Wood Species Guide

Silk Oak

Grevillea robusta

Also called: Silky Oak, Southern Silky Oak, Australian Silver Oak, Silver Oak, Grevillea, Lacewood (trade name)

Silk oak (Grevillea robusta) is an Australian tree that grows all over Southwest Florida, and its wood is full of silvery lace-like ray fleck. Our slabs are local salvage with a soft pink-brown color.
DomesticFloridaHardwoodOther Hardwoods
Good forTabletops & SlabsTurning

About the name “Silk Oak”

Silk oak is not a true oak. "Lacewood" is a trade name used for several woods with a similar flecked look, including silk oak and the South American Panopsis. Our Silk Oak is Florida-grown Grevillea robusta, the familiar landscape tree with orange-gold spring flowers.

What Silk Oak looks like

Heartwood is a pinkish to reddish brown, with a striking pattern of lighter, silvery rays on quarter-sawn surfaces. Sapwood is a pale tan. Color mellows toward a soft golden brown over time.

Grain and texture

Straight grain with a medium to coarse texture. The large rays make the lace-like fleck that gives it the lacewood name, strongest on quarter-sawn faces.

Working Silk Oak: planing, cutting and gluing

Pleasant to work overall. The big rays can chip or tear out during planing, so use sharp knives, a shallow cut and a final sanding. It glues and screws well, with a moderate dulling effect on blades.

Finishing Silk Oak: oil, film finishes and epoxy

Oil makes the ray fleck shimmer. Clear water-based finishes keep it lighter; oil-based ones warm it up. The rays can absorb finish unevenly, so a thin sealer coat helps. Seal before an epoxy pour.

Durability, stability and Florida humidity

Moderately durable at best and not suited to outdoor use. It is stable once dry. In Florida, keep it inside, acclimate it in AC and finish both faces.

Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop

Silk oak is one of our favorite Florida salvage woods. Trees come down in storms and land-clearing all over Southwest Florida, and the slabs that come out are full of that silvery ray fleck people mistake for imported lacewood. It makes beautiful shelves, benches and small tables. Our current slab is long and narrow, a natural for a mantel, bar top or bench seat.

Common uses for Silk Oak

Cabinetry, furniture, decorative veneer, guitars and ukuleles, turning, small boxes and live-edge shelves.

Sustainability and CITES status

Not listed in the CITES Appendices. The UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants has not found it to be a problem species in Florida's natural areas. Our wood is local salvage.

Safety and toxicity

Our toxicity rating HighWhat the ratings mean
  • Skin irritation
  • Sensitizer (allergy builds with exposure)
  • Eye irritation

Silk oak contains a resorcinol compound related to the poison ivy allergen, and its sawdust has caused itchy, spreading rashes in woodworkers and tree workers. Fresh-cut wood and sap are the worst, so handle green logs with gloves and keep skin covered.

In the shop
Gloves + long sleeves, dust extraction and respirator; wash up after handling green wood
Food contact
Not recommended for cutting boards, bowls and utensils

General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.

Silk oak is one of the more irritating woods we handle. It contains a compound related to the poison ivy allergen, and its sap and sawdust have caused itchy, spreading rashes in woodworkers and tree trimmers. Wear gloves and long sleeves, use dust extraction and a respirator, and wash up after handling fresh-cut wood.

Wood toxicity and dust safety guide: every species compared

Silk Oak in stock now

Live edge slabs in stock (1)

Want to see them in person? Book a slab & lumber visit.

Similar woods: Other Hardwoods

See the Other Hardwoods group guide

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