Ambrosia maple is maple with a story: a tiny beetle bores into the tree and carries a fungus that stains the wood with dark gray, brown and blue-green streaks running along the grain. No two slabs look alike. Pop’s Barn mills ambrosia maple live-edge slabs in Byram Township, NJ, up to 12 feet long and 57″ wide, at $20 per board foot before the width multiplier.
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What ambrosia maple is
The ambrosia beetle drills small holes into maple and farms a fungus inside the tunnels as food. The fungus spreads a stain up and down the trunk. The result is a light maple slab shot through with dark streaks, each one starting at a tiny pinhole. It’s also sold as “wormy maple.” The beetles are long gone by the time the wood is dry.
What it’s good for
- Dining and coffee tables where the figure is the centerpiece
- Desks and conference tops
- Mantels, shelves, headboards
- Giant cookies — ambrosia cookies over 55″ across. Cookies →
Most ambrosia maple comes from soft maple species, so it’s softer than hard maple — about as hard as cherry. Fine for tables; it’ll show dents faster than white oak.
Sizes on the rack
| Use | Typical ambrosia slab |
|---|---|
| Shelves, benches | 9–10 ft × 16–19″ × 2.25″ |
| Coffee tables, desks | 6–8 ft × 19–30″ × 2.5″ |
| Dining and conference tops | 7.5–12 ft × 30–57″ × 2–3″ |
| Cookies | 53–63″ diameter × 3–5″ |
Pricing
Dining top: 7.5 ft × 35″ × 2.5″
- Board feet: 90 × 35 × 2.5 ÷ 144 = 54.7 BF
- Species rate: Ambrosia Maple at $20/BF = $1,094
- Width multiplier: 35″ wide → ×1.15
≈ $1,258
Questions we get
What is ambrosia maple?
Maple stained by a fungus that ambrosia beetles carry into the tree. It leaves dark streaks running along the grain from small pinholes. Also called wormy maple.
Is ambrosia maple safe for a table? Are there still bugs?
Yes, it’s safe. The beetles are long dead by the time the slab is dried, and kiln drying kills anything left in the wood.
Is ambrosia maple hard enough for a dining table?
Yes, for normal use. It’s usually soft maple, about as hard as cherry — softer than hard maple or white oak, so it dents a little more easily.
Where can I buy ambrosia maple slabs in NJ or near NYC?
Pop’s Barn in Byram Township, NJ, stocks ambrosia maple live-edge slabs up to 12 feet long and 57″ wide, plus giant ambrosia cookies, listed online with size and price.
Looking for a certain size or amount of streaking? Call 973-524-4282.
What customers say
What a beautiful property and mill! The number of logs to be cut is overwhelming and the slabs they are producing are spectacular! Love my Ambrosia Maple slab!