Leichardt Bean

    (Cassia brewsteri)

  Leichardt Bean sticks out like a sore thumb on the Highlands as it looks more like a tree from a tropical garden. A good shade tree, it is deciduous, looks very impressive in flower, and develops cigar-like beans about 300mm long. Growing to about 10 metres high x 12 metres wide with trunks up to 500mm diameter, the biggest specimen I've seen is just East of Emerald. (below middle)

The timber shrinks quite a lot while drying but has some very nice colour to it. I found Leichardt Bean turns OK although the sapwood is a bit crumbly and it sands and finishes reasonably well. Unfortunately, the timber seemed to lose a bit of colour during the drying/finishing process but is still quite acceptable for use in turning or cabinetry.

I suspect it would be a good timber for chair making as it is very 'long' grained and would hold tenon joints well.

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