# Hard maple

> Hard maple, mainly sugar maple (Acer saccharum), is a pale, fine-textured North American hardwood and harder than American white oak, red oak and black walnut on The Wood Database figures. It is used in homes and in sports and dance floors, but its shrinkage is high and it can blotch when stained. Soft maple is a different, softer group that AHEC does not recommend for flooring.

Source page: https://www.misterendgrain.com/species/hard-maple/
Updated: 2026-11-03

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Acer saccharum (sugar maple); the hard maple group also includes A. nigrum (black maple) [4] |
| Other names | Sugar maple, rock maple [1] |
| Janka hardness | 1,450 lbf (6,450 N) [1] |
| Side hardness at 12 % moisture content (modified Janka test) | 1,450 lbf (6,400 N) [4] |
| Density | 705 kg/m³ (44.0 lbs/ft³) average dried weight [1] |
| Density, second source | 705 kg/m³ and specific gravity 0.63 at 12 % moisture content [5] |
| Shrinkage, green to ovendry | Radial 4.8 %, tangential 9.9 %, volumetric 14.7 % (sugar maple) [4] |
| Origin | Northeastern North America [1] |

Hard maple is the commercial name for a pale North American hardwood, mainly sugar maple (*Acer saccharum*). The Wood Database lists it at 1,450 lbf (6,450 N) on the Janka scale and 705 kg/m³ average dried weight [1]. It is used for homes and for sports floors alike, with a fine, even texture that AHEC says finishes to a very smooth surface [5], and that can blotch when stained [1].

## What is hard maple?

The Wood Handbook says hard maple includes sugar maple (*Acer saccharum*) and black maple (*A. nigrum*), that sugar maple is also known as rock maple, and that lumber is manufactured principally in the Middle Atlantic and Great Lakes states, which together account for about two-thirds of production [4]. AHEC lists the Latin name as *Acer saccharum*, with sugar maple, rock maple and black maple as other common names [5]. The Wood Database describes a tree 80 to 115 ft (25 to 35 m) tall, growing in northeastern North America [1]. AHEC calls it a cold-climate species that favours the more northern states, and notes that the trees are also farmed for maple syrup [5].

## What does hard maple look like?

The Wood Database says the sapwood, which is the part most commonly used, ranges from nearly white to an off-white cream, sometimes with a reddish or golden hue, while the heartwood is a darker reddish brown. The grain is generally straight, though it may be wavy, with a fine, even texture; birdseye, curly and quilted figure can occur [1]. The Wood Handbook describes commonly white sapwood with a slight reddish-brown tinge, 8 to 12 cm (3 to 5 in.) wide, and heartwood that is usually light reddish brown [4]. AHEC notes that white sapwood lumber can be selected, that both sapwood and heartwood may contain pith fleck, and that the wood darkens on exposure to light with time [5].

Grading follows colour as well as defects. NWFA/NOFMA defines Clear Hard Maple as special stock selected for uniformity of colour, almost ivory white, with 95 % sapwood on the face. Its Select & Better grade treats the natural colour of the wood as not a defect and admits bird's eyes and small burls [6]. The same standard states that appearance alone determines grade, since all grades are equally strong and serviceable [6].

## How hard and dense is hard maple?

| Source | Hardness | Density |
|---|---|---|
| The Wood Database | 1,450 lbf (6,450 N), Janka | 705 kg/m³ average dried weight [1] |
| USDA Wood Handbook | Side hardness 1,450 lbf (6,400 N) at 12 % moisture | Specific gravity 0.63 at 12 % [4] |
| AHEC | 6,450 N | 705 kg/m³ and specific gravity 0.63 at 12 % [5] |

The Wood Database gives specific gravity as 0.56 (basic) and 0.71 (at 12 % moisture content) [1], so check which basis a datasheet is using. The Wood Handbook defines hardness as resistance to indentation measured with a modified Janka test [4]. Using The Wood Database's own figures, hard maple is harder than American white oak at 1,350 lbf [2] and black walnut at 1,010 lbf [3]. See our guide to [Janka hardness](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/janka-hardness-explained/) for what that does and does not mean for a floor, and compare [American white oak](https://www.misterendgrain.com/species/american-white-oak/) and [black walnut](https://www.misterendgrain.com/species/black-walnut/).

AHEC describes hard maple as hard and heavy with good strength, and with high resistance to abrasion and wear [5]. The Wood Handbook describes it as heavy, strong, stiff, hard and resistant to shock, with high shrinkage [4].

## How much does hard maple move?

The Wood Handbook gives shrinkage from green to ovendry of 4.8 % radially, 9.9 % tangentially and 14.7 % volumetrically for sugar maple [4]. The Wood Database lists the same figures plus a tangential-to-radial ratio of 1.9 [1]. AHEC gives an average volume shrinkage of 11.9 % from green to 6 % moisture content [5]; this uses a different end point from the Handbook's ovendry figure, so the two are not directly comparable. Hard maple is a dense wood with high shrinkage, and the Wood Handbook notes that shrinkage and swelling can lead to gaps in flooring [4]. Boards need conditioning to the room before fitting, as explained in [moisture and acclimatisation](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/moisture-and-acclimatisation/).

## How does hard maple take stain and finish?

AHEC says hard maple can be easily sanded, stained and polished to a very fine and smooth finish [5]. The Wood Database adds that blotches can occur when staining, and that a pre-conditioner, gel stain or toner may be needed for an even colour [1]. Because of this, test any stain on an offcut first, and see [wood floor finishes](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/wood-floor-finishes/) for the main coating types and their effects on colour.

## Where is hard maple used in flooring?

The Wood Database lists flooring, including basketball courts, dance floors, bowling alleys and residential floors, among the uses of hard maple [1]. The Wood Handbook says a large proportion is manufactured into flooring, including bowling alleys and dance and gymnasium floors [4]. AHEC calls it a preferred species for flooring, including sports floors, bowling alleys and worktops, and describes it as highly suitable for all types of flooring, including high-traffic public buildings [5]. The NWFA lists hard (sugar) maple among the most common domestic species for solid hardwood flooring in the United States [7]. For more on boards, see [solid wood flooring](https://www.misterendgrain.com/flooring/solid-wood/).

## Is soft maple the same thing?

No. AHEC treats soft maple (*Acer rubrum* and *A. macrophyllum*) as a separate group, states that it is about 25 % less hard than hard maple and says it is not recommended for flooring or work tops [5]. When you see a floor sold simply as maple, ask whether it is hard maple. For a European comparison, see [European beech](https://www.misterendgrain.com/species/european-beech/).

## Is hard maple sustainable?

AHEC's inventory figures show U.S. hard maple growing stock of 955.4 million m³ (6.5 % of total U.S. hardwood growing stock), growth of 19.1 million m³ a year against a harvest of 10.2 million m³, and growth exceeding harvest in all major supplying states except Maine. In Maine, AHEC says harvests have been high relative to growth, mainly because of extraction for pulpwood and bioenergy and because maple-dominated forests are slowly being replaced by softwood forest types [5]. AHEC is a trade body promoting American hardwood, so these are industry-reported figures drawn from U.S. Forest Service inventory data. The Wood Database reports that hard maple is not listed in the CITES Appendices [1].

## Frequently asked questions

### How hard is hard maple?

The Wood Database lists hard maple (Acer saccharum) at 1,450 lbf (6,450 N) on the Janka scale [1]. The USDA Wood Handbook gives a side hardness of 1,450 lbf (6,400 N) at 12 % moisture content [4], and AHEC gives 6,450 N [5].

### Is hard maple the same as sugar maple?

Largely yes. The Wood Database lists sugar maple and rock maple as other names for hard maple (Acer saccharum) [1]. The Wood Handbook says the hard maple group includes sugar maple and black maple (A. nigrum) [4], and AHEC names Acer saccharum for its American hard maple [5].

### Why can maple look blotchy when stained?

The Wood Database notes that blotches can occur when staining maple, and that a pre-conditioner, gel stain or toner may be needed for an even colour [1]. Test on an offcut first.

### Is soft maple suitable for floors?

AHEC states that soft maple is about 25 % less hard than hard maple and is not recommended for flooring or work tops [5].

### Does hard maple darken over time?

AHEC notes that the wood darkens on exposure to light with time [5].

### Is hard maple sourced sustainably?

AHEC reports U.S. hard maple growing stock of 955.4 million m³ and growth of 19.1 million m³ a year against a harvest of 10.2 million m³. Growth exceeds harvest in all major supplying states except Maine, where harvests have been high relative to growth [5].

## Sources

1. [Hard Maple](https://www.wood-database.com/hard-maple/), The Wood Database, accessed 2026-11-03
2. [White Oak](https://www.wood-database.com/white-oak/), The Wood Database, accessed 2026-11-03
3. [Black Walnut](https://www.wood-database.com/black-walnut/), The Wood Database, accessed 2026-11-03
4. [Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-282), chapters 2, 4 and 5](https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/62200.pdf), USDA Forest Products Laboratory, accessed 2026-11-03
5. [A Guide to Sustainable American Hardwoods (2nd edition, 2024)](https://www.americanhardwood.org/sites/default/files/publications/download/2024-05/AHEC_Species_Guide_2024_2ndEdition_English.pdf), American Hardwood Export Council, accessed 2026-11-03
6. [NWFA/NOFMA International Standards for Unfinished Solid Wood Flooring (revised April 2018)](https://nwfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NWFA-NOFMA-Unfinished-Standard-Final-April-2018.pdf), National Wood Flooring Association, accessed 2026-11-03
7. [Environmental Product Declaration: industry average solid wood flooring](https://nwfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Solid_Wood_Flooring_EPD.pdf), National Wood Flooring Association, accessed 2026-11-03