Leatherwood String

Leatherwood flowers. Devil's Backbone Trail, Warrior's Path State Park.

The Leatherwood (Dirca palustris) is a bizarre little tree, and very easy to miss in the spring. As soon as April strikes East Tennessee, life bursts forth from dormancy and wildflowers, butterflies, herps, and colorful, singing birds are everywhere wild. But beneath the glowing halo of young, green leaves, many less-showy plants are also reviving.

Leatherwood grows over limestone cenotes, or “big ole sinkholes,” thriving in the red clay corpses of former mountain peaks. In March, the small trees begin to bloom with bell-shaped flowers, and the young leaves are covered in frosted, bristly hair for protection against cold and herbivores.

Leatherwood twigs are easily bent and manipulated, although they will snap with too much force. It's always better to convert them to cordage before trying to use them as string.

But leatherwood is named for its flexibility. Living branches of the tree can easily be tied into loose knots that slowly grow into sturdy “wood pretzels,” and the inner bark is densely fibrous. Stripped inner bark can be twisted and braided into a relatively strong and thin cordage. Replacement shoelaces, fishing line, baskets, and many other quick, field-expedient “tools” in the woods can be crafted by breaking off a leatherwood twig.

Braided leatherwood cordage, stripped from the tree in early April.

By April, most leatherwoods are not only in full bloom, but also are covered in leaves and unripe fruits. Once summer or winter arrives, leatherwoods meekly disappear among the saplings of taller trees in the undergrowth, waiting for spring to put on their next inconspicuous performance.