Brush Box is a large hardwood which grows from the central coast of New South Wales up to Bowen in Queensland. The tree tends to be found on the edge of rainforests, suited to the moist forest conditions and the transition zone between hardwood and rainforest. It has a fibrous, scaly, persistent bark on the lower trunk and a smooth, often pinkish bark above and on the branches. The foliage is bright green. It has also been widely used in residential areas of Sydney for street trees.

Wood appearance

Brush box has a fine, interlocked grain and even texture with the heartwood ranging from greyish pink through to a reddish brown, while the sapwood is usually paler in colour. It is free of gum veins. The grain is especially appealing for appearance-based applications such as flooring.

Use

Brush box is used for a variety of applications, which consist mainly of flooring, cladding, panelling and some structural applications. Brush box has also been used for mallets, mauls, handles, shuttles, turnery, wharf and bridge decking, carriage building, weatherboarding, boat building and wedges.