Thread: Searching for Holly

Only suggestions I have is Silver Ash, White Beech or Jacaranda

Trouble is they don't stay white and will yellow over time.

Cheers


Steve

No holly native, but we do have the weed. You gotta befriend a gardener to get it. I have a few steaked out here in the hills. But its mine I say. MINE!.

I think Variegated petosporum is white too. But I haven't turned any of the small amount I scrounged. So I don't know if it distorts so wonderfully as your holly piece in the pic. I have some apple pieces that are a nice creamy ivory color and did a wonderful job of distorting while drying.

Oh. And just remembered white sassafras is pretty good too. And not so sort after as the black heart stuff.

Another possibility is murraya paniculata or mock orange is one of its many names. I cut some down at home the other day and thought to myself it felt like a wood with some potential, so I kept a bit and did a bit of research. It's used as a carving and tool handle wood in Asia where kemuning or kamuning are a couple of its names. I have seen some biggish examples up here but your problem is going to be getting a hold of it. It is a white to yellowish colour.

Holly can be had in Aus, but it is few and far between. Bonewood is what I have used, a bit softer, but just a white. Unfortunately even harder to get than Holly. Others in Aus that are white are Norfolk Island Hibiscus, Tamarind, but also not commonly available.

There are others close to white available, like Ash or Jacaranda. Have a look at TTIT's eggs on his site, All the eggs, you can see the white and lightly coloured timbers.

Hi Earl allgrove,
As TL said Variegated Pittosporum is very White, & stays White. I have only Turned Small Stuff, & it is really great to Turn.
Have never Turned Green Pittosporum.
This Tree has a light Green Leaf, with a Crinkly White Edge to it.
Google it & see.
I know where there is Holly, but I wood be dead if I told, & not my place to tell.

Also Cheesewood, though I have used it only as veneers, its certainly very white but difficult to source. Another with potential is Milky Pine but is very soft & often has latex veining.

Silver Birch is not too bad but yellows when a finish is applied. Not technically white, but close.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

Also Cheesewood, though I have used it only as veneers, its certainly very white but difficult to source. Another with potential is Milky Pine but is very soft & often has latex veining.

Cheesewood is ordinary Pitosporum. I think Varigated has a slightly whiter wood.

Thanks everyone! I'll digest all your suggestions... but at a glance it sounds like I should import a box or two of my own stockpile in Ireland that I left with friends... will post my experiences with customs if I have to go down that route. I'm curious, Australia must have one of the largest collections of tree species for any one country in the world! So how does anyone, once they find a timber they REALLY like, manage to source more of it?

Originally Posted by Earl allgrove

.............. I'm curious, Australia must have one of the largest collections of tree species for any one country in the world! So how does anyone, once they find a timber they REALLY like, manage to source more of it?

GYO I love using Norfolk Island Hibiscus for my white timber but only had 4 small boards from my fathers collection originally. A forumite from Lakes Entrance has since bought me up a substantial supply but unfortunately it was weathered before he collected it so it has a lot of blue-stain through it.
Solution = GYO - Grow Your Own I grabbed some seeds from a couple of small trees at our local dam and now one tree is about 4" diameter, the other about 3" - should be ready to fell about retirement time
NOTE: Invalid solution in NSW 'cos the bl%%dy bureaucrats won't let you cut it down even if you planted it yourself!!!

Originally Posted by TTIT

.....NOTE: Invalid solution in NSW 'cos the bl%%dy bureaucrats won't let you cut it down even if you planted it yourself!!!

Seems to me that you were growing a plantation but you got caught out as one tree does not qualify as a plantation.

Originally Posted by TTIT

GYO
NOTE: Invalid solution in NSW 'cos the bl%%dy bureaucrats won't let you cut it down even if you planted it yourself!!!

Are you sure? If the alleged tree's height is less than 10 metres then it might be classified as a shrub, not a tree, and those rules do not apply. Also, if an alleged tree gets pruned to less than 10 metres then it morphs into a shrub.

Fair Winds

Graeme

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Are you sure? If the alleged tree's height is less than 10 metres then it might be classified as a shrub, not a tree, and those rules do not apply. Also, if an alleged tree gets pruned to less than 10 metres then it morphs into a shrub.

Fair Winds

Graeme

Couldn't be that simple! When I was getting the hell out of there about 20 years ago, they were testing their new laws on a poor old codger in the small town I lived in. He had planted a Mango tree near his front fence and decided it was doing to much damage to the fence and path once it got to about 8m x8m so he proceeded to cut it down. No residents complained and it had no historical or cultural significance - but council were still taking him to court over it - because they could! .
Don't know the outcome - haven't looked back

10m ! Hell around here ( Northern Beaches - Sydney ), any tree over 5m needs an arborists report if you want to remove it unless of course it is on their weed-tree list.

Stewie