By Geoff Holloway
Red Ash or Soap Tree (Alphitonia excelsa) A small to medium tree occasionally growing up to 35m high with a stem of 1.2m diameter, found in dry rainforests and locally in the vine scrub of Rosewood. Bark is steely grey and deeply fissured. The fruit is a blackround droupe with two seeds covered by red powder, a bush medicine plant. The crushed leaves, which lather in water was used for fish poison.
Heartwood is orange-red with a density of 770kg/m3 . Sapwood is usually pale pink.
The grain is close texture and usually straight, has been used in boat building, plywood, parquetry, panelling, flooring, tool handles and cabinet making. Turns and finishes nicely.
