Huon pine (Genera Lagarostrobus) comes from the wild bushland of western Tasmania. It grows in lush wet rainforests along with myrtle, blackwood and other species. Huon pine has a rich golden texture, and an exquisite smell and touch. A unique quality of huon pine is the unusual figuring that sometimes occurs, giving the impression of bird’s eyes on the surface of the wood. When this occurs, which is rare, it is called birds eye huon pine, making it extremely valuable.
Huon pine contains a natural oil which gives the wood a unique fragrance which is never lost. This oil makes up 7% of the tree’s volume. A box made from this wood will always retain the fragrance of the oil when the lid is opened. This natural oil makes the wood resistant to water penetration and rot, making huon pine an ideal timber for boat building. This has made Tasmania famous for boat building since the days of the early convicts. Because of this unique quality it was felled indiscriminately, and has now become extremely rare. It is now a protected species and can be sourced only from dead fallen trees by specially licensed wood collectors. Huon pine can vary in age from hundreds to thousands of years, and some existing trees may be 5,000 years old. Huon pine can only be found in Tasmania.