Attention Wood Carvers, Wood Workers and Dyers

I just cut down two Paulownia trees next to the patio. They were both volunteers, crowding the house and shading out the pond.

Paulownia trees are fast growing, up to 20 feet in two years, so they are nearly grainless. It is a soft, white wood that carves amazingly, so I'm told.

Only one of the trunks is large enough to have use, but I think that trunk has about 6 feet of 5" diameter. Certainly B grade, there will be some knots, and the trunk is not totally straight.

Fifteen years ago, Master Reynard mentioned that this wood went for $15 a board foot. It's very very expensive to buy as lumber, because it is highly sought after in Japan for temple carvings, where it has been totally overforested. In the US it grows as a weed tree, but there are plenty of documented reports of people stealing good lumber quality trees right out of people's yards.

Dyers, note that the bark is useful as a dye, apparently.

It goes to whomever wants it and will actually use it. Just make us a little something out of some of it!