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Article: American red gum trees yield two distinct wood looks. (Wood of the Month).(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Wood & Wood Products
- Article date:
- June 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Vance Publishing Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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American sweet gum trees are important sources of lumber and veneer in the United States but the heartwood and sapwood are marketed separately. Usually the heartwood is sold as red gum while the less commercially valuable sapwood is called sap gum.
Red gum and sap gum are not strong enough for use as a structural timber, according to Donald Culross Peattie in his book A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America. Instead, red gum and sap gum are popular choices for a variety of uses such as wall paneling, cabinetry and furniture fruit boxes, doors, millwork, strips and mouldings, turnings, flooring, crafting material, barrels and rail ties. It ...