COMMON NAMES:   Sycamore, buttonwood

SPECIFIC GRAVITY:   .46

DENSITY:  

TANGENTIAL MOVEMENT:   8.4%

RADIAL MOVEMENT:   5%

VOLUMETRIC SHRINKAGE:   14.1%

DURABILITY1:   Poor

SOURCE:  Eastern United States and extreme southern Canada

DESCRIPTION:   Largest hardwood tree in the U.S. Moderately soft, but strong. Excellent turning and shaping characteristics, but rather unstable in use due to high volumetric shrinkage. Quartersawn stock is more stable and displays an attractive ray flecked figure. Pale, reddish brown in color, sometimes nearly pink.

1 Durability refers to a wood's resistance to rotting in wet environments.