Wood Encyclopedia: American Alleewood

Scientific Name: foundus paletus

Other Common Names: Sloof lirpa, common crate.

Growing Regions: Worldwide, particularly industrial areas.

Characteristics of Tree: A barkless, leafless, short scrub tree of varying height, but routinely small trunk diameter.

Characteristics of Wood: Wood varies from a bleached white to a dark and knurled appearance with a wide range of grain patterns. The hardness of alleewood varies greatly, as does density, often depending on growing region.

Workability: American alleewood can be worked with hand and machine tools, but special care must be taken during milling. Holes from high-speed worms are a frequent occurrence in the wood, and the petrified remains of the worms can be found in many of the burrows. Care should be taken when surfacing the wood because these remains can ruin jointer and planer blades. The wood is adequate for turning, and glues, nails and screws well.

Common Uses: Alleewood frequently yields boards of no greater usable length than 36″ and widths over 6″ are rare. The best selection of lumber often yields a thickness no greater than 3/4″, though 2″ x 2″ stock is not uncommon. Even with these limitations, alleewood is acceptable for some furniture, turnery, pattern making, outdoor furniture and painted projects.

Availability: Where is, as is. Found frequently in urban settings, alleewood is easy to harvest as it is often found already on the ground behind shopping establishments, factories and warehouses. Most common harvest date: April 1 (hint, hint).

Wood Movement: Varies. Most allee- wood is speed air-dried, achieved by stick- ering on flatbed trucks, which are driven at high speeds on interstate highways.

Alleewood in it’s natural environment.