{"id":1132,"date":"2015-11-29T04:00:17","date_gmt":"2015-11-29T08:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/?p=1132"},"modified":"2015-11-29T04:00:17","modified_gmt":"2015-11-29T08:00:17","slug":"big-leaf-maple-burl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/big-leaf-maple-burl\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Leaf Maple Burl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The information presented below is accurate for Big Leaf Maple wood, the species from which the burl I made this bowl with was harvested. However, having said that, very little of the character of the tree itself can be transferred to the burl form because burls oftentimes behave in ways completely different from the tree from which they are derived and harvested. In many ways, burls are a species unto themselves regardless of which species tree they grow out from.<\/p>\n
Geographical Distribution<\/h2>\n
The proper scientific designation for the tree commonly known as the Big Leaf Maple is Acer<\/em> macrophyllum<\/em>. For those who might have read my numerous other posts about various types and forms of Maple, you are likely to recognize that this is a “true” Maple as it belongs to the Acer<\/em> genus. A<\/em>. macrophyllum<\/em>, as the common and Latin names imply, is known for its enormous leaves, the largest by far in the Acer<\/em> genus, which can reach up to 12” in width.<\/p>\n
A<\/em>. macrophyllum<\/em> is the only Acer<\/em> species native to the western parts of the North American continent. Several other Acer<\/em> species are found in the eastern and Midwestern portions but these do not cross the Rocky Mountains. A. macrophyllum<\/em> is native to a very narrow band of the Pacific coastal areas ranging from the southernmost reaches of Alaska, along the coast of British Columbia, and on down as far south as northern California. There are also limited populations that extend further down the Pacific coastline of California as far south as Orange, and potentially even San Diego, counties. There are also isolated populations located in the southern Cascade ranges and the northern Sierra Nevada where the two ranges overlap, especially around the Yuba River of northern California. Very small and isolated stands exist in Idaho as well.<\/p>\n