What is Holly Wood?
Holly is a domestic wood that is excellent turning, carving, and inlay. Very rare due to the slow rate of growth and small size of the trees that are harvested. Must be cut in winter to avoid blue-stain or graying of the wood. Holly ranges in color from white to ivory. Holly has a very close irregular grain with little or no discernible figure.
What is a holly tree used for?
Holly – a really useful tree ~ by Chris. The wood is essentially white (except for the heart wood) and accepts dyes readily - so when dyed black, it was sometimes used as a substitute for ebony (on the handles of tea pots). On the Continent, it was used in making whip handles and walking sticks.
Why is Holly Wood used for engraving?
In marquetry, holly contributes its natural whiteness, or it can be colored as needed. Because of its unusually tight grain, holly often becomes the choice of carvers and woodblock engravers.
Is Holly good for firewood?
Holly is divisively classified as a large bush or a small tree, with the most common of the latter being American or English. However, the wood from these trees doesn’t make for the best firewood depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.
Is holly a strong wood?
Holly lumber is a tough, heavy wood and is noted to be hard in all categories. The irregular grain pattern of Holly Lumber makes it extremely difficult when sawing or planing the wood. With very sharp knives or wood working tools, Holly machines very well.
Is holly a hardwood?
Density: Holly is a very hard, dense, fine-grained hardwood with a specific gravity ranging from . 50 to . 64. The average dry weight of Holly is approximately 40 pounds per cubic foot.
What was the holly tree used for?
Wood from the holly made exceptionally good wands which could be used to banish unwanted entities. Harry Potter could attest to this as his wand is made of holly. Hollies were also prescribed for treatment of illnesses — curing everything from bronchitis, fever, influenza, whooping cough and rheumatism.
Is holly a real wood?
Holly is a domestic wood that is excellent turning, carving, and inlay. Very rare due to the slow rate of growth and small size of the trees that are harvested. Must be cut in winter to avoid blue-stain or graying of the wood. Holly ranges in color from white to ivory.
Can holly be used as firewood?
Holly. This type of hardwood is yet another excellent type of firewood that can burn while still green. It burns even slower and hotter when appropriately seasoned. All in all, Holly is known as a good source of fuel for fires.
Is holly good for wood turning?
Holly tends to be quite hard, and if harvested in autumn or winter, and dried properly, almost white. It has very fine grain, with little flecks in them. This makes it ideal for segmented turning or for finials, also boxes, lids on boxes, knobs, handles, smaller items.
Is holly wood good for carving?
Because of its unusually tight grain, holly often becomes the choice of carvers and woodblock engravers. It also turns exceptionally well.
Is holly poisonous to burn?
The toxic principal ( a glycoside) usually causes nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, and in some cases, it is the berries that contain most of the toxin. Since the site of the toxic interaction is in the digestive tract, it seems unlikely that the amount of toxin in smoke from burning the wood would have any effect.
What is made from holly?
Culinary use. Leaves of some holly species are used by some cultures to make daily tea. These species are Yerba mate (I. paraguariensis), Ilex guayusa, Kuding (Ilex kaushue), Yaupon (I. vomitoria) and others. Leaves of other species, such as gallberry (I. glabra) are bitter and emetic.
What can you make from holly tree?
0:051:41Get It Growing: Holly trees can add berries, screen potential to landscapeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFor one thing most hollies are evergreen. So that means that they're going to keep their leaves yearMoreFor one thing most hollies are evergreen. So that means that they're going to keep their leaves year round. And they provide these leathery glossy dark green leaves. And look at these gorgeous berries
Is holly Good for tool handles?
Holly can be used for turnery, carving, tool handles and much more.
What are holly leaves and berries used for?
More favorably, holly leaves and berries have been touted in folklore as a cure for smallpox, a speedy mender of broken bones, and an all-around lucky charm. The wood has quite a reputation.
How many species of holly are there in the world?
You can find 175 species of holly growing practically around the world, with the largest number in Brazil and Guiana. Thirteen species grow in the U.S. alone, but commercial loggers harvest only the largest of these, Ilex opaca.
How heavy is a holly tree?
Older trees feature wart-like outgrowths. Weighing in at about 36 lbs. per cubic foot dry, holly rates as moderately heavy and hard, but not strong. With indistinct, fine grain, the wood of holly displays no figure.
What is the sticky substance that birds use to eat?
They mashed its bark to obtain a sticky, gluelike substance called birdlime, which was spread on tree branches.
What wood is used for the winter solstice?
Holly. The snow-white wood of winter. Traditionally, decking the halls with boughs of holly marked the beginning of yuletide. The ancient Romans probably started this tradition—they used holly to decorate for (Saturnalia), their celebration of the winter solstice.
Where does Holly grow?
Northern winters keep holly small, but it thrives in Arkansas and east Texas.
Is holly wood a figure?
With indistinct, fine grain, the wood of holly displays no figure. Color ranges from an almost pure white sapwood to heartwood with a creamy tone, and the two can be indistinguishable. To prevent a permanent discoloration called "blue stain," loggers cut holly only in the winter months, and then process it quickly.
What is Holly used for?
Holly was used as a supplement or replacement for hay when food was in short supply, or the land covered with snow so animals could not graze.
Where is the word "holly" used in Christmas?
the corners of streets were decorated with holme ' (holme = holly ). Various carols dating back many years also make reference to the use of Holly at Christmas.
How many holly trees were taken from Needwood?
In his ‘ Plant Book’, Professor David Mabberley notes that some 150,000 holly trees were taken from Needwood about this time, to provide bobbins for the cotton mills of Lancashire.
What is the name of the evergreen plant that is used in Christmas carols?
Various carols dating back many years also make reference to the use of Holly at Christmas. Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe are all associated with the festive season. All are evergreen plants, whose foliage tends to last quite well in garlands, wreaths and other displays.
What is the insect that eats holly?
Another insect associated with holly is a butterfly - the holly blue, which feeds on its berries. Holly was also used extensively for hedging in gardens. For example, Evelyn's holly hedge at Say's Court, Deptford was recorded as being 400 feet in length and some 9 feet high.
Why are evergreens used in houses?
Holly with its evergreen leaves (with their prickles) were placed at the entrance of a house because they were thought to stop ‘evil forces’ entering.
Where is Holly found?
I n various older texts on botany and gardening, it is said that ' … in Germany, Holly abounds in many forests…. In France, it is abundant, more particularly in Brittany. The tree appears to attain a larger size in England than in other parts of Europe " Certainly, in the past there were large areas where Holly was abundant.
What is the shrinkage of flatsawn lumber?
Shrinkage of flatsawn lumber during drying is nearly 8 percent, which is higher than most species. Gluing and Machining. Gluing is reported to be fairly easy for a hardwood species. Machining is high quality, although irregular grain, from time to time, does mean that tools must be very sharp.
What is holly veneer used for?
In the past holly veneer and veneer inlays were very popular. Certainly, the use for specialty items, such as engravings, scroll work, carvings, and so on has been very important. Whip handles was one old use, as well as for keys, pegs and other items in musical instruments.
How strong is Holly?
Holly is reasonably stable when the moisture changes, but irregular grain can result in some warping occasionally. Strength. Holly’s mechanical properties are in the middle for North American hardwoods. The strength (MOR) of holly is 10,300 psi. The stiffness (MOE) is 1.1 million psi. Hardness is 1,020 pounds.
What is the state tree of Delaware?
American holly (Ilex opaca), the state tree of Delaware, is a fantastic tree, with brilliant red berries and dark green leaves that are popular decorations during the Christmas season. When the Pilgrims, who landed in Massachusetts days before Christmas in 1620, saw the American holly and its red berries they were joyfully reminded of the holly in England that is inseparably connected with the merry-making of Christmas time. The tree has leaves, so it is a hardwood, but the leaves stay on for three years, which make it an evergreen.
How to dry maple wood after sawing?
The wood needs to be put into a kiln at a low humidity within hours after sawing; hence, most drying is done at the sawmill site. Dry promptly using a white hard maple schedule. Irregular grain, which is rare, does cause a small amount of warp. Use 12-inch sticker spacing and weights on pile tops.
What is the density of holly wood?
Density. The density is approximately 38 pounds per cubic foot, typical for many hardwood species. Kiln-dried lumber will weigh about 3 pounds per board foot.
How big is a holly tree?
The tree is often 60 feet tall and up to three feet in diameter, although the larger trees have been found. Timber cutting over the past two centuries has reduced the number and size of holly trees in the forests.
How Does Holly Tree Wood Burn?
Holly is a pale white wood that burns very quickly, producing a good flame in the process. However, it has an average to below-average rating for how much heat it gives off so it’s not ideal for winter survival.
Does it Have an Odor or Color?
One exciting thing about holly is that it burns green, adding a magical pigment to the flame. When used as firewood, holly doesn’t give off an odor despite the nice smell it gives off in nature.
Does Holly Tree Wood Make a Good Campfire?
Between the just-okay heat output, rate of burn, and how long it takes to dry out enough to actually hold a flame, holly isn’t ideal for a campfire. Even worse is that it doesn’t do well for a home furnace either due to common rot or insect problems.
Other Uses
Holly is a more expensive wood and it’s generally difficult to work with unless certain conditions are met and followed, so it’s uses are minimal. High-end furniture can sometimes be made with holly as well as the handles of household cleaning objects like brooms or mops.
Wood Recommendations
Whether you’re looking for a better wood to burn or something easier to find for your woodworking needs, there are a lot of excellent woods out there for either purpose.
Final Thoughts
Holly is difficult to find and expensive, so if you do have it you might want to think twice about burning it as firewood. It would serve a better purpose to sell to a craftsman and use part of that money for wood that will burn better.
