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Huisache (Acacia sp) Big enough for blanks (Wood Gloat)

David Hill

David Hill

Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
105
Likes
33
Location
Cuero, Texas
Those of you familiar with tress in south Texas know that Huisache is a major "trash" species--grows everywhere, hard to kill, usually not more than a bush, and very thorny. One of my patients informed me he had taken down a large tree and wondered if I wanted it? Yep!, was happy to take it off his hands. It actually is a very attractive wood when it gets big enough.
I got a ~24 in X 8 ft trunk this time that I cut into ~30 inch sections then slabbed'em. This was a GIANT for this kind of tree.
Due to the way the tree grows, they almost always have multiple trunks that coalesce into a trunk that results in crazy grain patterns, lots of inclusions, and has a nice orange hue to the wood. It's uncommon to get a bowl larger that about 8 inches. Plus the wood is very hard-- even more than my fave-Mesquite.
The slabs are ~4 in thick, left the chainsaw in for scale
 

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There is a Huisache Grill in New Braunfels, but I didn't know about the tree. I saw some pictures of the tree and none were even remotely the size of what you got. Are you sure that it wasn't in the national registry as the largest living specimen of its kind? :D

BTW, a group of trees growing together in a clump is called a mott. That is where the strange name of the city of Elm Mott came from. It took me the longest to figure that one out. I have a cross section of mesquite mott that is almost four feet in diameter. It will eventually become a coffee table top.
 
Bill Boehme said:
There is a Huisache Grill in New Braunfels, but I didn't know about the tree. I saw some pictures of the tree and none were even remotely the size of what you got. Are you sure that it wasn't in the national registry as the largest living specimen of its kind? :D

BTW, a group of trees growing together in a clump is called a mott. That is where the strange name of the city of Elm Mott came from. It took me the longest to figure that one out. I have a cross section of mesquite mott that is almost four feet in diameter. It will eventually become a coffee table top.
Click to expand...

Bill--knew about the "mott" and it refers to a larger # of trees the way I understand it, and believe it or not, know of another tree -bigger- that is available to me when I want it. Think I'm more intrigued with lookin at the root ball from this tree. May give that a go maybe this coming weekend.
 
I have a piece that is about 30" across the trunk. It came from a neighborhood tree that was taken down. The state record is 43" at the base of the trunk. It is quite unstable as compared to mesquite but mesquite and Huisache are kissing cousins the both are types of acacia. I find it is really not much tougher than mesquite. I really never considered them a "trash tree" as they are native and have a lovely yellow flower when in bloom which will be coming very shortly. Usually by middle to late February sometimes early March. It just takes them a long time to get big. The wood is quite beautiful. To me it has more of a pinkish cast then mesquite in this part of the state. The color variation could be from different soils. I do notice this with mesquite in different parts of the state have different coloration.

You should have fun with this batch. Congratulations on the nice find.

Alan
 
I had a guy in Texas that used to send me huisahi and mesquite.
I understand his wife through him out and burned his supply.... :(

Huisahi is beautiful...great color and figure. Very hard on tools though.
 
Thanks for the replies/comments.
I'm probably going to let this batch sit for a while, was really green--I needed to get it off my trailer.
Unlike Mesquite, this species warps like crazy.
My other stack however should do well---will soon see.
 
I picked up some Huisache January 2013 west of Houston. It was certainly much smaller than what you have. It did however make some nice small bowls. Large pieces like that are a great find.
 
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