LIGNUM VITAE, GENUINE (GUAYACAN) - (Guaiacum officinale) also known as Guayacan, Palo Santo and Holywood. native to Central America and northern South America tree grows from 20–30 feet tall and 1–2 feet in diameter.
Heartwood color can range from olive to dark green/brown to nearly black, sometimes with a reddish hue. The color tends to darken with age, especially upon exposure to light. On average, the heartwood color of genuine lignum vitae tends to be darker than that of Argentine lignum vitae
Lignum Vitae is quite famous for being "the densest wood in the world" — it ranks among the top of the "Janka Scale of Hardness," which measures such things. The wood is also believed to have medicinal properties in its resins and chips; "Lignum Vitae" is, after all, Latin for "Wood of Life."
Common uses are tool handles, mallet heads, bearings, bushings, boatbuilding, pulley wheels, and turned objects.
Unfortunately, because of Genuine Lignum Vitae's highly desirable properties, the wood has been grossly over harvested and is now practically on the endangered species list (which, of course, is sadly ironic, considering the meaning of its name). Although some Genuine Lignum Vitae is still available on the market, it is no longer being sold in any significant quantities.
Heartwood color can range from olive to dark green/brown to nearly black, sometimes with a reddish hue. The color tends to darken with age, especially upon exposure to light. On average, the heartwood color of genuine lignum vitae tends to be darker than that of Argentine lignum vitae
Lignum Vitae is quite famous for being "the densest wood in the world" — it ranks among the top of the "Janka Scale of Hardness," which measures such things. The wood is also believed to have medicinal properties in its resins and chips; "Lignum Vitae" is, after all, Latin for "Wood of Life."
Common uses are tool handles, mallet heads, bearings, bushings, boatbuilding, pulley wheels, and turned objects.
Unfortunately, because of Genuine Lignum Vitae's highly desirable properties, the wood has been grossly over harvested and is now practically on the endangered species list (which, of course, is sadly ironic, considering the meaning of its name). Although some Genuine Lignum Vitae is still available on the market, it is no longer being sold in any significant quantities.