Waddywood

**Euge** · 5th March 2019, 05:01 PM

A recent display of a waddy wood (Acacia peuce) pen (Waddy wood), a tree and the discussion of its interesting wood, aroused my interest and to wish to share more information with forum members.

Some 25 years ago while ‘adventuring’ and wood collecting in the outback I came across a LONG LONG dead waddy tree standing like a sentinel in the red sand. It looked solid and without a home (nest) for anything on it or in it. My friend then cut it down in the evening light. Watching in awe I remember seeing showers of sparks flying from the chain saw. It was quickly blunted and needed sharpening. (It was the sand / grit in the fissures of the wood that cause this display and blunting). It was about 25-30 cm in diameter and its sapwood was almost all gone, rotted or 'sand blasted' away over hundreds of years in its hot, dry, sandy and very hostile environment. Yet this is where it chooses to grow.

Even then I had an aversion for cutting living trees most especially rare or threatened trees like this species so always looked for fallen or recently dead trees. I noticed that local landholders used the stems for fencing and some cut trees were coppicing strongly. Some new growth from below the cut stems was almost growing totally over and around the wound!!

I kept some of this very old waddy log and smaller portions, like the branch piece below, was displayed at Wood shows in Melbourne over many years as objects of interest and discussion.

Its one of the densest woods in the world - about 1400 kg / m 3 sometimes higher. Its dark purple heartwood colour is also striking. The name "peuce "does not refer to wood colour but the often pine-like habit of the tree when mature. The inner wood from tree shown has never been carbon dated but I would expect its is some hundreds if not thousands of years old.

I am not into tree ring counting as some are. But desert trees like this grow and seed opportunistically when it rains. Seeds short wide and flat .. quite distinctive.

When I last visited Port Augusta (Arid Zone Arboretum on outskirts of city) I enjoyed seeing a an adolescent tree with some pods. I show one below. The foliage is indeed prickly with pointed phyllodes (which are stiff, pointed needle-like “leaves”) again in line with the pine-line image and Greek name (‘peuke' for pine). It warns you to stay away!

Euge

AP 1.jpg AP2.jpg

Above: Small branch section of old waddy tree showing a trace of sapwood in top high corner

AP3.jpg

Above: A portion of the main stem about 20 cm in diam off the bandsaw, unfinished unsanded … lots of rings and no sapwood lots of ring shakes

AP4.jpg AP5.jpg

A block cut from old log for IWCS ref samples. Pretty solid old growth wood

AP6.jpg

A fresh slab with nice wavy figure bought at wood auction long ago.

AP7.jpg

Flat short seed pods give it away as a leguminous plant … an Acacia

AP8.jpg

Above an adolescent tree about 5 -6 m tall, planted when gardens were established

Euge

**Ironwood** · 5th March 2019, 08:33 PM

Thanks for the interesting and informative post Euge.
Do you mind me asking where the garden is ?

**Euge** · 5th March 2019, 09:59 PM

The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens are on the northern side and Hwy of Port Augusta in Sth Australia with many wonderful examples of arid zone plants, none you can cut, but you can learn much there. Highly recommended but a long way from NQ.

Home - AALBG

**dai sensei** · 8th March 2019, 12:40 AM

Yes this tree is indeed amazing and timber beautiful. I call the juvenile for of the tree the "Cousin It" tree due to its form.

Ironwood - If you are interested in seeing some, you closest location to you would be Boulia Qld, some even signposted for the tourists. Just wait until June/July before venturing out there.

**Longrass** · 8th March 2020, 03:07 PM

Hi Euge,

I am a Texan with a great interest in the densest of the ironwoods. Waddywood is certainly the king of the ironwoods in this regard. I have read that the Australian authorities have done some waddywood re-planting of and I am encouraged that the species will make an eventual come back in the outback.

Do you know if one is able to purchase seeds from the species? I would really like to try planting a few, if possible. I am also interested in acquiring a small relic if this is possible, but I suppose this would only be possible if it were a craft of some sort.

Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

**Mobyturns** · 10th March 2020, 07:50 AM

Yes its a unique tree and a beautiful and rare timber, which unfortunately makes it quite vulnerable to "collecting."

People should be aware that there are protections for remaining trees and significant penalties for contravening the following Acts and supporting regulations.

NT: Listed as Endangered (Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000 (Northern Territory): 2012 list) as Acacia peuce
QLD: Listed as Vulnerable (Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Queensland): September 2017 list) as Acacia peuce

**Euge** · 10th March 2020, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Longrass

Hi Euge,

I am a Texan with a great interest in the densest of the ironwoods. Waddywood is certainly the king of the ironwoods in this regard. I have read that the Australian authorities have done some waddywood re-planting of and I am encouraged that the species will make an eventual come back in the outback.

Do you know if one is able to purchase seeds from the species? I would really like to try planting a few, if possible. I am also interested in acquiring a small relic if this is possible, but I suppose this would only be possible if it were a craft of some sort.

Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Sorry for my slow response. I've been distracted. I've not seen the seeds of waddywood available for sale. Its a very slow growing and now threatened species in some areas. Its very hardy and not dependent on seeding. It will grow from roots can re-shoot and it coppices when (it was) cut for fenceposts.

Small quantities of old material does become available from time to time but is treasured as it is not easily or legally replaceable now.

Here is a bit more info from the NT population.

Australia's loneliest tree finds some friends - ABC Rural - ABC News

**Longrass** · 11th March 2020, 03:48 AM

Thanks Moby!

**Longrass** · 11th March 2020, 03:55 AM

Thanks as well, Euge. Good stuff in that article. Do you know if existing (old) crafts, like a waddy club can be purchased legally? Grandfathered-in, perhaps?

BTW, I had a peek at your website...ridiculously nice work you do there!

Cheers

**Mobyturns** · 11th March 2020, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by Longrass

Do you know if one is able to purchase seeds from the species? I would really like to try planting a few, if possible. I am also interested in acquiring a small relic if this is possible, but I suppose this would only be possible if it were a craft of some sort.

The biology, life expectancy, recruitment etc of desert trees such as Acacia peuce is not well understood. Trees are believed to live as long as 200 years, but development is slow with 1m high specimens believed to be 35 years old or more.

Due to the never ending cycles of many years of drought then rare but extensive rain events from tropical rain depressions there is little known about seed production, dispersal, germination mainly because those areas are totally inaccessible in those rain events. Desert areas become vast temporary inland seas and due to the flooding and the nature of the deep black soils, movement becomes almost impossible often for months.

I have had both a professional and private interest in them as a surveyor working in western QLD & NT from the mid 1980 through to early 2000's. Firstly we had to protect trees from harm in the works we were undertaking, but I also found them very interesting for their ability to survive in very arid conditions. I remember one particular lone tree near the QLD / NT border that was on a small dry "watercourse" in a vast pebble & brown / black soil plain. It was some 5 to 6m tall, approx. 150mm in dia and home to a number of lizards. Other than a fence line that ran for 20 or more kilometres it was the only thing above 0.5m tall in perhaps a 100km2 area. So trees are quite rare and young plants have to survive browsing by feral camels etc.

There are some established "desert botanical gardens" in QLD, NT & SA who may know of the availability of seeds, so perhaps worth a try.

https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/208403/acacia-peuce.pdf

"The species does not maintain a persistent seed bank, and seed dispersal is highly localised. Seeds are non-dormant and germination can occur after only small rainfall events leading to failed recruitment and seed bank depletion "

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-11/whats-it-like-living-on-an-island-in-outback-queensland/12043750

**Euge** · 12th March 2020, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Longrass

Thanks as well, Euge. Good stuff in that article. Do you know if existing (old) crafts, like a waddy club can be purchased legally? Grandfathered-in, perhaps?

BTW, I had a peek at your website...ridiculously nice work you do there!

Cheers

Sorry, I'm not aware of anyone selling crafts made / sold of waddywood. (I'm sure they are out there). There is an Australian IWCS site but its not for buying selling advertising of wood or crafts. It has info on the tree and wood. Specimens of the wood are or were occasionally available among IWCS members. I have reserved what little I have left. It was used locally for fence posts once. It grows on private land as well as in highly protected reserves. I've never see old / native artifacts made from it (they may be in museum) and they would be protected by cultural heritage from sale and export.

In '90s I studied the tree (with other researchers, where & how it grows, spreads, its wood properties etc) but I'm not aware of its current status except from Govt sources suggesting it vulnerable. A technical (research paper about 15 yrs old) suggests oldest trees can live to 400+ years from C dating.

**Longrass** · 13th March 2020, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by Euge

Sorry, I'm not aware of anyone selling crafts made / sold of waddywood. (I'm sure they are out there). There is an Australian IWCS site but its not for buying selling advertising of wood or crafts. It has info on the tree and wood. Specimens of the wood are or were occasionally available among IWCS members. I have reserved what little I have left. It was used locally for fence posts once. It grows on private land as well as in highly protected reserves. I've never see old / native artifacts made from it (they may be in museum) and they would be protected by cultural heritage from sale and export.

In '90s I studied the tree (with other researchers, where & how it grows, spreads, its wood properties etc) but I'm not aware of its current status except from Govt sources suggesting it vulnerable. A technical (research paper about 15 yrs old) suggests oldest trees can live to 400+ years from C dating.

Thanks Euge; it's an amazing species. Very resilient in such a harsh environment. I am a soon-to-be new member of the IWCS...looking forward to this.

- - - Updated - - -

Originally Posted by Euge

Sorry, I'm not aware of anyone selling crafts made / sold of waddywood. (I'm sure they are out there). There is an Australian IWCS site but its not for buying selling advertising of wood or crafts. It has info on the tree and wood. Specimens of the wood are or were occasionally available among IWCS members. I have reserved what little I have left. It was used locally for fence posts once. It grows on private land as well as in highly protected reserves. I've never see old / native artifacts made from it (they may be in museum) and they would be protected by cultural heritage from sale and export.

In '90s I studied the tree (with other researchers, where & how it grows, spreads, its wood properties etc) but I'm not aware of its current status except from Govt sources suggesting it vulnerable. A technical (research paper about 15 yrs old) suggests oldest trees can live to 400+ years from C dating.

Thanks Euge; it's an amazing species. Very resilient in such a harsh environment. I am a soon-to-be new member of the IWCS...looking forward to this.

Thread: Waddywood

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Waddywood

Posting Permissions