Does anyone know what this wood species is?

[mr dazzler]

The gardener who supplies some of my carving wood left me a van load of logs yesterday, including some of this strange wood

The heartwood is chocolate brown, the sap wood is creamy with beige/pinkish growth rings


It has tiny "burr" nodules (this pic shows up near enough life-size)


It carves very crisp and smoothly, almost as workable as alder despite the vigorous growth rings


The odd thing about this wood is the stench it gives off (only comes from the heartwood). Its like animal pee/sweat/manure type of smell. And it clings, it doesnt disspiate quickly like a f##t does. I dont know if the wood will still smell when it dries out, might be no use for a spoon after all...I was talking to a neighbour this morning, he reckoned it might be dogwood? Any ideas?
Cheers Jonathan

 

[WULF]

Looks like laburnam but the bark is confusing abit so not 100%,nice wood whatever it is.

 

[Harvestman]

I'd say laburnum too.

 

[greensurfingbear]

Yep looks like laburnum I had a load last year which I turned. Made lovely bowls.




Orric

 

[Harvestman]

If you are going to carve it, do it soon, as laburnum heartwood goes stone hard once it starts to season, and it can horribly hard to carve them. Makes beautiful items though.

 

[mr dazzler]

Thank you to all for your swift replies.
I figured as much (would turn rock hard) It was felled 2 days ago, but now all the usable sections are axed out, converted into various laldes, spoons small and large etc. Some finer cuts have already been done today. I noticed that the crooks split into spoon shapes very nicely, much more readily than say willow or alder does. Is laburnam poisonous-and will that awful stench eventually disappear!?
cheers Jonathan

 

[Mesquite]

Is laburnam poisonous-and will that awful stench eventually disappear!?

From wikipedia

All parts of the plant are poisonous, and can be lethal if consumed in excess. Symptoms of laburnum poisoning may include intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements, coma, slight frothing at the mouth and unequally dilated pupils. In some cases, diarrhea is very severe, and at times the convulsions are markedly tetanic. The main toxin in the plant is cytisine, a nicotinic receptor agonist. It is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the buff-tip.

 

[WULF]

Ive turned this and it takes a great finish and polish,lovely wood but hazardous........
also known as 'the golden rain tree'.

 

[Harvestman]

Hazardous or poisonous if the dust is breathed in or the wood is eaten, not really otherwise. This comes up every time someone mentions yew, laburnum, laurel etc. With a decent finish a spoon made from this should be fine for use.

WULF, my understanding is that Golden Rain Tree is also known as Pride of India, and is a completely different species to laburnum. Unless you are saying this isn't laburnum? The trouble is that common names get confused rather easily. Just wondering, rather than arguing.

 

[Davidn]

Doesn't look like Laburnum to me, maybe Rhododendron or Strawberry Tree?

 

[Monikieman]

Mr Dazzler mentions rapid growth rings and (someone might correct me) but laburnum I think is slow growing.

The dark heart wood doesn't seem to follow the growth rings and is a bit random at the edges, and the smell of pee!

Do poplar (not that it is) not smell of pee?

 

[Harvestman]

Could be rhododendron. Come to that, all the laburnum I have had has had greenish heartwood rather than brown.

 

[WULF]

WULF, my understanding is that Golden Rain Tree is also known as Pride of India, and is a completely different species to laburnum. Unless you are saying this isn't laburnum? The trouble is that common names get confused rather easily. Just wondering, rather than arguing.

I used to be a very keen gardener and always known it as 'golden rain tree', upon a search it also comes up with 'golden chain tree so abit confusing maybe.....
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/laburnum

 

[Harvestman]

I used to be a very keen gardener and always known it as 'golden rain tree', upon a search it also comes up with 'golden chain tree so abit confusing maybe.....
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/laburnum

Interesting, I hadn't heard laburnum called that before. My Collins guide to trees gives Golden Rain tree in the index, as "see 'Pride of India'", which in turn is Koelreuteria paniculata, something in the Soapberry family, and very different from Laburnum. There's one on the estate where I work. Which just goes to show how unreliable common names are.

Cheers!

 

[mountainm]

I've had lilac nearly that dark inside.

 

[mr dazzler]

Thanks for your replies.
As I type, the stench is right there, like its infested my clothes...maybe its a particularly punget batch LOL
I think I'll finish up the carvings, and store them outdoors to see what happens. Whatever, if the worst comes to the worst it would probaly make good fire wood....
Cheers Jonathan

 

[Gray]

I was going to say a fruit of some kind,unsure about the smell bit.