Bigleaf Maple
Acer macrophyllum · Hardwood · North America
Properties
| Janka hardness | 850 lbf (3,781 N) |
|---|---|
| Average dried weight (est.) | 30 lb/ft³ (480 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity | 0.48 |
| Modulus of rupture | 10,700 psi (73.8 MPa) |
| Modulus of elasticity | 1.45 million psi (10.00 GPa) |
| Crushing strength | 5,950 psi (41.0 MPa) |
| Shrinkage — radial | 3.7% |
| Shrinkage — tangential | 7.1% |
| Shrinkage — volumetric | 11.6% |
| Shrinkage T/R ratio | 1.9 |
Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5–3b p. 5–10; shrinkage Table 4–3 p. 4–8.
Bigleaf maple is the only soft maple that grows on the Pacific Coast. Its wood looks much like hard maple but is not as heavy, hard, or strong.
Appearance & grain
In the soft maples, heartwood and sapwood look similar to those of hard maple, with the sapwood somewhat lighter in color than the heartwood.
Workability
As a soft maple, the wood resembles hard maple in general character but is lighter and less hard and strong. Its dataset hardness is 850 lbf (Janka), in the middle range for a utility hardwood.
Common uses
- Railroad crossties
- Boxes
- Pallets
- Crates
- Furniture
- Veneer
- Wooden ware
- Novelties
Conservation: IUCN Red List: Least Concern (checked 2026-10-24).
