Wood of the Month: Ambrosia Maple (Wormy Maple)

Covered with unique patterns, Ambrosia Maple is the perfect wood for anyone who seeks one of a kind wood.
Covered with unique patterns, Ambrosia Maple is the perfect wood for anyone who seeks a one of a kind wood.

Ambrosia Maple is a highly coveted wood for many projects because of its very unique and colored patterns. A lot of people often wonder if Ambrosia Maple is a specific species of wood, or if some sort of chemicals were added to give it the interesting patterns. The truth is that Ambrosia maple isn’t a different species, its regular soft maple that has had small beetles called ambrosia beetles nesting in it which carry a certain type of fungus for food.

Normally, when we think of beetles inside wood we think the wood is no longer viable for any project however, the ambrosia beetle is different. The ambrosia beetle nests in the wood and creates very small worm holes; however it does not eat the wood. The food that the ambrosia beetle digests is fungus that will grow in the areas where it has nested. It is this fungus that creates the beautiful streaking of blue and brown hues that run through parts of the wood.

Ambrosia Maple's versatility is perfect for both flooring and kitchen cabinets.
Ambrosia Maple’s versatility is perfect for both flooring and kitchen cabinets.

The wood itself isn’t damaged structurally and continues to have all the great physical properties that Maple carries. As the wood is put through the kiln drying process it effectively removes all the ambrosia beetles as well as any fungus that was nesting, leaving only the beautiful colored streaks that Ambrosia Maple is known for. Once finished, all the small holes where that the ambrosia beetle carved become sealed, leaving a smooth surface.

This wood is perfect for flooring, cabinets, lathe, and turning. Since it is Maple it continues to have the same workability and ease of use that many wood workers seek. At AdvantageLumber.com we have Ambrosia Maple in 8/4 and 4/4 sizes as well as Ambrosia maple flooring.

Ambrosia Maple finishes as smooth as Maple but has unique natural grain patterns that set it apart from traditional Maple
Ambrosia Maple finishes as smooth as Maple but has unique natural grain patterns that set it apart from traditional Maple

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