Sinker Cypress Lumber, also known as Dead Head Cypress, Old Growth cypress, River recovered cupress, Heart cypress, Reclaimed cypress, Antique cypress or deadhead cypress, comes from old growth cypress logs that were ax cut in the early 1800’s. The logs were lost during transportation and have been submerged in the rivers, bayous, creeks, and swamps of the southern regions of the United States. Salvaging is the only remaining source of virgin-growth cypress lumber, often referred to as “the wood eternal” due to its resistance to deterioration and termite damage. These deadhead river recovered logs are now retrieved and used for many historical restorations, timberframe homes and new construction.

Sinker Pine, just as sinker cypress, is a river recovered old growth wood that has been sunken in the river bottoms and has been retrieved for use in historic restorations, timber frame homes, and new construction. River Reclaimed Sinker Pine is a wonderful hard wood and after resting in the cool water and sometimes mud of the rivers, the Sinker Pine Logs can take on a variety of beautiful hues as they absorb the minerals in the cool water. The wood in these Sinker Pine logs has turned color and when opened up and dried, provides a beautiful range of shades, that really produces a unique and beautiful wood.

Pecky Sinker Cypress is a unique grade of Sinker Cypress that is caused by a fungus. The fungus only grows while the tree is alive and forms tubular pockets inside the tree. The cause of pecky has often been widely misunderstood. Absolutely no form of animal, insect or worm is responsible at any stage of development, and there is no possibility of the pecking continuing after the cypress tree is harvested. Once the pecky sinker cypress tree is cut down, the causative agent itself is destroyed and completely disappears, leaving behind only the characteristic pocketing it formerly created. These pockets give the pecky cypress a rustic look that is preferred by interior designer and architects.

Curly sinker Pine is another unique grade of sinker pine resulting from an abnormal growth, usually called a burl, that forms on the tree. This burl causes the grain to grow “curly” and gives the lumber a beautiful grain pattern that never fails to catch the eye. People have often wondered how it got the name Curly Sinker Pine, it’s just because the wood grows curly.

Tidewater cypress is grown only in the deep Southeastern coastal swamps and along the Gulf of Mexico. Cypress growing in swamps tended to have a richer, redder color than Cypress trees growing on more upland sites. Thus, the name “Tidewater Red” was coined for Cypress that had reddish colored heartwood.