Silver Ash – Flindersia bourjotiana

Silver Ash AKA Ash Silver

Wood Appearance

Colour – The heartwood ranges from silver-white to pale yellow shades. There is no noticeable colour difference between sapwood and heartwood.

Grain – Open and predominately straight. Slight grain deviation may occur associated with the bumps on the log surface. There is no pronounced figure but a characteristic of the species is its long straight vessel line on longitudinal surfaces.

Wood Properties

Density – 640-675 kg/m3

Durability – Class 3 – Moderately resistant to decay when fully exposed to the weather, clear of the ground and well drained with free air circulation. Not recommended for in-ground applications.

Hardness – Firm (rated 4 on a 6 class scale) in relation to indentation and ease of working with hand tools.

Identification Features

Sapwood – Creamy-white to pale yellow, indistinguishable from the heartwood.

Heartwood – Creamy-white to pale yellow

Texture – Medium and uniform, without figure but possessing a sheen.

Wood Structure

Growth rings – Absent

Vessels – Medium to small in size, arranged in short radial multiples; sometimes containing yellowish deposits. Vessel lines visible on longitudinal surfaces

Rays – Visible without a lens

Parenchyma – Mostly in irregularly spaced apotracheal bands

Other Features

Burning Splinter Test – Match size splinter burns to full white ash