An evergreen tree (Guaiacum officinale) growing to c.10 m/30 ft, native to the West Indies; bark pale, smooth; leaves pinnate with oval leaflets; flowers blue, 5-petalled. It is a source of durable timber. (Family: Zygophyllaceae.)
Lignum vitae is the heartwood of species of the genus Guaiacum, the trees of which are usually called guayacan. The name is Latin for "wood of life", and derives from its medicinal uses.
This wood has a density between 1.28 and 1.37g per cu.cm., so it will sink in water. It is a hard, dense and durable wood, one of the densest woods in the trade. Due to its weight, cricket bails, particularly 'heavy bails' used in windy conditions, are sometimes made of this wood.
Master clockmaker John Harrison used lignum vitae as the basis for his nearly all-wood clocks, since the wood provides natural lubricating oils which do not dry out. According to the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association website, the shaft bearings on the WWII submarine USS Pampanito (SS-383) were made of this wood.
The resin has been used to treat a variety of medicinal conditions from coughs to arthritis. Wood chips can also be used to brew a tea.
Various other hardwoods of Australasia (e.g., the acacia and eucalyptus) are also called lignum vitae and should not be confused.
Argentine lignum vitae has a strong, fresh aroma and is used as incense.
The Lignum Vitae is the national tree of the Bahamas.
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