What is jarrah wood?
The Wood Guide · The wood register
Broadleaf wood · referenceJarrah 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
JarrahEucalyptus marginata
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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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.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
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.
Jarrah in perspective
A reference species in our register — Australian, red and indestructible.
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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