Sinker Cypress is a river reclaimed wood that is different then anything found in today’s time. It’s a wood that helped build America. The rich patina that these logs yield is incredibly beautiful and something that can be used commercially and for residential projects.

When you dive into the history of sinker cypress you discover how that the virgin trees centuries ago had to battle for nutrients, sunlight and how they matured at a very slowly pace making it a natural treasure. These extreme environmental factors the trees endured played a leading role in developing the wood with such a fine quality of grain and over 18 growth rings per inch in cypress. Today the second growth trees only average 3 to 5 rings per inch which puts in perspective how exceptional the sinker is and how it’s a sharp contrast in quality to what’s produced today. The sinker cypress that has the notable growth rings was harvested over 2 centuries’ ago by being hand cut with a broad axe.

During the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s logging companies came in and cut down the virgin cypress trees in order to keep up with the demand of the industrial revolution. They would tie the large logs to rafts and use the waterways to float them downstream to their lumber mill. While transporting the lumber some logs broke free from the rafts or became waterlogged in the lumber mills holding ponds. Overtime the virgin cypress eventually sank and settled on the bottom of the lakes, bayous, creeks, swamps and rivers were they were perfectly preserved in the cold silted waters. Luckily they remained untouched and forgotten for over 100 years. These logs became known as sinker lumber. When they finally started discovering these lost logs it was due to Americas old growth forests being nearly all depleted and having to use new growth logs. The new growth was not as exceptional in quality, color, or grain as to its counterparts the sinker logs.

Using special equipment designed to retrieve the logs from the lakes, and riverbeds we are able to not only retrieve the lumber but also dry the wood. Due to us selling logs and lumber that was cut centuries ago it saves living trees from being cut down thus helping the environment flourish. We are proud here at Virgin Cypress to be able to provide virgin old growth logs that are over 230-1500 years old directly to you. The color of Sinker Cypress is dependent on where the logs were harvested. Logs harvested in muddy swamps can have a deep olive hue. Logs found on sandy riverbeds can have a red hue and contain gold color.

We have the largest supply of Sinker Cypress anywhere in the world with varying grains and colors. Due to the age of the trees cut, the growth rings are much closer: which allows more stability. All of the sap wood has already disintegrated off the log, leaving all heard wood with high concentration of cypressene oil which makes sinker cypress have extreme durability and weathering properties. It is also highly resistant to insects and pests which make it excellent for outdoor or indoor use. Cypress takes paints, stains, varnishes and other treatments very well. once planed the lumber has a range of color variation. Some people treat it with varnish to retain the natural color, others may opt to paint or stain the wood. It is also possible to leave the sinker cypress untreated, in which case it will eventually take on a beautiful gray / silver color.

Please view our Products Page or Contact Us directly for more information about Sinker Cypress