Why is the koa tree so special?

What makes Koa so special? Koa wood is special because of three primary reasons, its beauty, rarity, and symbolic meaning. The beauty of Koa is rooted in its unique grain patterns and a variety of colors. It only grows in Hawaii and has played a significant role in ancient Hawaiian history.

Is the koa tree valuable?

A koa tree—prized for its use in hand-crafted furniture—can be worth upwards of $50,000 in today's market. In theory, you could score $2,500 from a single tree.

What is koa tree used for?

Historically, Koa wood was used by early Hawaiians to build ocean-going canoes, surfboards, spear handles, and ukuleles. Koa was considered the wood of Hawaiian royalty. Today, Koa is one of the most valuable hardwoods in the world.

Is Koa wood only in Hawaii?

Koa wood is endemic to Hawaii.

The species Acacia Koa grows only in Hawaii and no place else in the world. Sure, other species of the acacia family grow in other parts of the world.

What tree does Koa wood come from?

Acacia koa is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is the second most common tree. The highest populations are on Hawaiʻi, Maui and Oʻahu. Its name in the Hawaiian language, koa, also means brave, bold, fearless, or warrior.

What is Koa Wood?!?!

Why is Koa wood expensive?

Koa's high price results from several factors. First, it is endemic to Hawaii; it doesn't grow anywhere else in the world. Secondly, the only koa that can be harvested are the dead or decaying trees on public lands. Plantation koa is in its early stages of development and isn't much of a factor at this time.

Is Koa wood sacred?

Koa Wood is legendary in Hawaii. Not only is this amazing wood native to Hawaii but it is known for the deep rich colors and varied grain pattern. Koa has honored heritage in Hawaii and is highly revered and sacred.

How long do koa trees live?

and may only live 5 to 20 years. Koa trees produce a nice, umbrella-like canopy that can be up to 40 feet (12 m.) across. They grow best at elevations of 2,000 feet (610 m.)

What koa means?

The name Koa is primarily a male name of Hawaiian origin that means Warrior, Brave One.

How long does it take to grow a koa tree?

Koa are fast growing trees at 5 feet per year for the first five years, and can reach impressive heights in several decades in upper elevation landscapes. [16] Though koa can grow at lower elevations, some varieties may succumb to diseases after a decade of growth.

How can you tell real Koa wood?

You can identify Koa by examining three primary attributes; color, grain, and origin. Koa is generally reddish gold to dark brown in color. Its acute interlocking wood grain produces a highly curly or figured appearance. Its origin is always Hawaii.

What does Koa wood smell like?

Warm Hawaiian Koa wood and white cedar mixed with island passion fruit, juicy pineapple, and sweet coconut, complimented with pure amber and musk.

Is Koa wood a hardwood?

Koa is a hardwood and has high crush resistance and shock absorbance. It is often compared to walnut, however, it weighs about 25% more and its interlocking grain makes for an exceptional figure. It's thin, light-colored sapwood surrounds the hardwood that woodworkers describe as lustrous, swirled marble.

Can you cut down koa trees?

Koa is far from endangered, but DOFAW controls any cutting on state land, which is limited to careful pruning and thinning of fallen, dead or dying trees, Smith says. “You need a permit to cut koa, and it needs to be done in a manner prescribed by DOFAW so it protects the forests.

Is koa the same as acacia?

The first thing to know is that acacia wood and koa wood are very similar. In fact, acacia is in the same family as koa and sometimes when shopping for an acacia wood ukulele, you will see it called “koa acacia.” There are about 1300 different kinds of acacia wood!

Is koa wood good for a guitar?

Lightweight, rigid, yet bendable, Koa is a great material for guitar manufacturers to work with. When paired with the right soundboard, it also has a wonderful tonal quality.

What wood is closest to koa wood?

Koa is more expensive than Australian blackwood, which is typically considered a lower-cost alternative to Hawaiian koa. A domestic species, locust, is similar in characteristics to the koa and Australian black acacia tree and is sometimes referred to as false acacia, but don't confuse it with authentic acacia.

Do koa trees lose their leaves?

A standout tree, koa radiates a silver-green hue off its sickle-shaped leaves. However, these are not true leaves. Instead, Koa produces pinnately compound leaves as a juvenile, which are shed with age, and their stem (phyllodes) flattens out.

What did ancient Hawaiians make using koa?

Uses of Hawaiian koa

As we have already mentioned, the ancient Hawaiians took the trunk of the Koa to build a canoe. Then koa was used to make surfboards. Until now, koa wood species is widely used in carpentry on the islands of Hawaii.

How does koa wood sound on a guitar?

Due to its density, a new koa guitar tends to start out sounding a little bright and tight, somewhat like maple. But the more a koa guitar is played, the more the sound opens up, expanding the midrange and rewarding the player with a richer, sweeter, more resonant tone.

How do you grow a koa tree?

The seeds should be planted in soil-less potting mix at a depth of about twice the diameter of the seed. Acacia koa seeds generally take 11 to 24 days to germinate; however, Lilleeng-Rosenberger reports some scarified seeds germinating in as few as 7 days.

What does koa mean in Hawaii?

[Hawaiian Dictionary (Hawaiian)] koa. 1. nvs. Brave, bold, fearless, valiant; bravery, courage.

What is the most expensive wood?

African Blackwood

It is considered as the most expensive wood in the world because not only it is challenging to work with hand or machine tools, its trees are already near-threatened. But as expensive as it may seem, African Blackwood is worth the price.