Shedding light on the Ghost of the Forest

I T lS KNOWN as "The Ghost of I the Forest." After shedding its outer bark in irregular patches during the late fall, the tree may stand out in the forest on a dark winter night due to the stark white expanses of its smooth inner bark.

This shedding tree is sycamore ( Platanus ot'cidentalil , an abundant hardwood used primarily to manufacture furniture and furniture parts. The wood is claimed to possess selflubricating properties and, as such. has been used for years in the construction of drawer slides. lt somewhat resembles the more costly maple and birch. resulting in its use as a substitute for or a complement to these hardwoods in millwork and cabinetry.

Sycamore has also been used for paneling, interior trim, slack cooperage, flooring, handles, butcher blocks, novelties and accessories, while the lower grades go into shipping containers.

The tree features a thin, scaly, brown bark on the lower part of the trunk and very thin greenish bark on the upper trunk and limbs. During the autumn, this upper bark will shed, exposing bare areas of white or pale green inner bark, which becomes darker come the following summer.

The tree grows throughout almost every state east of the Great Plains, except for Minnesota and the northernmost areas of Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. But it is most abundant in the moist Deep South. Syca- morc is seldonr seen in dry areas, though plentiful in the rich soilalong the borders of streams and lakes.

One reason sycamore has become so abundant is its expansive method of dissemination. The sycamore fruil is a round, closely-pressed ball about one inch in diameter, made up of thousands of tiny individual seeds attached to a three to six inch stem. When dry, the seeds will blow for long distances in the wind and, being very light, will also float on water.

Story at a Glance

Sycamore can substitute for maple, birch plentiful in the Southern states... inexpensive, lots of untapped potential.

season, and plain-sawn stock, if placed under adverse moisture conditions, may be subject to slight movenrent due to its interlocking grain. In addition, it is not considered durable under conditions favorable to decay.

Still, many consider the finished surface of true quarter-sawn sycamore to be unsurpassed in sheer natural beauty. lts subtle wood is pinkish to flesh color, the heartwood several shades darker than the sapwood. When quartered, sycamore will resist warping, cupping, splitting and shrinkage:

The fine grain wood is moderately heavy, hard, stiff, strong and shock resistant, displaying intermediate nail-holding capabilities. It turns well on the lathe and has good bending qualities. Sycamore must be surfaced with a high-speed cutter, since low speeds may chip the wood. Its grain is rather fine and subdued.

American sycamore, also known as planetree, buttonball or buttonwood, is the only sycamore found in the eastern United States. Two others (California sycamore and Arizona sycamore) are native to the West, although they are both commercially unimportant.

Yet sycamore's growth well exceeds its cut. The wood is difficult to

The tree does hold one distinction among its peers: sycamore trees have grown to greater uniform diameters than any other hardwood in the North American forest. Trees have been reported with trunks more than l0 feet wide, consistent for their entire height of 130 to 140 feet. Still, this is the exception. Most felled logs will measure between l6 and 30 inches in diameter at the small end.

Sycamore is a neglected hardwood, readily available as lumber and veneer and comparatively quite inexpensive. Its uses are many, but its potential has yet to be tapped.