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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Distribution Overview Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Trade Name Tree Size Scientific Name Acer negundo Trade Name Box elder Family Name Aceraceae Common Names Ashleaf maple, Boxelder, Manitoba maple, Maple Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Building materials, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Trimming, Turnery, Utility furniture, Wainscotting, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Abundant/Secure Status unknown in many of its growth areas Distribution Overview Boxelder is widespread in riparian and palustrine communities throughout most of the contiguous United States. Its range extends from New Jersey and central New York west through extreme southern Ontario, central Michigan, northern Minnesota, central Manitoba, central Saskstchewan,southern Alberta and central Montana, eastern Wyoming, Utah, and California; and south to southern Texas and central Florida. It is also local in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Idaho, and Nevada. Boxelder has been naturalized in Maine, southern Quebec, NewBrunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and in southeastern Washington and eastern Oregon. Varieties of boxelder occur in the mountains of Mexico (Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, and south to Chihuahua) and in Guatemala. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Yellowish brown Streaks of coral red from a soluble pigment produced by a fungus are occasionally present in the wood. The yellowish-brown heartwood merges slowly into the greenish-yellow sapwood. Sapwood Color Green/Grey Yellow Greenish-yellow Grain Closed Even Wavy Straight Straight May be wavy or curly Closed Soft, porous wood. Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Susceptible to insect attack Very little natural resistance Susceptible to insect attack The standing tree is prone to heart rot, and is usually attacked by an insect called the boxelder bug Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules 8 - D4 (4/4); T6 - C3 (8/4) U Ease of Drying Slowly Reconditioning Treatement Little degrade Dries slowly with little degrade Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m The bole is rather short and is often divided into several irregular limbs, which give the tree a rounded shapely crown. Product Sources Occasionally mixed with other soft maples and sold as such. It is ordinarily not harvested for timber, and cannot be classified as commercially available. The tree grows abundantly in some areas and is available for small projects, as may be undertaken by hobbyists. Red-streaked Boxelder wood is popular with woodworkers for certain specific applications. Blunting Effect Moderate Medium effect Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Gluing properties are variable Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Excellent Stability - Small Movement Retains shape well after manufacture Dimensionally stable Nailing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory nailing properties Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Responds well to both hand and machine tools Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Heartwood is moderately resistant Sapwood is treatable Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Easy to Work Satisfactorily Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Good Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Excellent results Staining Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Stains very well Strength Properties Weight= medium Density = average Bending strength (MOR) = low Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Density 29 lbs/ft3 Specific Gravity 0.42 Weight 25 20. lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric Density 464 kg/m3 Specific Gravity 0.42 References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin Kline, M. 1986. Acer negundo - Boxelder. In A Guide to Useful Wood of the World, Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 15-16. Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Western Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.