Thread: fiddlewood

What's a fiddlewood tree? Doesn't ring any bells.

yes it is a tree I planted it 20 years ago & its got to big for my yard
now it has to go

it should be ok to turn as apparently it is used to make musical instruments thus its common name
Citharexylum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have turned it and found it really good. Nice looking wood and finishes well. Too good for firewood. Managed to find a couple of picks from a few years back.
I was told the tree is a native of central america and has blue flowers.

Regards
John

This is the one that grows up here, the flyfox love it, they sit in the tree & chew the leaves & then spit out the balls of 'sinew', dirty buggers would spit it all over the car in the driveway so I cut down the tree that was there, never thought of trying it for turning.
Burke's Backyard > Fact Sheets > Fiddlewood

we dont have flyfoxs down her in s.a.
If any guys here in s.a. want some it should be down in the next few weeks
regards Michael

A fair bit of it planted around here. Got some once to add to the collection - found it quite soft and open grained and the colour was nothing to write home about either - think yellowish Jacaranda good 'play around' timber!

I guess which 'Fiddlewood' you have depends on where you are!
My dataset has the following published names.

Fiddlewood (timber) Citharexylum sp. [Verbenaceae]; Petitia domingensis Jacq. & Petitia sp. [Lamiaceae]; Vitex cooperi Standl.; Vitex gaumeri Greenm.; Vitex umbrosa Sw.; Vitex sp. [Lamiaceae]; Tabebuia pallida (Lindl.) Miers [Bignoniaceae]

Fiddlewood, Berlandier’s (tree/timber) Citharexylum berlandieri B.L.Robins [Verbenaceae]

Fiddlewood, Florida (tree/timber) Citharexylum spinosum L.; Citharexylum fruticosum L. [Verbenaceae]

Fiddlewood, Jamaica (tree/timber) Citharexylum quadrangulare Jacq. [Verbenaceae]

Fiddlewood, Spiny (tree/timber) Citharexylum spinosum L. [Verbenaceae]

Fiddlweood, Wild (tree) Chimarrhis cymosa Jacq. [Rubiaceae]

Fiddlewood, Yellow (tree) Citharexylum fruticosum L. [Verbenaceae]

Mark
BTW Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

if it turns out to have some nice grain i wouldnt mind a small bit ?

We have a lot of C Quadrangulare same as the C Spinosum and it is an outstanding wood to turn. It woorks well when wet and you can finish turn with very little movement. When dry it often checks when in the log form. It has a lovely grain and a beautiful glow when polished. Knocks jacaranda into the firewood pile. have kept logs for 3 to 4 years without and insect attack (and they are viscious hers in sub tropical South Africa) .
Definitely one of the better turning woods.

spankingpigeon
when its cut down as I hurt my back yesterday I will pm you and if you want you can have as much as u want & yes it will still be green
Regards Michael