#wandsmithing

Though it's often said that dead wood is devoid of the spirit of the plant, I don't always think this is true. Secondary to this one can conjure the spirit back into it, and render the point mostly-sorta-moot anyway (also true for wood which was cut-live, but improperly and arrives to you "dead").

What I DO know, from my own experience, is that wood which is dead and discolored/weathered also carries a "dead"/"miasmic" quality. So, if you do a lot of necro-work, a lot of grave conjuring, etc... dead wood might actually be your bag. If you have a branch that's alive on the base/dead on the tip or vice versa (or forked into living and dead) that is some serious woo, and should be handled with the respect it deserves.

If wood is dead and still on the tree, it's got a different kind of vibe from dead-on-the-ground. Much like the partially alive branches mentioned above.

Dead but not touching the ground (but no longer "attached" - widowmakers and the like) have yet ANOTHER type of energy that is bizarre and seems to me to be linked to degraded locality-spirits/restless land spirits, or at least good for working with them.

And don't get me started on the nuances you can get from various bug infestations.

That said: For your first wand I do suggest living wood, obtained with proper permissions. Work out from there later when you have something to fall back on in the event that your miasmic wand is a little too miasmic and shit gets weird.