Here are more nerdy details on the plant: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/silviculture/tree-species-selection/tree-species-compendium-index/arbutus
Here are more nerdy details on the plant: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/forestry/managing-our-forest-resources/silviculture/tree-species-selection/tree-species-compendium-index/arbutus
On top of it being really gnarly wood to work with, they also don’t transplant very well. Because of both of these factors, it will likely never be commercially harvested, just BC’s weird wild tree. I love the way parts of it can die off, and new wood just grows around it like putty.
We were lucky to manage to get one to take at the back of our yard, it’s lasted 6 years so far… slow-growing for sure.
There’s ways that the wood can be tamed for woodwork, but it borders on alchemy.