Ambrosia Maple: When Beetles and Trees Create Art Together
Ambrosia maple isn't a tree species – it's nature's artwork. When tiny ambrosia beetles bore through living maple trees, they create stunning gray and black streaking patterns that make each piece completely unique. Unlike spalted maple's bold zone lines, ambrosia maple features graceful, flowing patterns that follow the beetles' tunnel systems.
As an artisan woodworker specializing in reclaimed materials, I'm fascinated by how these small insects transform ordinary maple into extraordinary decorative wood. The beetles cultivate fungal farms within their tunnels, creating the distinctive gray patterns that make ambrosia maple so prized by woodworkers and collectors alike.
Currently featuring three handcrafted ambrosia maple live edge bowls, each showcasing the wood's natural character through careful design that complements rather than competes with the beetle's artistic contributions. Every piece tells a story of nature's collaboration – beetles, fungi, and trees working together to create something more beautiful than any could achieve alone.
Gray Hill Woodworking LLC - Handcrafted, functional art from locally reclaimed wood.