American sycamore - the ghost wood.

Sycamore is one of those names used for a variety of species, and this common usage can lead to confusion. The authors of the Encyclopedia of Wood try to make sense of the situation. "What the British call sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), the Americans call maple, and what the Americans call sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) the British call lacewood. What the Australians, on the third hand, call maple (actually Queensland maple, Flidersia braleyana) is part of the satinwood family (rutaceae)."

This column focuses on American sycamore, which is known by a variety of names including buttonball and buttonwood, in reference to the fruit of the tree.

American sycamore grows alone or in stands primarily in the United States from Maine west to Nebraska and southward to Florida and Texas. The tree tends to be tall - up to 120 feet - with massive trunks and wide spans of branches. The central states rank first in production of sycamore lumber. American sycamore thrives in wet bottomlands and along streams, lakes and swamps.

Albert Constantine, Jr. in Know Your Woods, says the tree is called the ghost tree of the woods by some because of its distinctive white bark, "which is mottled with various shades of green and brown."

Sam Talarico, owner of Talarico Hardwoods in Mohnton, PA, says quarter-sawn sycamore has a highly decorative figure.

"The quarter-sawn timber is two-tone because it includes 5 or 7 inches of the sapwood, which is white to creamy. The rest is made up of the hardwood which has a light tan to cherry color - sometimes almost 'orangy'," Tallarico says. "You get a flake look because of the medullary rays of the wood that is very attractive. Woodworkers love it when they see it because it has an unusual look and is very attractive and easy to work with," he adds.

Sycamore Best When Quarter-Sawn

Contemporary uses for American sycamore include lumber and veneer, paneling, interior.trim, furniture parts, slack cooperage and fuel. The wood is hard and almost impossible to split, so it has been used for butcher blocks for many years. Other uses include flooring and handles, boxes (especially those for holding food), pallets and fruit and vegetable baskets.

Talarico says he has sold quarter-sawn American sycamore for a number of years and has seen its popularity increase steadily. "In the last five years, it has taken off, but it isn't a widely sold wood. I have had to educate my loggers to look for it and cut it. The only way that it is attractive and useful for woodworking purposes 'is when it is quarter-sawn," he said.