Wood: The
wood is light brown, hard, moderately heavy and shock-resistant. Because
it is coarse-grained and hard to split, it is often used for butcher's blocks.
Other uses include flooring, veneer, boxes, crates, pallets and inner parts
of furniture.
Wildlife: The sycamore is of little food value to wildlife. The seedballs are utilized by squirrels and small rodents. The purple finch is the only bird that eats the seeds to a large extent. Beaver and fox squirrel feed on the bark. Old trees are often hollow and form important nest cavities and dens.
Horticulture: This tree is a faster grower than most native trees, with the exception of the poplars and the silver maple. This attractive tree is often planted as an ornamental in Iowa as it is more long-lived and has stronger wood than most other fast-growing trees. Although it is an impressive tree, its large size and the messiness of falling leaves, fruit and twigs may be a disadvantage. The London plane (Platanus X acerifolia), sometimes planted in the state, is a cross between this species and an oriental species. Its leaves are more deeply lobed and the seedballs occur in groups of 2 or 3, rather than solitary.
