Purple Bush Pea is usually nothing more than a spindly shrub as pictured
here near Expedition Range . . . but on occasions you can find one with a
trunk up to around 80mm diameter which is well worth investigation.
The shrub flowers around January and generally doesn't get to more than 2
metres high. It doesn't seem too fussy about soil types either and can be
found just about anywhere on the Highlands.
Purple Bush Pea timber ranges from bright yellow to dark green and when
you get the light just right on a finished surface, it has a glint of gold
to it. On the left is a freshly sawn trunk, and the same batch wetted down
on the right.
The timber is very close grained and moderately heavy. It cracks quite
severely while drying in log form(right) which is why I halve any I get to
minimise the damage. It machines well, sands easily, and takes a high finish
- what more could you want!
I made this toothpick dispenser out of Purple BushPea by 'turning the log
inside out' as I like to call it (not to be confused with inside-out
turning). The lid and base are from Norfolk Island Hibiscus and the 'handle'
is Australian Ebony.
