The timber of the Californian redwood has a pink to deep red heartwood and pale sapwood. The heartwood is moderately strong, light, stable and durable, making it a popular choice for outdoor furniture, lining boards and joinery.
While the tree grows well in Australian conditions, it is not grown as a commercial crop. Potential has been identified for Australian grown Californian redwood to present an alternative to imported western red cedar; however the long establishment time to harvest (more than 25-30 years) is a daunting prospect for any investor in an untested market.
The Californian redwood is considered an easy tree for a skilled operator to manage. As a softwood it is easy to prune, it naturally grows straight therefore thinning is not normally required and the timber is easy to dry and mill with portable or on-farm equipment.
Facts and figures
- Californian redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is the tallest tree in the world, growing to 100m
- Californian redwood is considered a possible alternative timber to western red cedar
- Californian redwood has been grown in Australia in plantations for more than 70 years in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. It was rejected in favour of pinus radiate because it was more site specific, slower growing in the early years and had a red heartwood
- It is considered an easy species to harvest and mill on farm by a skilled operator
Production status
Californian redwood has been grown in plantations in Australia in the past in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.
