Is a Sycamore Tree a Soft Wood?

Sycamores are hardwoods, like other angiosperm trees.

Sycamore trees, familiar in landscaped settings of cities and towns and also important components of certain North American and Eurasian ecosystems, are not softwoods. They are classified as hardwoods along with other broad-leafed trees.

Hardwoods

Hardwoods refer to angiosperm or flowering trees; softwoods are conifers, which are gymnosperms ("naked seeds"). In "Identifying Wood" (1990), R. Bruce Hoadley notes that sycamore wood, along with that of beeches, can often be visually identified by prominent rays.

Sycamores

Some 10 species of sycamores are found within one genus in North America and Eurasia. In Europe, they are commonly called "planetrees." The pale, scaly trunks and maple-like leaves are defining characteristics.

Ecology

The three species of sycamore native to the U.S. tend to be associated ecologically with riparian, or streamside, settings. Largest and most widely distributed is the American sycamore of the Midwest, East and Southeast; it may reach heights exceeding 150 feet.

References

• "Identifying Wood: Accurate Results with Simple Tools"; R. Bruce Hoadley; 1990
• "The Sibley Guide to Trees"; David A. Sibley; 2009

Resources

• Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation: American Sycamore