This is story of strange coincidence and fun discovery. About a year ago my friend Jon Dale "Jupiter Ukuleles", sent me a set of lovely sycamore wood from a tree that had grown near his home. It's intriguing figure and other qualities has made it one of his favorite woods. Recently I was given a few chunks of what was described as "Lacewood". It resembled sycamore quite a bit. I recently had a fascinating conversation with my friend John Wesselink, a true tree expert-
The revelation- "lacewood" is really the wood from the London Plane tree.
The revelation- "lacewood" is really the wood from the London Plane tree.
Here they are- side by side. Do they look related?- You bet they are, and here is the story.
The London Plane tree that for more than one hundred years has been the street tree of Europe and more recently the U.S. is a hybrid of the Oriental Plane tree and the North American Sycamore. Both trees were planted in near proximity in a London garden park, and they hybridized. The result was the London Plane. The Oriental Plane is a native of Turkey. The American Sycamore, a east coast native. How odd that it's hybridization should result in the great street tree London Plane, and its interesting wood called Lacewood. I think I will build a uke from each.
