Jarrah:Durable & Versatile

Jarrah is a huge tree from the hardwood family, which can only be found in southwest side of Western Australia. In truth, Jarrah is Western Australia’s primary tree species because of its great numbers as well as valuable contribution to the timber industry.



Jarrah has a very rough outer covering that includes its entire trunk up to the smallest branches. Its coarseness is very similar to the stringybark. The color of the heartwood differs from tree to tree; some have rich red while others have deep browns. Its sapwood is a distinguishable pale yellow. Its texture like its bark is coarse. It usually has straight grains with the occasional interlocking grain feature.



Like many other Eucalyptus, the bark of the Jarra does not hsed in patches but rather splits into fibrous segments. Jarrah is a bit unusual becaue its has a lignotuber or a subterranean cavity that stores carbohydrates, which in turn enables young trees to be able to re-generate particularly after a bushfire. Moreover, Jarrah is able to withstand droughts because its roots reach down the soil as long as 40 meters deep, enabling it to access water during the dry months.



The heartwood of Jarrah is very hardy, which is why it can be used for various applications. The timber is easily manipulated and used for a number of purposes like flooring, joinery, paneling, sleepers, poles, heavy construction and structural support and framing for homes. For sure, Jarrah is known for its durability and resistance to rot that it is even used to make hot tubs.



Jarrah wood closely resembles that of Karri, primarily because both trees grow in the same locality. These two trees are often confused, which is a method was developed to distinguish one from the other. This can be done by slicing an unweathered splinter and then scorching it. Karri when it is burned turns to white ash while jarrah turns to charcoals.



In southwest Australia, many of the quality Jarrah are manufactured. In fact, a good number of this timber product had been exported to the United Kingdom to make roads by covering the wooden blocks with asphalt.



Today, Jarrah is highly valued and largely belongs to an industry that specializes in recycling wood from old homes. For instance in 2004, a 4 by 2 inch Jarrah from recycled timber was advertised in Perth for $1.50 for every meter. During the early beginnings of the timber industry, big chunks of wood were harvested from trees of ripe old age. Now, it is being recovered and re-used from the demolition of buildings that are old and no longer used.