally.

The most commonly used ebony wood is black. It is also very hard and durable. But there are red and banded varieties of ebony, too. African ebony is brown with even black veining.

Ebony is used in making good quality furniture, carvings and arts and crafts. These include black piano keys, walking sticks, golf club heads and knife handles. As ebony is a very hard and fine grained wood it can be smoothed and polished to a high degree. It is this polish that distinguishes ebony from such imitations as pear-wood that has been dyed black.