Names and distribution: Grevillea, sometimes also called “silver oak”, botanically Grevillea robusta – belongs to the Protaceae family and is naturally distributed in eastern Australia. There the species is listed as Southern Silky Oak, whether as a plant or as wood. Of course, Grevillea has little in common with European oaks. Outside its natural habitat, the tree has been cultivated in regions with comparable climates since the beginning of the 20th century. Such plantations can be found in Central America, East Africa, India and Hawaii, for example. Trunks reach up to 40 m in height, are up to 10 m straight and up to 1.2 m in diameter; they are cylindrical and well formed.
Wood appearance: Heartwood light brown with a reddish tinge. Sapwood yellowish white. Wood is ring-porous, the pores themselves are medium sized. The strikingly broad medullary rays, which stand out clearly on the radial section, are similar to those of oaks. Wood is straight-grained and relatively homogeneous in its structure. Decorative.
Properties: The specific weight at a wood moisture content of 12% is given as 0.55 t/cbm. The swelling and shrinkage values are specified as radial 2.7% and tangential 7.7%. Drying is unproblematic. Easy to work in all directions. Smooth and shiny surfaces are created. Moderate bending stiffness, medium hardness, moderately good natural durability.
Uses: special wood for furniture making, turning wood, guitars
| Sources: |
GOTTWALD (1970): Wood identification of the most important commercial woods WAGENFÜHR (1996): Wood Atlas |
