myrtle

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MYRTLE

botanical name unknown
There are at well over 100 species worldwide, from at least 40 different genera, that have the word myrtle as all or part of one or more of their common names and except as specifically stated, I have no idea which of them are represented on this page.

In the USA, a wood sold as "myrtle" is very likely California laurel which now has its own page on this site. Woods sold as "Oregon myrtle" or "California myrtle" are definitely California laurel.

NOTE: much of the wood in the "web pics" section is likely California laurel (Oregon myrtle) and should be on that page, but when I collected those pics, I did not plan on breaking out California laurel spearately so did not keep good track.

The names "crape myrtle" and "crape myrtle" seem to be used in about the same numbers (at the time of this writing, Google gets just over 600,000 hits on each spelling) but I've used "crepe" throughout for consistency, regardless of the name the vendors have used.

my samples:
NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K)
colors will vary under other lighting conditions

both sides of a sample plank of crepe myrtle / Lagerstroemia indica --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of crepe myrtle / Lagerstroemia indica --- HUGE enlargements are present.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of wax myrtle / Myrica cerifera --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Note that the first face was sanded to 240 grit and the second face was not and this accounts for minor differences in color between the two and the better resolution of the detail characteristics as seen in the first one. Myrica cerifera is a synonym of Morella cerifera.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

both sides of a sample plank of wax myrtle / Myrica cerifera --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Myrica cerifera is a synonym of Morella cerifera.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

myrtle thin-wood being used in a guitar being built by my friend John Cooper. Both levels of enlargement are present. This is most likely California laurel but since I don't have that for a fact I've put it here on the myrtle page.

more of my own samples:

both sides and end grains of a small flawed piece that I got in a mixed lot of cut-offs --- I have no idea how representative this is of the wood and in fact one person told me that this might actually be a walnut species and not myrtle at all (BUT ... I now know that the end grain precludes it being walnut).

end grain closeup and END GRAIN UPDATE of the piece directly above

both sides of a small sample piece of pink myrtle. This is an Australian species and may well not be related to any of the other woods on this page. HUGE enlargements are present

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

Tasmanian myrtle veneer with no botanical designation --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was contributed to the site by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

Tasmanian myrtle veneer --- the first sheet is figured and the second was listed as "flamed" --- HUGE enlargements are present. These samples were contributed to the site by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

Tasamanian myrtle burl veneer --- HUGE enlargements are present. These samples were contributed to the site by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.

end grain shot of a piece of Pacific waxmyrtle / Myrica californica --- Pic contributed by Daniel Dill whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. The black lines are spalting. Both levels of enlargement are present and it can be seen on them that the grain is very similar to soft maple.

2"x2"x12" turning stick of curly crepe myrtle. It's unseasoned, so I'll stick it in the garage for a couple of years and then clean the end and get end grain pics. LATER: done --- see directly below

all 4 sides of the stick of curly crepe myrtle / unknown botanical name (but probable in the genus Lagerstroemia) shown directly above but after air drying for a couple of years. HUGE enlargements are present.

end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above

END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

The Wood Book pics

flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
California wax-myrtle (Myrica californica, also listed as bayberry and grease-wood) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views

flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
tree-myrtle (Ceanothus arboreus) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views

flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
spiney myrtle (Ceanothus spinosus, also listed as redwood myrtle and lilac) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views

flat cut, quartersawn, end grain
wax mrytle (Myrica cerifera, also listed as bayberry and candleberry) from The Wood Book --- both levels of enlargement are available for each of the 3 views.

web pics:

crepe myrtle log end

slabs

slab, apparently cut out for a rifle butt

veneer --- I'm very dubious about the color on this one but cannot say with authority that it is incorrect.

planks

plank

both sides and a closeup of a plank labeled as "purple veined" myrtle

both sides and a closeup of a plank

ropey curly plank and closeup

curly planks --- 2nd enlargements shows them up nicely; the second one should really be listed as fiddleback

figured planks

just listed as myrtle plank, but clearly this is quilted

turning stock

some really beautiful small myrtle pieces that are laminated and used to make bows by Zane Dodd who sent me these pics (thanks Zane). Check out the enlargements where the grain is more clear.

might also be from Zane ... I've lost track

crotch

spalted mrytle --- the spalting is quite weak as far as I can see

highly colored mrytle

"tiger striped"

a turning block (looks like a feather crotch block to me, but was not advertised as such)

feather crotch (both from the same vendor)

two pics of a plank with a feather crotch in it

crotch

rose myrtle

both sides and a closeup of a "golden" myrtle plank from the BogusColorVendor so I'm not confident of the color

figured

curly

curly pen blanks (I believe these have been moistened, so this is not the raw wood color)

pen blanks that have been moistened --- appear to be from a burl but I'm not positive, and they were not listed as burl

fiddleback

both sides and two closeups of a fiddleback plank

fiddleback plank and closeup

burls

a set of burls all from the same vendor

large burl intended for a table-top (moistened for the pic)

more burls

myrtle burl bowl blanks

black mrytle burls

pink myrtle burl (the 2nd piece has been moistened)

burl veneer

listed as "light" burl veneer and I don't know whether that's just a comment on the obvious (that it's a light-colored burl) or whether "light" refers to a commonly used species in the myrtle family.