The Block team recently visited Tasmania and acquired some beautiful timbers.  I was surprised by the reported cost of the timbers especially Black Hearted Sassafras.

Sassafras Black heart Feature

Out of all of the Tasmania timbers Sassafras has the most variable and dynamic colouring.  It ranges from a beautiful pale creamy colour to a timber streaked in rich browns and black heart.

If the tree is infected with a staining fungus it produces Black Heart and because of the rarity it is the hardest to source.  It also has a low tannin content and hence was the best Australian species for clothes pegs before they were plastic.

Sassafras can be found in the Tasmania native forests and it generally grows in cool or damp conditions.  It can grow to 45m, obtain a diameter of 1m and reach ages of 150 – 200 years old.  Of the total Sassafras forest 82 % are protected.

sassafras tree

So will a black sassafras table cost me $30,000 ?????

Black sassafras can be sourced at $3000  per cube for logs and then need to be milled dried for a number of years ready for production.  Due to scarceness it is a valuable timber but it wont be at the elevated levels on the block.

We can source Black Hearted Sassafras so if you are interested in that special piece ..contact us.