Balsa Wood Interesting Facts

Balsa wood comes from mostly humid environments in Central and South America. Rainforests are the natural place where balsa wood trees grow, and most the highest grade balsa wood used in construction of models is found in the west coast of South America. In order for Balsa wood to grow effectively, they very warm and humid conditions, plenty of rain, and also a good drainage system. This means that balsa wood trees cannot be soaked in water for very long. Because of this you will find most balsa wood trees on slopes near rivers. As water from rains flow down the slope, the balsa wood will pick up its need rain for the day quickly and not over abundantly. Balsa wood trees also grow very fast. Within the first six months, they can grow up to ten to twelve feet and nearly 2 niches wide—not quite as fast as bamboo, but many times faster than normal trees. At the peak of a balsa wood trees harvesting usefulness, they can reach 60-90 feet tall, and have a diameter of nearly four feet! After the peak harvesting stage, the tree begins to harden on the outside and begins to rot on the inside, leaving it useless for model builders like you and me.