Silk oak

Silk oak (Grevillea robusta), also known as southern silky oak, is an Australian species planted around Hawaiʻi Island as windbreaks or ornamental trees. It grows quickly and features fern-like foliage with bright flowers.

The wood has a lustrous, golden hue with a textured grain, sometimes compared to oak or lacewood. While used in furniture, cabinetry, and veneers in its native range, on Hawaiʻi Island commercial harvest is sporadic. Most stands are ornamental or boundary plantings, with occasional salvage logging. Nonetheless, local woodworkers admire Silk oak’s unique figure, and small-scale milling does occur when trees are removed. Its market share remains modest, overshadowed by bigger forestry species like Eucalyptus or Koa.