Acer pseudoplatanus

Sycamore Maple

Pale, lustrous European hardwood with a creamy near-white surface. Often quartersawn to bring out ray fleck, and prized in curly form for violin and cello backs.

Grown commercially in EuropeFamily: Sapindaceae

Tree

Native to central and southern European mountain regions and broadly available across the EU. Acer pseudoplatanus is the species behind 'European sycamore' and 'great maple', and is the same tree sold in the UK timber trade as English sycamore. It is not related to American sycamore (Platanus).

Wood appearance

Sycamore maple runs creamy white to pale yellow with a fine, even texture and a soft natural sheen. Grain is usually straight, with occasional wavy or interlocked sections. Quartersawn boards show small ray fleck. The most sought-after cut is fiddleback — a tight, rippled curl that catches light across the board and has been used for violin, viola and cello backs since the Cremonese workshops of Stradivari and Guarneri.

Creamy white to pale yellow when freshly machined
Soft natural lustre, especially on quartersawn faces

Mechanical properties

Density (kg/m³)	570–660 kg/m³
Janka hardness (N)	4,400–5,000 N
MOR: modulus of rupture (MPa)	95–115 MPa
MOE: modulus of elasticity (GPa)	9.5–11.5 GPa
Radial shrinkage	4.0–5.5 %
Tangential shrinkage	7.5–9.0 %
Volumetric shrinkage	11.5–13.5 %
Natural durability (EN 350)	Class 5 — Perishable

Working with it

1 = difficult · 5 = excellent

Works well across the board. Saws, planes, sands and glues cleanly, and turns excellently — it is a long-standing choice for treen, bowls and tool handles. Curly and fiddleback stock will tear out under straight blades; use sharp tooling, light cuts and a high cutting angle, or sand through grits. Screws and holds fastenings without splitting at sensible pilot sizes.

Sawing
Planing
Sanding
Turning
Carving
Gluing
Screw / nail hold
Steam bending

Drying

Dries fairly quickly but is prone to fungal staining and grey discolouration if left in stick during warm, humid weather. The traditional remedy is to fell in winter and end-rack boards vertically so air moves across both faces. Tangential shrinkage of 7.5–9.0% against radial 4.0–5.5% gives a moderate T/R ratio, so quartersawn stock stays flatter in service. Acclimatise indoors before machining final dimensions.

Finishing

The pale colour is part of the appeal, so most makers stay with water-based or hardwax oil finishes that keep the surface near-white. Oil-based and polyurethane finishes warm the wood toward straw yellow. Expect a slow ambering shift under UV regardless — pieces stored in shade stay paler for longer. Sands cleanly to a high polish. On figured stock, a thin coat of dilute shellac before the topcoat lifts the chatoyance.

Durability and safety

Class 5 — Perishable
Food contact safe
Dust irritant: wear PPE

Food-contact safe and a classic European choice for butcher blocks, chopping boards and kitchen treen. Maple dust is a known respiratory sensitiser and is listed as a carcinogen in some jurisdictions — extract at the tool and wear a fitted P3 mask when sanding or routing.

Best uses

Violin, viola and cello backs, sides and necks (fiddleback stock)
Kitchen worktops, butcher blocks and chopping boards
Light-toned furniture, cabinetry and shelving
Turned bowls, treen and tool handles
Interior joinery, stair parts and panelling
Marquetry and inlay where a near-white ground is needed

Pairs and substitutes

Pairs well with

Often substituted for

Sourcing and sustainability

Grown commercially in Europe
IUCN: LC — Least Concern

IUCN Least Concern, no CITES listing, and grown across European managed forests, so FSC or PEFC stock is straightforward to source. Decay class 5 under EN 350 means it is perishable and strictly an interior timber — no exterior joinery, no ground contact, no wet rooms without a sealed assembly.

Buyer questions

Is Sycamore Maple a good choice for furniture?

Sycamore Maple is best matched to projects such as Violin, viola and cello backs, sides and necks (fiddleback stock), Kitchen worktops, butcher blocks and chopping boards, Light-toned furniture, cabinetry and shelving, Turned bowls, treen and tool handles, Interior joinery, stair parts and panelling, Marquetry and inlay where a near-white ground is needed. The final choice should consider grain, finish, movement allowance, and the room where the piece will live.

How hard is Sycamore Maple?

The listed Janka value is 4,680 N and the density is 615 kg/m³. Use these as comparison signals, not as a guarantee of how a finished surface will wear.

What should I check before buying Sycamore Maple slabs online?

Check measured length, width stations, thickness, drying method, moisture notes, colour variation, defects, and origin. Compare the measured outline against the finished drawing before reserving the slab.