Leatherwood

Eucryphia lucida

Leatherwood is famous as a prolific honey nectar tree found as an understorey tree in Tasmania's wetter mixed forests and rainforests.  Wherever possible areas dominated by leatherwood trees are excluded from logging coupes to maintain a resource for the apiary industry.  When harvested from within some coupes leatherwood logs can produce a very attractive timber with a rich palette of colours from pinks through to browns; purple-heart logs contain the most figured wood, similar in appearance to black-heart sassafras. Leatherwood is very fine grained timber and known for its good workability and finish.  Its name arose from the extreme flexibility of its green timber. 

Air Dry Density about 740 kg/m3 (Bootle 1985)

Availability  Leatherwood is available from Island Specialty Timbers as tender logs, waxed green turning blanks, seasoned slabs, turning blanks, boards and squares.