Preferred Friciton Fire Materials (Part 2) NEW! More Info...

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Various Friction Fire Woods and Their Relative Usefulness—PART 2
By storm


Woods That Have Provided Non-Notched Spindle Embers

Woods That Offer Non-Notched Embers On Softer Hearthboards
Acer macrophyllum Big-leaf Maple
Aesculus californica CA Buckeye
Chlorogalum pomeridianum Soaproot
Cirsium vulgare Bull Thistle
Conyza canadensis Horseweed
Eriophyllum staechadifolium Seaside Woolly Sunflower
Grindelia stricta Marsh Gum Plant
Helianthus sp. Garden Sunflower
Rubus discolor Himalayan Blackberry
Sambucus mexicana Blue Elderberry
Scrophularia californica CA Figwort
Sequoia sempervirens Coast Redwood
Silybum marianum Milk Thistle
Solidago spathulata Coast Goldenrod
Sonchus oleraceus Sow Thistle
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry
Typha latifolia Cattail
Verbascum thapsus Common Mullein

Woods That Offer Non-Notched Embers On Harder Hearthboards
Acer macrophyllum Big-leaf Maple
Acer negundo Box Elder
Achillea millefolium Yarrow
Aesculus californica CA Buckeye
Artemisia douglasiana Mugwort
Baccharis salicifolia Mule Fat
Chlorogalum pomeridianum Soaproot
Conyza canadensis Horseweed
Cytisus scoparius Scotch Broom
Erigeron sp. Fleabane Daisy
Helianthus sp. Garden Sunflower
Holodiscus discolor Ocean Spray
Lithocarpus densiflorus Tan Oak
Lonicera hispidula Hairy Honeysuckle
Madia elegans Tarweed
Rubus discolor Himalayan Blackberry
Rubus parviflorus Thimbleberry
Sambucus mexicana Blue Elderberry
Sequoia sempervirens Coast Redwood
Solidago spathulata Coast Goldenrod
Typha latifolia Cattail
Urtica californica Stinging Nettle
Verbascum thapsus Common Mullein

Woods That Did Not Offer Non-Notched Embers
Acacia sp. Acacia
Alnus rhombifolia White Alder
Arbutus menziesii Madrone
Artemisia californica CA Sagebrush
Baccharis douglasii Marsh Baccharis
Baccharis pilularis Coyote Brush
Calocedrus ducurrens Incense Cedar
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus CA Lilac
Conium maculatum Poison Hemlock
Cornus sericera American Dogwood
Corylus cornuta Hazelnut
Cupressus macrocarpa Monterey Cypress
Cydonia oblonga Quince
Dipsacus fullonum Fuller's Teasel
Escallonia macrantha Escallonia
Eucalyptus globulus Blue Gum Eucalyptus
Euonymus occidentalis W. Burning Bush
Hedera helix English Ivy
Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon
Juniperus communis Common Juniper
Larix sp. Tamarack
Lupinus arborus Tree Lupine
Malus sp. Apple
Mimulus aurantiacus Sticky Monkeyflower
Myrica californica Pac. Wax Myrtle
Phyllostachys sp. Bamboo
Prunus cerasifera Cherry Plum
Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir
Pteridium aquilinum Bracken Fern
Pyrus sp. Pear
Rhamnus californica Coffeeberry
Rhododendron macrophyllum Pacific Rhododendron
Rhododendron occidentale Western Azalea
Ribes menziesii Canyon Gooseberry
Rosa gymnocarpa Wood Rose
Rumex crispus Curly Dock
Salix lutea Yellow Willow
Salix sp. Willow
Tamarix parviflora Smallflower Tamarisk
Thuja plicata Western Red Cedar
Ulmus minor Smooth-leaved Elm
Umbellularia californica CA Bay Laurel
Vaccinium ovatum Evergreen Huckleberry
Vitus californica Wild Grape


Miscellaneous Successful Fire Plow Combinations

- Seep Willow (Baccharis viminea) on CA Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)
- Seep Willow (Baccharis viminea) on Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
- CA Buckeye (Aesculus california) on itself

- On Whipple’s Yucca (Yucca whipplei)
Seep Willow (Baccharis viminea)
Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri)



Miscellaneous Successful Fire Saw Combinations

- Whipple’s Yucca (Yucca whipplei) on itself
- Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) on Whipple’s Yucca (Yucca whipplei)
- CA Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) on itself
- CA Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera) on CA Buckeye
- Bamboo (Phyllostachys sp.) on itself
- Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) on itself



Preferred Bow Drill Materials of the Central Coast Section
of the California Floristic Province

Great
Sambucus mexicana Blue Elderberry
Aesculus californica CA Buckeye
Sequoia sempervirens Coast Redwood
Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas Fir
Clematis ligusticifolia Clematis
Acer macrophyllum Big-leaf Maple
Lonicera hispidula var. vacillans Hairy Honeysuckle
Thuja plicata W. Red Cedar
Conyza canadensis Horseweed
Pinus radiata Monterey Pine
Vitus californica Wild Grape

Good
Rosa gymnocarpa Wood Rose
Acacia sp. Acacia
Pyrus sp. Pear
Acer negundo Box Elder
Eucalyptus globulus Eucalyptus
Prunus sp. Wild Cherry
Malus sp. Apple
Ribes menziesii CanyonGooseberry
Hedera helix English Ivy
Prunus cerasifera Cherry Plum
Salix sp. Willow sp.
Cupressus abramsiana Santa Cruz Cypress
Rubus parviflorus Thimbleberry
Umbellularia californica CA Bay Laurel
Cytisus scoparius Scotch Broom
Artemisia californica CA Sagebrush
Cornus sericea American Dogwood
Rhododendron macrophyllum Pacific Rhododendron
Lupinus arboreus Tree Lupine
Euonymus occidentalis Western Burning Bush
Alnus rhombifolia White Alder


Difficult
Baccharis pilularis Coyote Brush
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus CA Wild Lilac
Rhamnus californica Coffeeberry
Corylus cornuta var. californica CA Hazelnut
Lithocarpus densiflorus Tan Oak
Vaccinium ovatum Evergreen Huckleberry

Extremely Difficult
Myrica californica Pac. Wax Myrtle
Holodiscus discolor Ocean Spray
Heteromeles arbutifolia Toyon
Quercus wislizeni Interior Live Oak
Rubus discolor Himalayan Blackberry
Arbutus menziesii Madrone



Successful Bow Drill Spindle Woods Used On Fungal Hearthboards

- On Tinder Fungus (Fomes fomentarius)
Clematis (Clematis lingusifolia)
Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
Burning Bush (Euonymus purpureous)

- On Artist’s Conk Fungus (Ganoderma applanatum)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Basswood (Tilia americana)
Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)
CA Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)
Seep Willow (Baccharis salicifolia)

- On Red-Belted Conk Fungus (Fomitopsis pinicola)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)
Burning Bush (Euonymus purpureous)
CA Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)

- On Birch Polypore Fungus (Piptoporus betulina)
Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum)
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

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