Huon Pine
Scientific name: Lagarostrobos franklinii
Overview
Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) is a slow-growing, exceptionally long-lived conifer found only in Tasmania. Closely associated with cool, wet rainforests and river systems of the island’s west and southwest, it produces a fragrant, naturally oily, golden timber renowned for durability, fine texture, dimensional stability, and boatbuilding performance.
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Huon Pine
- Alternate Common Name(s): Macquarie Pine, Tasmanian Yellowwood
- Scientific Name: Lagarostrobos franklinii
- Region: Oceania & Pacific Woods
- Tree Size: Typically 65–100 ft (20–30 m) tall; ancient trees may be larger
- Average Dried Weight: Approximately 34 lb/ft³ (545 kg/m³)
- Janka Hardness: Approximately 740 lbf (3,300 N)
- Grain: Usually straight, occasionally irregular
- Texture: Very fine and even, with a naturally oily feel
Identification Characteristics
Huon Pine is an evergreen rainforest conifer with drooping branchlets of tiny scale-like leaves. Older trees develop deeply furrowed gray-brown bark and irregular crowns. The heartwood ranges from pale straw to rich golden yellow and often has a distinctive sweet scent and oily feel caused by natural extractives.
Key identification traits include:
- Native only to cool, high-rainfall regions of western and southwestern Tasmania
- Drooping fine branchlets covered in minute overlapping scale-like leaves
- Gray-brown bark becoming fibrous and deeply furrowed with age
- Small fleshy seed cones rather than large woody cones
- Golden-yellow heartwood with a characteristic sweet fragrance and oily feel
- Very fine, even texture and generally straight grain
Working Properties
Huon Pine is generally easy to saw, machine, turn, glue, and finish. Its fine, uniform texture allows clean mouldings and smooth painted or clear-finished surfaces. Resin pockets, knots, and localized grain deviation may occur, and fasteners near board ends should be pre-drilled when splitting is a concern.
- Machines and sands readily with sharp, well-maintained cutters.
- Usually planes cleanly because the grain is predominantly straight.
- Glues, nails, and screws satisfactorily under normal shop practice.
- Accepts paint, stain, and clear finishes evenly after careful preparation.
- Use properly dried stock for stable joinery and dimensionally accurate components.
Safety Note
Avoid breathing Huon Pine dust during sawing, routing, turning, or sanding. Use effective dust extraction, suitable respiratory and eye protection, and wash exposed skin after handling. As with other softwoods, individual sensitivity to dust or resin can vary.
Common Uses
Huon Pine works cleanly and holds fine detail, although its natural oils can interfere with some adhesives and finishes. Fresh surfaces and compatible products are recommended. The timber turns, carves, and bends well and is exceptionally stable in service.
- Furniture, cabinetry, shelving, and interior joinery
- Boat planking, decking, spars, and marine joinery
- Fine furniture, cabinetry, boxes, and interior joinery
- Woodturning, carving, and decorative objects
- Veneers, restoration work, and specialty craft
- Musical-instrument and precision specialty components
Sustainability & Notes
Huon Pine is protected from commercial harvesting in Tasmania’s public native forests. Legal supplies are generally limited to salvaged timber, old stock, recovered logs, and tightly controlled sources. Because the species grows extremely slowly and many living trees are ancient, buyers should demand clear provenance and treat usable timber as a scarce heritage resource.
Comparative Notes & Related Species
- Norfolk Island Pine – A close relative in the genus Araucaria, with similarly pale timber but a distinctive symmetrical landscape form.
- Australian Cypress Pine – A durable Australian conifer whose stronger odor, darker color, and natural decay resistance contrast with Huon Pine.
- Caribbean Pine – A plantation softwood useful for comparing resin content, grain character, and structural applications.
- Radiata Pine – A widely planted construction softwood that is generally coarser and more visibly ringed than fine-textured Huon Pine.
Related Guides
- Pine Species Guide – Compare commonly traded timbers called pine and their woodworking characteristics.
- Oceania & Pacific Woods – Explore timber species native to Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, and neighboring islands.
- Plantation vs. Wild-Harvested Hardwoods – Understand how timber origin affects availability, properties, and responsible sourcing.
- Understanding Wood Grain – Learn how grain direction and growth-ring structure influence machining and appearance.
- Wood Identification – Review practical features used to identify unknown wood samples.
Compare Wood Properties
See how this species ranks in density and hardness using our Wood Density & Janka Hardness Chart. You can also explore Hardest Woods, Softest Woods, and Most Dense Woods for quick comparisons.
Collector Notes
Sugar Gum is a valuable reference sample for collectors because its pale color and exceptional density challenge the assumption that very heavy Australian eucalypts are always dark red. A documented specimen should include face grain and end grain, geographic origin, tree age if known, and whether the material came from a plantation, farm shelterbelt, salvage source, or the restricted native range.
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Wood Sample Collection
This species is part of an ongoing effort to document and preserve wood samples from around the world.
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Resources
Authoritative botanical and forestry references used in compiling information about this species include:
• USDA Forest Service – Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material
https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/products/publications/
• The Wood Database – Global reference for wood identification, physical properties, and woodworking characteristics
https://www.wood-database.com/
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Plants of the World Online – Botanical taxonomy and species distribution database
https://powo.science.kew.org/
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Red List) – Global conservation status assessments
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) – International trade regulations for protected plant species
https://cites.org/
Additional forestry publications, academic research papers, and regional timber studies may also be referenced where available.
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Availability & Where to Buy
Exotic hardwood availability can vary significantly depending on region, sustainability regulations, and supplier inventory.
As this archive grows, recommended suppliers and specialty wood retailers will be listed here to help woodworkers locate responsibly sourced material.
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