Wood Atlas - Xylarium

Lignum Vitae

lat. Guaiacum spp.

Lignum Vitae



Lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale) ©Forest & Kim StarrLignum vitae (Guaiacum spp.) grows up to 70 feet tall and grows mainly in the tropics and subtropics of Central America and the Caribbean. Medically, it is important for the guaiac test used to detect bowel cancer. The wood was also used as a tea in the ancient Mayan culture to treat syphilis, a cure still used in the nineteenth century against syphilis, persistent chronic rashes, rheumatism, and gout. It is also used to flavor some well-known herb liqueurs and the guaiac resin is used in herbal remedies and the common cough expectorant guaifenesin is a derivative.
The wood is extremely hard and dense, in fact one of the hardest woods worldwide. It is greenish-brown with pale yellow sapwood and extremely oily. This self-lubricating quality led lignum vitae to be used for centuries as ship’s bearings, press rolls, and mortars. It also makes an excellent base for carpenters’ planes and is used to make a kind of bocce balls.

Note: this wood can only be shipped within the EU! Export outside the EU, including Switzerland, is not allowed!


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