Macrocarpa

Overview

Macrocarpa, or Monterey cypress, is a Californian conifer grown for decades as a farm shelter-belt tree in New Zealand and Australia. The result is a golden-honey, fragrant softwood that is fine-textured, easy to work and unusually durable for a softwood. Makers choose it for slab furniture, pergolas and anything that needs a warm colour and some weather resistance without importing a tropical timber.

Pros

• Easy to work with hand and machine tools; the fine texture saws and turns well (Wood Database, Cypress Sawmill).
• One of the most naturally durable exotic softwoods grown in New Zealand, resistant to insects and borers in sawn form.
• Heartwood is rated moderately durable (Class 3): a 50 x 50 mm stake lasts 10 to 15 years in the ground, longer for larger sections.
• Clear boards are similar in character to kauri, and the fragrant, spicy heartwood resembles western red cedar (WoodSolutions).
• Holds nails well; glues, stains and paints well when dry.

Cons

• Difficult to kiln dry: cell collapse and internal checking are the main problems (Cypress Sawmill, WoodSolutions).
• Soft and light: about 620 lbf Janka (Wood Database), so it dents easily.
• Knots, and grain that deviates around them, are common in open-grown shelter-belt trees; areas around knots can be problematic.
• Reportedly difficult to steam bend.
• Not commonly seen for sale in the US; Wood Database expects prices to be high for a domestic softwood.

Variants and subspecies

• Plantation or shelter-belt macrocarpa (NZ and Australia): the main commercial supply.
• Hybrids: NZFFA notes that much old "macrocarpa" in Northland was likely hybrids from nursery seed.
• Clears: knot-free boards, the grade compared to kauri.

Working and finishing

Works easily with hand tools and machines, apart from the zones around knots. Dry stock thoroughly, since the timber collapses and checks in a kiln. It takes nails well, glues well, and holds paints, oils, resins and varnishes once dry.

Staining and finishing colour

The honey-gold heartwood is typically finished clear with oil or varnish. It stains well (Wood Database); test on the same board, since darker older heartwood and paler sapwood absorb differently.

Sustainability and handling

Not in the CITES Appendices (checked 2026-09 against the Appendices in force from 5 March 2026). Wood Database and GBIF list the species as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (checked 2026-09), but only for its tiny natural range; timber supply is cultivated, mostly shelter-belt and plantation trees. NZFFA notes replanting in Northland has largely failed because of cypress canker, so supply is finite; only canker-resistant seedlines suit new planting. The Lacey Act's 2008 amendment covers timber products (Wikipedia, Lacey Act), and the EU deforestation regulation applies to wood products from 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators. Wood Database reports skin irritation, so wear gloves and a mask.

Popular projects

Slabs for kitchens and bar tops, tables, pergolas, gates and fencing, tongue-and-groove panelling and flooring, boat building, cabinet making and turned or carved work (Cypress Sawmill).

Buying notes

Mostly sold in New Zealand and Australia as sawn boards and natural-edge slabs; one US slab retailer listed Monterey cypress at about $12 per board foot in 2026-09. Ask whether the timber was dried carefully, because collapse and checking are common faults, and check each board for knots. Density figures differ: 515 kg/m3 (Wood Database) against 475-485 (WoodSolutions, Cypress Sawmill).