Preferred term

Maple

Definition

The maple belongs to the genus 'Acer' of the Aceraceae family. It grows in the northern hemisphere, in Europe, Asia Minor and Iran and North America. The wood is varied in colour, very white, sometimes tinged with light brown, pink or yellow, with small pores, distinct rings and streaks. Its grain can have many irregularities: small knots (speckled wood), stripes (brindled wood) or curls (wavy grain). It has a medium to fine grain and is a semi-hard, heavy wood with good mechanical strength but poor durability. Hard maple is found particularly in the northern United States and southern Canada, while soft maple grows further south and needs more favourable soils near rivers or lakes. Maple is used for fine furniture, high quality furniture, often in veneers when the grain is irregular, cabinets, flooring, shoe trees and musical instruments.