Sycamore (Platanus spp.), also known as buttonwood or plane, is composed of five to nine species which grow in Eurasia [2] and North America [8]. All species look alike microscopically. The common name “sycamore” is used in England to designate a species in the hard maple group (Acer pseudoplatanus), whereas plane or planetree is used to name the Platanus that grows there. The word platanus is the classical Latin and Greek name of Platanus orientalis L., oriental planetree, from the Greek word for broad, referring to the leaves.
Platanus occidentalis American plane, American planetree, American sycamore, Buttonball, buttonball-tree, buttonwood, California button, California sycamore, cotonier, lacewood, oriental planetree, oriental sycamore, plane, planetree, quartered sycamore, sycamore, water beech
Platanus racemosa aliso, buttonball, buttonball-tree, buttonwood, California planetree, California sycamore, planetree, sycamore, western sycamore
Platanus wrightii alamo, Arizona planetree, Arizona sycamore, sycamore
Distribution: The eastern United States, from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic coast west to the Great Plains.
The Tree: Sycamore trees reach heights of 120 ft (37 m), with a diameter of 3 ft (1 m).
General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood of sycamore is white to light yellow, while the heartwood is light to dark brown. The wood is classified as moderate in weight, hardness, stiffness, shock resistance, strength in bending, endwise compression and nail-holding ability. It has a close texture, glues well, and resists splitting due to interlocked grain. Sycamore is odorless, stain-free, and tasteless.
Weighta
Weight
Moisture Specific lb/ft3 kg/m3
content gravity
Green 0.46 52 833
12% 0.49 34 545
Ovendry 0.54 NA NA
aReferences: specific gravity, green and
12%, (98); specific gravity, ovendry,
(59); weight, (59).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property Green Dry
MOE 1.06 106 7.308 GPa 1.42 106 9.791 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 6.50 103 44.818 MPa 10.0 103 68.950 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 2.92 103 20.133 MPa 5.38 103 37.095 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.36 103 2.482 MPa 0.70 103 4.827 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 7.50 51.713 kJ/m3 8.50 58.608
in-lbf/in3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
Hardness 610 lbf 2713.28 N 770 lbf 3424.96 N
Shear| | 1.00 103 6.895 MPa 1.47 103 10.135 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (98).
Drying and shrinkagea
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final moisture
content)
Type of 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC
shrinkage
Tangential 8.4 6.1 2.5
Radial 5.0 4.1 1.7
Volumetric 14.1 11.4 4.7
aReferences: 0% MC, (98); 6% and 20%
MC, (90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Condition 6/4 stock stock stock stock
stock
Standard T6-D2 T3-D1 T3-D1 T3-C1 T3-B1
aReferences (6, 86).
Working Properties: Sycamore has a close texture, glues well, and resists splitting because of its interlocked grain. It holds its shape well after steaming and machines well, but requires high speed cutter heads to prevent chipping.
Durability: Rated as nonresistant to heartwood decay.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Furniture (especially drawer sides), containers, millwork, flooring, veneer, pallets, boxes, plywood, pulp wood, paper, particleboard.
Toxicity: No information available at this time.
Additional Reading: 29, 55, 61, 68, 74. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.