Flaming Red Box Elder

 Box Elder (Acer negundo) is a species of maple native to North America. Box elder, boxelder maple, and maple ash are its most common names in the United States. It is used mainly for ornamental and decorative purposes, with lumber exhibiting reddish pink heartwood streaks being the most commonly seen. Dyed/stabilized burl blocks for use in turning projects are also available. Common uses for Box Elder include: turned objects, small ornamental objects, wood pulp, charcoal, boxes, and crates.

   Box Elder (Acer negundo) was identified in 1959 as the material used in the oldest extant flutes from the Americas that were made of wood. These early artifacts, excavated by Earl H. Morris in 1931 in the Prayer Rock district of present-day Northeastern Arizona, have been dated to 620-670 CE.

   The style of these flutes, now known as Anasazi flutes, uses an open tube and a splitting edge at one end. This design pre-dates the earliest known Native American Flute (which use a two-chambered design) by approximately 1,200 years. For years, researchers and Mycologists have attempted in vain to understand the etiology behind the brilliant red pigmentation found in some Boxelder trees. Woodturners delight in finding such a prize. Sometimes called “Ash-leaved Maple” because of it’s non-typical leaves, Box Elder is technically considered a maple tree.