> Hardwoods > Sapindaceae > Acer > floridanum
Common Name(s): Florida maple, southern sugar maple, hammock maple
Scientific Name: Acer floridanum
Distribution: Southeastern United States
Average Dried Weight: 42.3 lbs/ft3 (675 kg/m3)*
*Density based on a single sample tested
Janka Hardness: 1,240 lbf (5,110 N)*
*Estimated hardness based on specific gravity
Comments: Sometimes called southern sugar maple, this medium-sized tree has sometimes been treated as a subspecies of sugar maple—Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum. Like its more popular kin, Florida maple has dense and hard wood essentially on par with hard maple—though its slightly smaller size and more scarce occurrence have meant it’s not generally treated as a commercial lumber species.
Note: This is a truncated profile page. If you have any helpful info or experience with this wood species, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to integrate any relevant data when I expand the page. ~Eric
Images: Drag the slider up/down to toggle between raw and finished wood.
Identification: See the article on Hardwood Anatomy for definitions of endgrain features.
> Hardwoods > Sapindaceae > Acer > Related species
Related Content:
I was a landscape architect and contractor for many years and in the trade the tree was marketed as acer barbatum “Florida sugar maple”. like its relative, it was not suited for street planting but it reputedly withstood southern heat/humidity better and was a compact, handsome tree with good fall color. Some examples at https://www.donaldlewisworksinwood.com
Hi Eric,
Cool addition to the database. I’ve carved it and both green and cured. This database doesn’t really touch on greenwood characteristics but it carves really nicely despite going through curls or other figuring with sharp gouges when green. When hard it’s much more difficult to hand tool. How this helps. I can play with some and glue it up. Or if you want some I can send you some rough bits I have left over.
Thanks Cara, I generally only have need for a single sample of each species — otherwise things in my wood collection would start to get out of hand in a hurry! But if you wanted to share photos of a finished piece made of Florida maple, that would be helpful! Thanks.