If you are a wood lover like us, surely you are interested in everything about this material.
That’s why in this article we decided to talk about those curiosities that are associated with it.
So stay with us and you are guaranteed to learn something new about the quintessential natural material.
25 random facts about wood
1. Trees hardly ever die from old age
The vast majority of trees die due to pest attacks or diseases that derive from them; as well as by the hand of human beings, either to cut them down or by simple vandalism.
In fact, some trees are more than 1000 or 2000 years old; they have been lucky enough to be in remote places where men cannot find them and pests do not survive.
2. Trees can alert each other
When willows are attacked by pests such as termites, they produce chemicals that reach other nearby trees.
The other willows then produce more tannins that are toxic chemicals to the pests and therefore move away from the trees.
3. Do you know how many trees are there on earth?
It is currently known that there are more than 23,000 different species of trees on Earth.
According to a study conducted by Nature magazine in 2015, there were 3 trillion trees on the entire planet.
4. Wood is considered a carbon-negative material.
That’s why wood construction is one of the most environmentally responsible ways to build structures.
5. Wood is the default building material in developed countries
Seventy percent of the houses built in developed countries are made entirely or partially of wood.
That is why it is a material whose demand never decreases, it only increases.
6. Softwood and hardwood
The terms “hardwood” or “softwood” are not necessarily associated with the hardness of a species, but rather with the internal structure of the trees, the seeds they produce and the type of leaves they have.
However, “hardwoods” are almost always denser than “softwoods”.
In conclusion, don’t rely too much on this classification.
7. No wood, no paper
The wood fibers of spruce, eucalyptus, and pine are the most commonly used for the production of paper.
Thus, the “green” wood, that is, freshly cut, is transformed into paper pulp, in a mixture that is achieved through a process of compression of the fibers with the addition of water to later start the manufacturing process.
8. Wood is an excellent acoustic insulator
Wood has very good acoustic properties so it is able to absorb echoes and sounds.
For that reason, it is an ideal material for the construction of structures such as concert halls.
9. Wood is incredibly flexible
One of the most useful properties of wood is its great flexibility. Unlike materials such as concrete, brick, or some metals, it can withstand great pressure without breaking.
10. Man has used wood since prehistoric times
Wood was used so that man could control fire, from that moment on, human beings could cook food, light in the dark, warm themselves (by burning wood) and scare predators away.
All thanks to a piece of wood. Civilization as we know it would have been impossible without wood.
11. Wood traps heat better
Houses built with wood are warmer than metal houses.
This is because wood can retain heat much more efficiently than any metal.
12. The heaviest (densest) wood in the world
For wood to sink in water, its density must exceed 1000kg/m3 which is the density of water.
The densest known wood is Ironwood (Krugiodendron Ferreum); it has a density of 1355 kg/m3 which means that even a piece of a few centimeters sinks to the bottom of a water source because it is tremendously dense.
13. The lightest (least dense) wood in the world
On the other hand, Balso wood is considered the least dense wood on the market, since its density is between 100 and 150 kg/m3, meaning that it always floats.
In fact, boats known as “rafts” are often built with this wood.
14. The world’s most expensive wood is worth a fortune
Black Granadillo wood or African Granadillo is the most expensive wood in the world. It is very scarce, resistant and out of the ordinary.
This wood is practically black and is used only for luxury purposes such as the construction of some musical instruments.
African Granadillo wood is so rare because the tree from which it is extracted is very slow growing and takes decades to reach maturity. That is why its supply is almost non-existent in the market.
To give you an idea of how expensive this wood is, one cubic meter of Granadillo can cost around 13,000 USD (US dollars).
15. Ikea uses too much wood
The multinational furniture manufacturer Ikea uses about 1% of all wood products in the world.
That is equivalent to 13.6 million cubic meters per year.
16. Traditional Japanese carpentry uses no glue
Instead, Japanese carpenters use various techniques that take advantage of the natural shrinkage of the wood to weld the pieces together.
You may be thinking that the structures must be very flimsy and weak, but the truth is that almost all traditional buildings in Japan are made with this type of construction and have survived the passage of centuries with little maintenance.
That is why Japanese carpenters are a world reference for all those who work with wood.
17. American Holly wood is the whitest of all
If you search the internet you’ll find that this wood is the palest of all species.
In fact, some even call it “the whitest wood”.
However, this is partially true because, although it is indeed very pale, it is not really white and is not very hardy.
However, it is very scarce because the tree from which it is harvested is slow growing.
So, although it is an ordinary wood, it is quite expensive because of its scarcity.
Moral: not always the most expensive is the best quality.
18. The ancient Egyptians were masters of preserving things.
Surely you have seen in a movie or documentary how the ancient Egyptians preserved the bodies of the dead; they believed that people would pass on to the next life and their bodies should be as intact as possible.
Apparently, this habit of preserving things was not limited to the dead but was also applied to wood as it is thought that the Egyptians were the first to treat it.
That is to say, they were the first to apply chemical substances to avoid the normal deterioration of wood in the face of humidity and plagues such as insects.
19. The more Eucalyptus trees are planted, the lower the malaria rates.
Some people believe that the presence of Eucalyptus trees (a species native to Oceania) in malaria-endemic areas may help reduce the spread of the disease.
This belief is based on the idea that the Eucalyptus tree, which is one of the most water-consuming species, dries out the water holes around it and… guess what the malaria-transmitting mosquito needs to reproduce?
That’s right, standing water; the same water consumed by the Eucalyptus.
However, so far that’s just a hypothesis. So don’t go out and plant Eucalyptus trees everywhere.
20. Brazil, the country of trees
Brazil is the country with the largest number of tree species in the world.
Around 8700 species to be more exact and most of them are found in the Amazon region.
21. Beware of the most toxic tree in the world
The chamomile of death (Hippomane mancinella) is possibly the most toxic and dangerous tree in the world.
Why?
This tree produces an extremely toxic white sap that is spread all over the surface of the plant, not only on the trunk but on the leaves and branches as well.
This sap is so toxic that it can cause skin burns that quickly turn into blisters.
Also, the fruit of this tree is poisonous and can cause alterations ranging from vomiting to internal bleeding.
In addition, it is recommended not to approach the tree when it rains, as rain and wind can displace the sap, and believe us, you don’t want it to fall on you.
It is even said (believe it or not) that the tree should never be burned as the smoke can cause blindness.
However, chances are that if you were ever in its habitat (which extends from southern Florida, through the entire Caribbean region of Central America to Venezuela) you would have no contact with this plant, as it is endangered.
That is why most of the specimens are in protected reserves, since, although it is incredibly toxic, it plays an important role in preventing the erosion of the soils in which it grows.
22. The legend of the chamomile of death and Ponce de Leon
Following the same line, you should know that there is a legend associated with this plant.
The legend says that Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish conquistador of the XVI century, was the one who discovered Florida in the current territory of the United States.
It is said that this conqueror came to America in search of the fountain of eternal youth, but that is another story.
The point is that some people believe that in a confrontation between a group of Spaniards (including Ponce de Leon) and the natives of the area, the conquistador was wounded in the thigh by an arrow poisoned with the sap of the chamomile of death, which later caused his death.
Even today it is not known if this is true or not, but it is certainly a very interesting story.
23. Your house or land can increase in value if it has trees on it.
According to a U.S. Forest Service report, mature trees can increase the value of the properties where they grow by up to 20%.
And if the trees are of hardy species such as Maple or Oak, the appreciation may be even greater.
24. Trees can reduce the cost of your electric bill
It has been shown that homes with several trees in their immediate vicinity can register lower electricity bill costs when compared to homes that have no trees in their vicinity.
This is because the trees (the tall ones) block the sun’s rays and thus prevent them from hitting the houses directly.
As a result, the houses stay cooler during the hottest periods and people use less air conditioning, which saves energy.
25. Tree growth depends on temperature
Trees are amazing creatures, hardy and very useful to nature.
However, they need a range of temperatures in order to develop properly. So you’ll never see trees in areas where the temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius or above 55 degrees Celsius.
This occurs because trees cannot regulate their water balance in such extreme temperatures.
These were just some curious facts about wood. We hope you have learned something new and are motivated to continue discovering more about this wonderful material.