One of the lightest wood species is the balsa tree

Wood is a tree of discord - and not only by its outward signs (fruits and leaves), but also by the structure of wood. The most common problem with determining what green plantation is more practical and durable is for construction workers. Oak boards, pine, linden - all these trees are well known to us. But in tropical America, balsa is the most popular. This is the easiest tree in the world.

Balsa tree

Balsa is a deciduous tree from tropical America. He has a very beautiful color of wood. It is practical white, with yellowish or pinkish tints. Balsa is considered to be the lightest tree in the world, because its density is not more than 160 kilograms per cubic meter. For comparison: the pine density - 520, for oak - 760, for lindens - 550.

Another remarkable property of this tree: when it is only chopped, the wood contains 90 percent moisture. The water dries quickly in the sun and the wind, but the trunk and branches do not turn into rubbish (as, for example, in the baobab), but, on the contrary, they gain the necessary strength. It is this property that makes the balsa tree attractive for industrial needs. Materials from it weigh little and have excellent sound and vibration-absorbing properties.

Where is the most commonly used material from balsa?

What is the balsa tree, we considered. Now we know where materials made of it are most often used. A great popularity of balsa is used by aircraft modelers. And this is understandable. Even if you compare balsa with carbon fiber, the tree gains a win. It is very easy to process, its cost is extremely low. And the balsa has excellent repairability.

If it's right to saw wood, then it, glued together, will last for many years, remaining as strong and reliable as at the time of sawing. It is interesting that, when the load is struck, they are absorbed by the material itself. This is also very important in aeromodelling. Excellent from this tree are fishing gear. The balsa tree is often used for making water-saving equipment.

The birthplace of the tree of balsa

As we have already learned, balsa has a great demand in the industry. Now it's time to find out where it comes from. Where does the balsa tree grow? The homeland of this unique tree is considered to be the equatorial part of South America. You can see balsa in Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Colombia, Peru, Mexico and many other countries. However, Ecuador is the leading in this list - it is considered the main supplier of balsa wood (more than 95% of the total volume).

Turnover from the sale brings a lot of money. Wood materials are bought up by both construction firms and tourist shops. They make from balsa everything that is possible - from simple and durable souvenirs, to the most professional surfboards.

Growth and flowering

It is also remarkable that balsa is a fast-growing tree. In just 10 years, from the strength of 15 years, the balsa tree grows to 30 meters in height. The life span of the greenest plantation is no more than 30 or 40 years. Balsa blossoms very beautifully - the first buds appear on it only after three years of life. Usually this happens after the rainy season, when the wood is gathering enough moisture.

Unlike many plants, the flowers of this tree begin to open petals in the evening. You can only admire fully opened buds at night - they will close again in the morning. It is during the dark time of the day that pollination takes place - insects with pleasure are drawn to the sweetish aroma. Most often pollen is carried by bats, olingo, kinkazhu. During the day, pollination can occur with the help of monkeys. Touching buds, they willy-nilly beat out pollen from them.

Application in the household

The balsa tree is widely used on the farm. It is very easy to process it. To do this, you only need a thin blade with a small angle of sharpening. But the color of the balsa is almost impossible - it is best to use water dyes, which will quickly absorb into the wood. But it is better not to use lacquers and oily substances. They will not stick to the wood.

Distinctive qualities of balsa were found out even by ancient Incas. It was they who started to plan out canoes from a tree and make light and stable rafts. Ideal is the wood for making brushes for calligraphy. But in the shipbuilding the balsa tree is used to build decks and boards for small pleasure craft (usually not exceeding 30 meters in length, according to the size of an adult tree). Balsa is also used for making blades for wind turbines. Probably, it is difficult to think up a more convenient and easy material.

Interesting Facts

A hare or a wool tree, cotton is all balsa tree, the description of which would be incomplete without mentioning the fruits. Thanks to them, he got such funny names. Fruits of balsa - boxes of 30-centimeter length. Inside there is a lot of reddish silky fibers, in which the seeds hide. When maturation occurs, the boxes burst and exhibit their "insides". Fluffy fruits become very similar to hare's feet or to warm pieces of woolen rug. Hence, such interesting names.

It is noteworthy that, years earlier, balsa and cotton were referred to the same species. A log of this tree can be easily carried away by one person. By the way, the tree does not have annual rings, because it grows continuously. And more: it was from this tree that the legendary "Kon-Tiki", a traveler's and archaeologist's ship of Tour Heyerdahl, was built. And for comparison: wood bales are lighter than other trees 7 times, lighter than water - at 9.