The Sycamore is a hardwood tree found primarily in the eastern United States and Canada. Average height of the American sycamore is between 130 and 165 feet and trunk diameters have a maximum diameter of 10 feet. The sapwood is whitish to light yellow or reddish brown in color, while the heartwood is light to dark brown or red in color, but is sometimes difficult to distinguish. This native hardwood tree is a long-lived specimen with lifetimes often exceeding 500 years, although many trees become hollow after 200-300 years. Average weight is 35 pounds per cubic foot.

Sycamore wood is generally either quartered or flat-sawn and is widely used as a veneer for fruit and vegetable baskets and also indoor paneling. Other uses include sugar and flour barrels, cigar boxes, crates, pallets, and furniture. It is used by woodworkers making high-end furniture or for architectural uses such as cabinetry. It has been used for butcher blocks for many years.

Sycamore is classified as moderate in weight, hardness, stiffness, shock resistance, strength in bending, endwise compression, and nail holding ability. It has a close texture, glues well, and resists splitting due to interlocked grain. It holds its shape well after steaming and machines well, but requires high speed cutter heads to prevent chipping. It shrinks moderately in drying and is inclined to warp when flat sawn. It is odorless, stain free, and tasteless.