What is Ambrosia Maple?

[Jerry Marcantel]

A couple weeks ago I posted a bowl made from a mystery tree I got in Missouri, but no one here could ID the wood. Since then, I've been looking and today I saw on WOW that someone had posted a family of turnings from Ambrosia maple. Some of this wood I have has the same staining that these Ambrosia Maple turnings have..... So, I'm trying to find out if Ambrosia Maple gets it's name because of the beetle stains or is it an actual tree name???? ......... Jerry (in Tucson)

[charlie knighton]

Jerry, its from the beetle stains, if you get by here with a chainsaw, i got a whole tree of ambrosia maple, only thing is there is another tree on top of it, the diameter must be 20 plus inches, having a hard time with my electric chain saw

anybody else needs some, pm me, i would be happy to have someone have some

[ROBERT ELLIS]

I make and sell a lot of items that has the "Ambrosia" markings in the wood. Basically it's an Ambrosia Beetle & fungus thats doing the artwork. The tree can be almost any tree as long as it is dying, decaying and/or has a high moisture content. Generally here in Kentucky most of it is seen in soft maple (red & white), sometimes in hard maple. Interestingly the beetle does not eat the tree but uses the canals it creates to form sortof a fungus garden and as I understand it's the fungus that creates the long, several colored streaks that woodworkers (and the public) love to see...The loggers and sawmills here in Ky refer to it as wormy maple; which most of them process it into pallet stock.

Robert

[Sean Hughto]

Here's one I made in ambrosia maple. Some have more or less of the stains.

[Dan Hintz]

Charlie,

Maybe sometime I can head down your way with my Husky and help you with that tree. Amy has been after me to turn a sink bowl for the downstairs bathroom, and ambrosia Maple was her wood of choice... I no longer have blanks that size that aren't cracked through the middle

[Thom Sturgill]

The Ambrosia beetle (named for the fungus it farms) has made its way to Florida and is attacking Redbud and Avacodo trees. It kills the Redbud, but on the Avacodo they can cut out the affected parts and save part of the tree, but is still a problem for the groves. I have not seen the stained wood, but would assume it looks similar. Apparently the maple has adapted and is somewhat able to withstand the infection.

[Mike Cruz]

Jerry, to answer your question, Ambrosia Maple is Maple that has been "affected" by the Ambrosia Beetle. The beetle bores into the tree (the 3 linear holes are a tell tale sign). It poops in the tree, which leads to a fungus growing. The beetle then eats the fungus. I'm not 100% which leaves the streaks...the fungus or the poop, but I'm pretty sure it is the fungus.

That said, I'm not sure what other trees the AB will bore into and "affect". But I think box elder is one, and from what Thom is saying, it looks like there are others.

[Jerry Marcantel]

Thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to go out on a limb and state that that tree I got in Missouri is Maple with a lot of spalting and burl....... ..... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Mike Peace]

I have seen the ambrosia beetle attack dogwood but do not think it is real common.

[Mike Cruz]

That must have been exciting!!!

Mike, I can't imagine that they would be very successful. Dogwood is hard!

[David DeCristoforo]

Here's a picture of the lovely little fellow....

7-24ambrosia beetles composite.jpg

[Mike Cruz]

Funny...with all the ambrosia maple I have around here, I don't recall ever seeing that bugger. I'll have to go look up what the larva looks like.

[Paul Saffold]

So is this basically spalted wood with the fungus introduced by a beetle into a living tree rather than the fungus growing in dead trees?
Thanks, Paul

[Mike Cruz]

I am not an arborist, but I would say yes, except I don't know/think it is a spalt per se. But yes, it is introduced into a living tree and does it's thing. I do not believe that it harms the tree, but I could be mistaken. All the AM I've gotten was from trees that came down from storm damage, not from trees that have died standing. And come to think of it, of the maple trees that I've taken as firewood (died standing), none have had ambrosia...

[Thomas Bennett]

A couple of 15-17 inch platters with a heavy Ambrosia pattern. You can see the tell-tale 3 linear holes that Mike Cruz mentioned. I do not understand why they make the three hole pattern.