Thread: Green (colour) timber question

Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale) has a range of olive greens. Like Purpleheart, it'll darken over time to a muddy brown colour, but as you're using PH in the mix anyway...

I doubt you'll find true Lignum Vitae easily as I believe it's CITES listed now, however there are substitutes which are passed off as true LV by the less scrupulous.

One of these, "Argentinian" LV (Bulnesia sarmientoi) is a pretty damned close substitute for colour, weight and grain though.

Although I think it's becoming harder and harder to source, too.

Queensland maple has green bands, as does sonokeeling.

As skew says though, they all end up brown after exposure to a bit of uv.

I have some green Camphor Laurel, but they are pen blank sizes, cut from a band of green within the trunk.

What about dyed timber? I have a white coloured timber, Doughwood, that would take dye well

Originally Posted by dai sensei

I have some green Camphor Laurel, but they are pen blank sizes, cut from a band of green within the trunk.

What about dyed timber? I have a white coloured timber, Doughwood, that would take dye well

Thanks Neil, but I need/want something bigger than pen blank size. Not sure that dyed timber will go the distance as far as cooking/washing goes.

Originally Posted by cava

..ot sure that dyed timber will go the distance as far as cooking/washing goes.

Good question but I would have thought a good dye would be fine. Dye stabilised would certainly be ok as the dye penetrates at the cell micro level. There are a few people down your way that do it.

Euro Oak is greenish, but it's not a very strong colour

Hi George.

I have some Aust. Lignum vitae (also called Hollywood) which is greenish between creamish sapwood & brownish green heartwood. It’s variable. Nice fine texture & would turn well. Was called Premna lignum vitae but is a Viex species now I think. Cheers Euge

Originally Posted by cava

Hi All,

I have just turned up my first spurtle, and have decided to have another go with coloured woods in a glued arrangement for a Scottish flavour. ie purpleheart for the thistle flower and something green for the actual bulb followed by the stirring rod which would probably be a fruit wood.

The question is, what wood is available that is green in colour when it is dried?

George

George, woods with greenish or bluish colourations are relatively uncommon ie quite rare in nature. Most have been mention already. There is also “blue mahoe” which is a bluish purple grey.
Euge

PM sent Euge.

Being the scrounger that I am, I had to get rid of what we call here on the Mid North Coast a "Tobacco Bush" which was more of a tree than a bush. I got some boards 150x13mm just on 1m long which had a feint green tinge to them. The wood made a couple of nice boxes and a coffin for a doll's house. Waste not, want not, or something like that.

We have two timbers out here that can be green in colour. Dogwood (Eremophila bignoniiflora) and Purple Bush-pea (Hovea longipes). I only have one small piece of Dogwood left as I started dishing it out thinking I would be able to find plenty more, but the next 5 or 6 trees I cut had no green in them at all so I'm still trying to work out what conditions produce it. The Bush-pea is a new one to my collection and I haven't added it to the website yet as I'm waiting for it to dry enough to produce something. Hard to find anything of size but when you do the timber is bright greens and yellows with some dark streaks thrown in for good measure - gorgeous stuff!! .

You are right TITT "tree terrorist"... that Eremophila species does have a greenish wood. I have forgotten about that.
I have a small piece around somewhere.. must have a look for it.. Especially nice when figured.

edit: Have not heard or seen the Hovea sp. Can you post a pic please? Thanks

I just found some Eremophila with a greenish tinged heartwood, but its surface not as fresh (bit more bleached) than the pics shown above and is in panel form 10 mm eg for boxes. Its from a small tree, rarely straight.

While poking about I found another dryland wood with a greenish tinge ... Its called Wilga (or Greenheart). It has a small darkish green heartwood, very similar to Lignum vitae. There is also a "scrub wilga" with a greenish heartwood.

Will send you some pics Cava. )

(edit for typos)

Here are some pics I made of Aust. lignum vitae and of Wilga (Greenheart) ....trying to attach them below (hope they are not too small).

Euge

Aust Lignum vitae 1.jpeg

Above & below Australian lignum vitae (Yellow Hollywood)... now Vitex lignum vitae

Aust lignum Vitae 2.jpeg

Above: Note the pale cream-pale green sapwood, then the green band then teh brownish green figured heartwood?
Interesting that

Wilga .jpeg

Above & below: Wilga (Greenheart) typical heartwood

Wilga 2.jpeg