{"id":2646,"date":"2019-03-14T04:00:09","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T08:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/?p=2646"},"modified":"2020-05-16T20:27:29","modified_gmt":"2020-05-17T00:27:29","slug":"american-holly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/american-holly\/","title":{"rendered":"American Holly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The wood commonly known as American Holly, or just Holly in the Americas, is known to botanists as Ilex opaca<\/em>.<\/p>\n I. opaca<\/em> is native to the eastern United States in a large area. From the maritime forests of Massachusetts, I. opaca<\/em> is scattered along the coast to Delaware. It grows inland into several Pennsylvania counties and abundantly southward throughout the coastal plain, Piedmont, and Appalachian system. In effect this means that the entire states of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama are in the range area for I. opaca<\/em>. The vast majority of the states of Virginia and Tennessee are as well. The range extends south to mid-peninsular Florida, west to eastern Texas and southeastern Missouri. It corresponds roughly to the combined ranges for loblolly and shortleaf pines.<\/p>\n For the sake of simplicity I will refer to I. opaca<\/em> from here forward simply as American Holly.<\/p>\n For the curious, I would note that there are two additional species of Ilex<\/em>. Ilex mitis<\/em> (Cape Holly), native to Africa, and Ilex aquifolium<\/em> (English Holly) native to Europe, Northwest Africa, and Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n Ideally, American Holly will have a very uniform pale white color that reveals virtually no grain pattern visible.<\/p>\n It is important to know that knots are common in American Holly and this will reduce the usable area of the wood.<\/p>\n American Holly is well known to develop a bluish to gray stain due to fungal growth if the wood is not dried rapidly after cutting. To help reduce fungal growth and the staining it causes, most American Holly is harvested in the winter and kiln dried shortly after.<\/p>\nGeneral Characteristics:<\/strong><\/h2>\n