Scientific Name: Nothofagus Cunninghamii

Rich red to reddish-brown coloured heartwood, paler sapwood separated from the heartwood by a zone of an intermediate colour. The grain is straight to slightly interlocked, wavy and the texture is fine and uniform.

It is the dominant tree of the rainforest found in wet gullies, predominantly in western Tasmania.

A striking timber that makes an excellent veneer and finishing timber. Used in high-quality furniture, joinery and cabinet-making.

The richness of colour comes from the quality of the soil it grows in. The deepest red myrtle comes from highly fertile soils on basalt.

The colour is vibrant, combining subtle variations in tone with the texture and sheen of wavy and fiddleback features to produce a surface alive with character and individuality. 

Myrtle (also known as Beech) is a botanical legacy of the Gondwana super-continent. It is representative of the species that once grew extensively throughout not only Australia but also South America and Antarctica. Today the species finds its stronghold in Tasmania. 

It can grow up to 50m and live in excess of 500 years. The wood is pink to reddish-brown in colour and has a fine texture without characteristic odour or taste. It can have black-heart stain producing a figure known as 'Tiger Myrtle'. 

Sustainability

This wood species is NOT listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.