Skybroom trees as depicted on the cover of The Renegades of Pern.
Skybroom are a Pernese tree, known for their durability and distinctive appearance. They are the only hardwoods native to Pern.
Description
Skybroom trees are very large, and are known for their distinctive flat tops, which have led more than one young Pernese child to speculate that dragons might perch on the wide, flat crowns. The trees are also known for their wide root systems, designed to support their distinctive height and size. These root systems support the ground, but can also create treacherous terrain pockmarked by caves and pitfalls.
It is claimed that skybroom wood is so dense as to be impervious even to Threadfall, a fact that would seem to be supported by their immense size, which is unusual among Pernese flora.
Uses
Skybroom wood is an extremely dense hardwood, known for its tensile strength and purported invulnerability to Thread, making it extremely desirable for construction purposes as well as for luxury items. The major obstacle to working with skybroom is getting the wood in the first place, as it is nearly inaccessible except in the form of downed limbs, and its rarity has made it even more desirable.
The strength of skybroom is such that single limbs can be used to support the whole weight of freestanding Holds, and its fine grain makes it desirable both for decorative woodwork and as a template for portraiture. It is unclear how such a tough wood is made workable.