In the winter of 2022, we went to see a Chinese toon tree standing beside a field in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province. As all its leaves had fallen, its straight trunk was clearly visible. This is the very tree whose young shoots are picked in spring and eaten as namul.
We laid the felled log section down on the snow-covered ground. Beneath the bark, the exposed heartwood was reddish with an orange cast. Chinese toon belongs to the same mahogany family as mahogany.
Down to the roots
We also dug out the root section beneath the thick trunk. The root collar has twisted grain and a distinctive shape, making it suitable for use as material for objets.
The Chinese toon brought in this way was dried and made into boards and round slices. Woodway has handled nearly 900 Chinese toon log sections to date.
A round dish containing reddish grain
ToonaPhotos: Woodway Wood Library Chinese toon felling record (Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, January–February 2022).
