American sap gum is an important and diverse group of hardwoods, often undervalued and growing sustainably throughout the Eastern USA, particularly in the South. American gum trees are large with straight trunks and Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data shows that they account for 5.0% of total U.S. hardwood growing stock. While 12.9 million m³ are harvested every year, more than 20 million m³ of American gum grows across the U.S forests during the same period. It has a fine uniform texture, but has irregular grain, usually interlocked, often with an attractive grain figure. The wood of gum is only moderately hard, stiff and heavy, making it easy to work with both hand and machine tools.