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What is jarrah wood?

The Wood Guide · The wood register

Broadleaf wood · reference

Jarrah wood

Deep reddish brown, extremely hard and naturally resistant to weather, wind and insects. A eucalyptus species that grows only in the south-west of Western Australia.

  • Eucalyptus marginata
  • Tree 40–50 m
  • Highest durability class
Eucalyptus marginata
Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata)JarrahEucalyptus marginata
Reddish-brown jarrah floor and pews, Wesley Church, Perth (Eucalyptus marginata)
Reddish-brown jarrah floor and pews, Wesley Church, PerthEucalyptus marginata
Base of an old jarrah tree in the Darling Range, Western Australia (Eucalyptus marginata)
Base of an old jarrah tree in the Darling Range, Western AustraliaEucalyptus marginata
In pictures · Jarrah wood1 / 8
Chapter 1 · The species

Jarrah wood

Deep reddish brown, extremely hard and naturally resistant to weather, wind and insects. A eucalyptus species that grows only in the south-west of Western Australia.

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Summary

Jarrah in brief

An imposing broadleaf tree that grows naturally only in the south-west of Western Australia, on well-drained sandy and clay soils.

Jarrah owes its reputation to a rare combination: a rich reddish-brown colour and exceptional natural durability. It reaches durability class 2 and needs no chemical treatment outdoors — a property it shares with top-class woods such as teak.

The tree reaches 40 to 50 metres with a trunk diameter of one to two metres. The heartwood ranges from light red to deep reddish brown and darkens over the years; the sapwood is clearly lighter.

Related to eucalyptus, different in character

Botanically, jarrah is a eucalyptus, just like the lighter eucalyptus wood you come across in garden furniture. But whereas the latter is a fast-growing plantation tree, jarrah is a slow-grown forest tree with a very different density and durability.

Botanical
Eucalyptus marginata
Origin
south-west of Western Australia
Tree height
40 to 50 m, trunk 1 to 2 m thick
Colour
light red to deep reddish brown, darkens
Texture
coarse, mainly straight grain, sometimes interlocked
Durability
highest class, no treatment needed

To be fair: interlocked grain occurs regularly, and that makes planing tricky: the fibres tear out where the grain direction reverses. Sanding works better than planing, and a sharp blade is no luxury.

Measurable

Appearance and structure

Colour

Heartwood from light red to deep reddish brown, darkening over the years. The sapwood is clearly lighter and distinguishable.

Texture and grain

Coarse texture with a mainly straight grain, although interlocked grain occurs regularly — attractive to look at, awkward to work.

Lustre

A natural, soft lustre that only really comes into its own after finishing.

Durability

The highest class, without chemical treatment. Outdoors, jarrah lasts for decades.

Uses

What jarrah is used for

Use Why jarrah Distinctive
Outdoor furniture Durable without treatment The classic Australian garden bench
Decking and boardwalks Class 1 and hard-wearing Turns silver-grey if you don't oil it
Flooring Hard and decorative The red colour is the selling point
Construction and marine works Strong and rot-resistant Traditional in Australian harbour works
Veneer and decorative work Colour and lustre Also in musical instruments
Maintenance

Doing nothing is an option: jarrah weathers to silver-grey and stays just as strong. If you want to keep the red, oil it once or twice a year with a wood oil for hardwood. Nothing more is needed — no stain, no paint, no preservative.

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about jarrah wood

Is jarrah the same as eucalyptus wood?

Botanically related, in practice something different. Jarrah is Eucalyptus marginata: slow-grown, very dense and durable. The eucalyptus wood in ordinary garden furniture comes from fast-growing plantation species with a much lower density.

Does jarrah need to be treated?

Not for its lifespan — it reaches durability class 2 naturally. To keep the reddish-brown colour, oil it once or twice a year.

Why is jarrah difficult to plane?

Because of the interlocked grain that occurs regularly: the fibre direction reverses, and in those places the fibres tear out under the plane blade. Sanding gives a better result.

Where does jarrah come from?

Only from the south-west of Western Australia. The species grows naturally nowhere else, which limits supply in Europe and explains its price.

More in The Wood Guide

Jarrah in perspective

A reference species in our register — Australian, red and indestructible.

To The Wood Guide Eucalyptus wood Durability classes

Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.

Eucalyptus marginata — Gnangarra, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Eucalyptus marginata — JarrahTree, CC BY 2.5 au · Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Eucalyptus marginata — Amanda Slater, CC BY-SA 2.0

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