Texture Browser

Botanical Name

Platanus acerifolia Willd. (Fam. Platanaceae)

Trade Names

Ahornblättrige Platane, Platanier, Sycamore, Platano, Europees platanen, European plane

Substitution

Indigenous to

Europe, with the exception of North- and Northeast Europe

Characteristics

The sapwood and the heartwood are not sharply divided. The sapwood is not very broad and a little lighter than the heartwood, which is reddish to pale blue, although some trunks have been found to have a darker heart. When the wood is steamed, it is ruby colored when freshly cut, and turns darker to brownish a little bit later. With the cross-section cut, the wood rays of the annual rings stand out. The European Plane is similar to the European Beech in this way. Its structure is straight grained, sometimes also wavy; the texture is very fine and constant. The growth layers are distinguishable.