Oregon Myrtlewood is a broad leaf evergreen native to Southwestern Oregon and Northwestern California. The Umpqua River watershed appears to be the northern boundary of its native habitat.
Although different, Oregon Myrtlewood has a lot of similarities to the Myrtlewood growing in the Holy Land.
The Myrtle tree grows 60-120’ in the wild. It is very slow growing putting on only 1-12" of growth during each of its first few years. They may take 80-120 years to reach full size. It is often multi trunk but can be kept pruned to a single trunk tree. When growing in the open it tends to have a dense, rounded , ‘gumdrop shape’. On a shady hillside it grows much taller and narrower. Myrtlewood tolerates many conditions, but grows best and fastest in deep soil with lots of compost, ample water and full sun.
The leaves are 3-5 inches long, 1 inch wide, pointed at the tip, medium green, glossy on top, and dull light green beneath. The crushed leaves have a powerful aromatic scent which can be used as a sure identification. The leaves are frequently used in cooking as a substitute for True Bay (Lauris nobilis), and are also noted as a flea repellant when freshly crushed. The Myrtlewood has clusters of small yellow flowers (or umbels) which bloom in late winter and olive like seeds or nuts which usually fall from the trees in the fall.Oregon Myrtlewood became popular for making gift items back in the early 1900’s. It is a hardwood which takes many finishes well. Oregon Myrtlewood possesses a wide variety of beautiful colors and grain patterns and is noted by many as being one of the world’s most beautiful woods. The color of the wood is often influenced by the minerals in the soil where it grows which could be a factor in its popularity here on the Oregon coast. The colors range from blond to black with many shades of honey, browns, grays, reds and greens in between.
Burl (British bur or burr) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds. Burls are the product of a cambium. A burl results from a tree undergoing some form of stress. It may be environmental or introduced by humans. Most burls grow beneath the ground, attached to the roots as a type of malignancy that is generally not discovered until the tree dies or falls over. Such burls sometimes appear as groups of bulbous protrusions connected by a system of rope-like roots. Almost all burl wood is covered by bark, even if it is underground. Insect infestation and certain types of mold infestation are the most common causes of this condition.
In some tree species, burls can grow to great size. Some of the largest occur in redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens); when moisture is present, these burls can grow new redwood trees.
Burls yield a very peculiar and highly figured wood, one prized for its beauty by many; its rarity also adds to its expense. It is sought after by people such as furniture makers, artists, and wood sculptors.
There are a number of well-known types of burls (each from a particular species); these are highly valued and used as veneers in furniture, inlay in doors, picture frames, household objects, automobile interior paneling and trim, and woodturning. The famous birdseye maple superficially resembles the wood of a burl but is something else entirely. Burl wood is very hard to work in a lathe or with hand tools because its grain is misshapen and not straight.
Although different, Oregon Myrtlewood has a lot of similarities to the Myrtlewood growing in the Holy Land.
The Myrtle tree grows 60-120’ in the wild. It is very slow growing putting on only 1-12" of growth during each of its first few years. They may take 80-120 years to reach full size. It is often multi trunk but can be kept pruned to a single trunk tree. When growing in the open it tends to have a dense, rounded , ‘gumdrop shape’. On a shady hillside it grows much taller and narrower. Myrtlewood tolerates many conditions, but grows best and fastest in deep soil with lots of compost, ample water and full sun.
The leaves are 3-5 inches long, 1 inch wide, pointed at the tip, medium green, glossy on top, and dull light green beneath. The crushed leaves have a powerful aromatic scent which can be used as a sure identification. The leaves are frequently used in cooking as a substitute for True Bay (Lauris nobilis), and are also noted as a flea repellant when freshly crushed. The Myrtlewood has clusters of small yellow flowers (or umbels) which bloom in late winter and olive like seeds or nuts which usually fall from the trees in the fall.Oregon Myrtlewood became popular for making gift items back in the early 1900’s. It is a hardwood which takes many finishes well. Oregon Myrtlewood possesses a wide variety of beautiful colors and grain patterns and is noted by many as being one of the world’s most beautiful woods. The color of the wood is often influenced by the minerals in the soil where it grows which could be a factor in its popularity here on the Oregon coast. The colors range from blond to black with many shades of honey, browns, grays, reds and greens in between.
Burl (British bur or burr) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds. Burls are the product of a cambium. A burl results from a tree undergoing some form of stress. It may be environmental or introduced by humans. Most burls grow beneath the ground, attached to the roots as a type of malignancy that is generally not discovered until the tree dies or falls over. Such burls sometimes appear as groups of bulbous protrusions connected by a system of rope-like roots. Almost all burl wood is covered by bark, even if it is underground. Insect infestation and certain types of mold infestation are the most common causes of this condition.
In some tree species, burls can grow to great size. Some of the largest occur in redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens); when moisture is present, these burls can grow new redwood trees.
Burls yield a very peculiar and highly figured wood, one prized for its beauty by many; its rarity also adds to its expense. It is sought after by people such as furniture makers, artists, and wood sculptors.
There are a number of well-known types of burls (each from a particular species); these are highly valued and used as veneers in furniture, inlay in doors, picture frames, household objects, automobile interior paneling and trim, and woodturning. The famous birdseye maple superficially resembles the wood of a burl but is something else entirely. Burl wood is very hard to work in a lathe or with hand tools because its grain is misshapen and not straight.