Lignum vitae Lignum vitae (literally the ‘tree of life’ in Latin) is a hard oily wood from trees of the genus Guaiacum. Guaiacum trees are indigenous to the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America, and have been exported to Europe since the beginning of the 16th century. Olive green and famously rot-resistant, lignum vitae is widely regarded as being the heaviest and hardest wood in the world. Around 1720, when making the Brocklesby Turret Clock, John Harrison experimented with replacing some of the clock’s mechanism with parts constructed from lignum vitae to great success, because it provided an excellent oil-free bearing surface.
