Wood Species Guide
Kauri
Agathis australis
Also called: New Zealand Kauri, Ancient Kauri, Swamp Kauri, Southern Kauri
About the name “Kauri”
Other Agathis trees in Southeast Asia and the Pacific are also sold as kauri or agathis, and they are lighter and less durable. "Ancient kauri" or "swamp kauri" is New Zealand kauri dug from peat bogs, where the logs have lain for tens of thousands of years.
What Kauri looks like
Fresh kauri is light golden brown to pinkish tan. Ancient swamp kauri is deeper honey to brown, often with a chatoyant shimmer that moves in the light.
Grain and texture
Straight, even grain with a fine texture and a silky luster. Ancient kauri often shows rippling, three-dimensional figure.
Working Kauri: planing, cutting and gluing
Works easily with hand and machine tools and planes to a smooth surface. Ancient kauri can be brittle in places and may have soft or cracked zones. It glues and finishes well.
Finishing Kauri: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes oils and clear film finishes beautifully, and the shimmer pops under a gloss coat. Ancient kauri slabs often have cracks that fill well with clear epoxy; seal first and make sure the wood is fully dry.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Rated durable against decay, better than other Agathis, and not bothered by powderpost beetles. It is very stable. In Florida, it is best used indoors, where its stability makes it a great tabletop wood.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Ancient kauri is one of the most remarkable woods you can put on a table: logs that sat in New Zealand swamps for many thousands of years. Slabs show a golden shimmer and look stunning with a clear epoxy fill in the cracks. Export is tightly controlled, so expect paperwork and a premium price. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Kauri
Tabletops and furniture from ancient kauri, boatbuilding, cabinetry, veneer, guitar bodies and tops, and turned objects.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices. Logging of living kauri in New Zealand is strictly limited, and the tree is also threatened there by kauri dieback disease. Most kauri in trade is ancient swamp kauri, which New Zealand allows to be exported only as finished or processed products under its rules.
Safety and toxicity
- No common reactions reported
Few reports. Nothing beyond ordinary wood dust irritation is documented.
- In the shop
- Dust collection + mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Use with care for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
No specific reactions have been reported beyond the normal effects of wood dust. Use dust collection and a mask when sanding.
Kauri in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Kauri listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
Similar woods: Other Softwoods
- European YewTaxus baccata European yew is the legendary longbow wood, with orange heartwood, cream sapwood and wild figure. It turns beautifully,...
- Norfolk Island PineAraucaria heterophylla Norfolk Island pine is a tall, symmetrical South Pacific conifer planted along Florida's coasts. Its pale wood and...
- Pacific YewTaxus brevifolia Pacific yew is a small, slow-growing Northwest tree with dense orange-red wood and cream sapwood. Bowyers and turners...
- PodocarpusPodocarpus spp. (Florida landscape trees are usually P. macrophyllus; see note) Podocarpus, or yew pine, is the familiar Florida hedge and landscape conifer. Big trees occasionally give us pale,...