What is Spalted Wood?

Several years ago, a few family members and I started Woodlynn's Edge, a live edge wood furniture company.  We began by purchasing different types of trees that had fallen in and around Chester County, Pennsylvania.  It's important to note that we only work with trees that fell, and were not "felled".  Believe it or not, there's a pretty significant difference.  Trees that fell are trees that have fallen due to the innate course of nature (lightning strikes, high winds, old age, etc.), whereas trees that were felled were brought down by mankind, or in many cases - a logger.  It's a part of who we are at Woodlynn's edge to maintain the utmost level of respect for our environment by not harming it in any way, but rather restoring it and preserving it whenever possible.

As we grew more familiar in working with each type of wood, we naturally learned more about the various markings on the wood.  You see, it's not until you observe the tree in its entirety that you begin to appreciate the complexity of trees and the various types of wood that they produce. I am writing today about one of my favorite features of wood that can be produced... spalted wood!  Spalted wood isn't just a beautiful, decorative feature of furniture that is currently in high demand across the world of home decor.  It is also a fascinating tale of real life organisms trying to survive! 

Spalting is caused by certain white rot decay fungi growing inside the wood after the tree has fallen.  This phenomenon usually occurs primarily in angiosperms, aka hardwoods, such as maple, birch, and beech trees. The fungi create what are known as zone lines in the wood where territories of competing fungi meet. The unusual coloration of black, pink, gray, and multicolored streaks often result from reactions between the wood, the decay fungi, and insect deposits. However, if these decay fungi are allowed to grow for too long the strength of the wood is diminished.  For this reason, it is important that we get to the fallen tree just in the nick of in time so that the wood is still strong enough to use.  The rate at which spalting, or decaying, can occur depends on several factors such as temperature, moisture, and food (lignin and cellulose of the wood).  The temperate deciduous environment of the northeast is a great haven for spalted wood because of the conditions it provides for fallen trees, which in turn provides us the opportunity to access beautiful spalted wood so close to home!

If you'd like to see some of the work that we do, feel free to visit us at www.woodlynnsedge.com.

Producing Spalted Wood. (2004). Forest Products Laboratory, 1-2. Retrieved from https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/techline/producing-spalted-wood.pdf.