Briar root, the burlwood of the Heath Tree, is also known as French bruyère. It is an extremely hard and heat-resistant wood traditionally used for making smoking pipes. The football-sized burls are harvested at the age of 30 to 60 years and then cooked for several hours, after which they are dried for several months before they are further processed. The wood is light brown to reddish brown, often beautifully textured, very hard, and heat-resistant, which does not affect the aroma of pipe tobacco smoke. The wood is also used for making jewelry and knife handles.