Burls, also known as burrs, are abnormal growths or swellings on the trunk, branches, or roots of some trees. They are often irregular in shape and have a rough, textured surface that is highly prized for its unique patterns and beauty in woodworking. Burls can occur on a variety of tree species, including maple, oak, walnut, and redwood, among others. They are formed when the tree undergoes some type of stress or injury, such as insect infestation, disease, or physical damage. Even though burls are formed out of stress or injury within the tree, they exhibit high quality in shaping out valuable wood products.
Burls are highly valued in woodworking due to their unique and visually appealing grain patterns. They are used to create a wide range of products, like high end furniture making, particularly for building tabletops, chairs and desks; woodturning, which involves using a lathe to shape the wood into bowls, vases, and other cylindrical objects. The complex and varied grain patterns of burls can make for stunning and unique turned pieces. The dense and stable nature of the burl wood makes it ideal for creating guitar bodies, and the intricate grain patterns can add a unique and beautiful look to the instrument. Burls can also be used to create a wide range of decorative objects, such as clock faces, picture frames, and sculptures and other household items.
Here, Exotic Wood Zone is giving you a brief on some of the popular varieties of Burl wood.
Brown Mallee Burls
Brown Mallee Burl, a burl species that comes from the Mallee tree which is native to arid regions of Australia. The Brown Mallee variety of burl is highly valued for its dense and intricate grain patterns, which can range from tight and swirling to bold and knotty.
Brown Mallee Burl is often used in woodworking to create fine furniture, decorative objects, and turned items such as bowls and vases. Its unique beauty and warm, reddish-brown color make it a popular choice for high-end designs, and it can add a touch of natural elegance to any space.
Red Gum Burl
Red Gum burl extracted from the Red Gum tree, is a large and widespread species of eucalyptus tree which is native to Australia. Red Gum Burl is highly prized for its rich, warm color and intricate grain patterns, which can range from subtle swirls to bold, knotty textures. The burl has an extremely dense grain pattern with the tendency to split. But, to the delight of woodturners, it turns well with sharp tools.
Red Gum Burl is often used in woodworking to create fine furniture, cabinetry, and decorative objects. Its unique beauty makes it a popular choice for high-end designs, and it can add a touch of natural warmth, character to any space and glues well.
Chechen Burl
Chechen Burl, a tropical hardwood that comes from the Chechen tree found in Central and South America. Chechen burl has irregular grain patterns like gentle waves, straight, or interlocked. The irregular pattern with pretty different color varieties makes it a splendid choice for several wood projects. Chechen has some unique color shades like red, brown and orange contrasted with dark brown stripes
Chechen Burl is often used in fine woodworking to create high-end furniture, cabinetry, and decorative objects. Its dense and durable nature makes it ideal for these applications, and it's warm, reddish-brown color and striking grain patterns can add a touch of natural beauty to any space.
Australian Red Mallee Burls
Australian Red Mallee burl are highly prized pieces of wood that come from the Australian Red Mallee tree (Eucalyptus oleosa). The Australian Red Mallee is a small multi-stemmed tree that is native to the arid regions of Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. The burls from this tree are particularly prized because of their deep red color and the intricate swirling patterns of the grain.
The mix of pink, red and violet colors makes it an incredible species and is popular for its tight figure and unique color among bowl makers. Apart from bowls, it’s an ideal choice for spindles, knives, turned boxes, and other fine particles. Red Mallee assures a smooth and durable finish with a natural artistic look.
Red Coolibah Burl
The Coolibah tree is a type of eucalyptus tree that is native to Australia and is known for its ability to survive in arid and semi-arid regions. Red Coolibah burl another type of highly prized wood that comes from the Coolibah tree (Eucalyptus coolabah).
This species of burl wood is considered to be one of the strongest and hardest timbers in the world. The burl is commonly found over heavy soils of flood plains. It’s an exceptional burl choice prized for its unique color and figure. The straight grain pattern attracts woodworkers and the color range is splendid for manufacturing the finest wood products.
