Camel Thorn (Acacia erioloba) is a very hard, heavy and dense timber from southern Africa, with a rich red colour and a beautiful zigzag grain. Although similar in appearance it is completely unrelated to grenadillo rosewood. An excellent timber for making tools, handles, decorative inlays etc, it is highly durable, consistent and polishes beautifully.
The tree that this timber comes from is fascinating, it is the one you see giraffe nibbling on (camel thorn is a poor translation of Kameeldoring (giraffe thorn in Africaans). The roots of the camel thorn can go as deep as 60 metres in search of groundwater. Camel thorn trees communicate by releasing ethylene gas if they are overbrowsed - when the other trees in an area sense the ethylene they respond by releasing a temporary toxin into their leaves, which deters browsing animals from staying in one place for long enough to damage the trees.
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