Botanical atlas

Tarwood

Loxostylis alata

Tarwood is a South African forest tree named for the dark, tar-like sap that seeps from cut wood and blackens on exposure to air, a trait it shares with many of its relatives in the cashew and poison ivy family. It has long been noted by foresters and gardeners more for its timber and its striking sprays of papery, wine-pink fruiting calyces than for any kitchen or medicine chest use. In gardens across its native range it has traditionally been planted as a hardy, fast-growing ornamental, valued for the way its fruit seems to make the tree bloom a second time each year. It is the only species in its genus, which has made it something of a curiosity among South African botanists and tree collectors.

Safety.

Tarwood is in the same plant family as poison ivy and poison oak, and its sap and sawdust can cause allergic contact dermatitis and skin or respiratory irritation, especially when cutting or sanding the wood. It is not eaten or used internally; wear gloves when handling it.