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Exotic Wood Varieties Used
Southern Africa
What we use...
We use fire wood that is imported for consumption here in the UK, the wood is sustainably sourced from Southern Africa and provides a stable income for many local African communities.
The wood is generally obtained from dead fallen branches or cleared trees/bushes as they are considered invasive species to some areas...
Kameeldoring (Camelthorn)
Camel thorn, giraffe thorn or Kameeldoring in Afrikaans, is a tree of southern Africa. It's preferred habitat is the deep dry sandy soils in parts of South Africa, Botswana, the western areas of Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The tree can grow up to 20 metres high. It is slow-growing, very hardy to drought and fairly frost-resistant. The light-grey coloured thorns reflect sunlight, and the bipinnate leaves close when it is hot. The wood is dark reddish-brown in colour and extremely dense and strong. It is good for fires, which leads to widespread clearing of dead trees and the felling of healthy trees. It produces ear-shaped pods, favoured by many herbivores including cattle. The seeds can be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee beans.
The name 'camel thorn' refers to the fact that giraffe (kameelperd in Afrikaans) commonly feed on the leaves with their specially-adapted tongue and lips that can avoid the thorns. The scientific name 'erioloba' means "wooly lobe", a reference to the ear-shaped pods
Sekelbos (Sicklebush)
Sekelbos, known as Sicklebush, Bell mimosa, Chinese lantern tree or Kalahari Christmas tree
It is native to Africa, Indian subcontinent and North Australia
This tree is appearing in peninsular Florida. It is as yet uncertain if it was introduced by humans or birds.
They typically grow up to 7 metres (23 ft) in height and have strong alternate thorns, generally up to 8 cm (3.1 in) long. The bipinnately compound leaves are up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long. The flowers are characteristically in bicoloured cylindrical spikes that resemble Chinese lanterns and are 6 to 8 centimetres long and fragrant.
The species tends to grow in drier forests and woodlands at altitudes up to 2,000 metres. It occurs in brushwood, thickets, hedges, teak forest and grassland and generally takes to poorer quality clay soils or deep and sandy soils with a wide pH range.
Mopane
Mopane, also called mopani, balsam tree, butterfly tree, or turpentine tree, is a tree that grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, 200 to 1,150 metres in elevation, in the far northern parts of Southern Africa.
The tree only occurs in Africa, it’s distinctive butterfly-shaped leaf and thin seed pod make it easy to identify. In terms of human use it is, together with Camel thorn and leadwood, one of the three regionally important firewood trees.
It is native to Southern Africa, including Southern Angola, Zambia, Southern Malawi , Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and northern South Africa. Where it occurs, it is often the dominant tree species, frequently forming homogeneous stands. In Northern South Africa and larger adjacent areas of Botswana and Zimbabwe, the trees tend to vary between 4 and 18 m, often called "mopane scrub" (shrub) but also sometimes taller and forming woodland. Further north the trees are taller and form tall woodlands referred to as cathedral mopane. This tree does not grow well outside hot, frost-free areas with summer rainfall.
Mopane wood is one of southern Africa's heaviest and is difficult to work because of its hardness. However, this also makes it termite resistant. The termite-resistance and rich, reddish colouring also make it popular for flooring.
Mopane twigs have been traditionally used as tooth brushes, bark to make twine and for tanning, and leaves for healing wounds. The wood is also used to make charcoal and for braai (BBQ) wood.
African Rosewood
Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense.
This wood has a strong, sweet smell, which persists for many years, explaining the name rosewood.
Asian Rosewood
Shisham or Sheesham, also known commonly as North Indian rosewood is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous Rosewood tree native to the Indian subcontinent. It is a large, crooked tree with long, leathery leaves and whitish or pink flowers.
It is a medium to large deciduous tree with a light crown, which reproduces by seeds and suckers. It can grow up to 25m in height and 2 to 3m in diameter, but is usually smaller. Trunks are often crooked when grown in the open. Leaves are leathery, alternate, pinnately compound, and about 15cm long.
Flowers are whitish to pink, fragrant, nearly sessile, up to 1.5 cm long, and in dense clusters 5 to 10cm in length. They have a long taproot and numerous surface roots that produce suckers. Young shoots are downy and drooping; established stems have light brown to dark grey bark, up to 2.5cm thick, shed in narrow strips; large upper branches support a spreading crown.
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