Mystery Tree / Wood (lots of Picts)

**skyphix** · 10-16-2006, 01:31 PM

Looks an awful lot like one of the Sycamores - either California or Arizona.

Just going by a pocket guide I've got here...

Edit: It appears that my ID here would agree with the ID In the other thread you posted as well.

**Sawduster** · 10-16-2006, 01:52 PM

Sycamore does seem a good probability on this one. Going on the leaves alone, I ran through two or three tree identification flow charts and came up with one or another maple, but the bark doesn't work on those. A sycamore of some sort with the rough older bark on the trunk, then the smooth newer bark up on the branches.

**BradTheNailer** · 10-16-2006, 01:53 PM

David,

I'm about 99% sure that's a Sycamore Tree. and I also believe it's not an American Sycamore, but a European Sycamore tree or better known as a Sycamore Maple. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycamore_Maple

The middle pic of the wood you have in the other thread...the flack rays look just like sycamore,but the wood looks a bit to dark for an American Sycamore. The bark looks like sycamore, the leafs do as well, but the leafs don't look as large as an American sycamore. Do you recall if the leafs were very large? The American Sycamore bears the largest leaf of any native tree in North American. I also noticed in one of your pics, it shows the bark to be "staining" or "bleeding" on the limbs of the tree, that is something a sycamore is known for.

The one thing that has me stumped is that I don't see the large balls (fruit balls) a sycamore bears. It could be because of the time of year the pics were taken, or, I believe (not sure though) that a European Sycamore doesn't bear the large balls like an American Sycamore. I believe the European Sycamore trees have the "helicopter" type seeds or fruits.

But I'm almost sure that is a Sycamore Tree/wood

HTH!

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I've cut it three times and it's still too short!"

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**dbriski** · 10-16-2006, 02:26 PM

Thanks guys, whenever I went through those websites to identify it and looked at their pictures they never seemed quite right. The leaves were probably about the size of my hand so like 7-8" long or so, maybe bigger. I'll go with you guys that its Sycamore. I never did see any pods or seeds or anything, but likely because its fall.

So is Sycamore a good wood for turning? :)

Does the Red color in the wood go away when it dries? All the Pictures I am seeing of Sycamore is a creamy-white / Maple like Color.

**dcarter636** · 10-16-2006, 04:02 PM

I used to hunt and fish a lot in that area and never saw any fruit like pods on the Sycamores that grow in the Piru or Sespe drainage areas.

**dale armbruster** · 10-16-2006, 04:06 PM

W/O a dought, MAPLE.

They are all over here in Wisc.

The leaves and the fruit/seed pods give it away. Have one in my front yard.

Dale

**jo_dad** · 10-16-2006, 04:59 PM

Sure looks like a red maple to me.

**TDHofstetter** · 10-16-2006, 07:36 PM

Well... I do think we're generally in agreement that it's of genus Acer. Exactly what SPECIES of that genus - now THERE is the question.

EDIT: Pretty much any wood of the genus turns well, from boxelder through sugar maple... and including the sycamores.

-- Tim --

Veni, vidi, vici
I came, I saw, I hammered.

:)

**dbriski** · 06-02-2010, 09:29 AM

Can anyone help me identify this tree/wood. I saw this tree on at a rest stop on the Grapevine in So Cal yesterday and its the same tree as the wood I got last week (http://www.woodworking.com/dcforum/D...ID8/10763.html)

Thanks,
David