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Small Cabin Forum / Nature / What kind of tree is this?
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SE Ohio
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 14:50 - Edited by: SE Ohio
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Just had a tree topple at my southern OH place. If it is "worthy", e.g. oak, etc it may become firewood. Any ideas what this is?
Is this good firewood?
Is this good firewood?
Another view
Another view


MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 15:37
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Don't know what it is, but to me if it is free for the cutting / taking, then it makes good firewood. All wood has about the same BTU's per pound once seasoned. So the denser the wood the more BTU's per volume. But if it's free who's counting?

SE Ohio
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 16:46
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Mtn Don,

I have a fair amount of wood to choose from, so I can afford to be picky . I've got a fair amount of aspen that is dry but doesn't burn very well. I have some walnut, cherry and locust I can cut, all of which seem to burn very well. Prefer to get my exercise cutting premium wood!

beachman
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 17:05
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It looks like either poplar or maple. Hard to tell. I am looking at it from a Northern perspective. If it's poplar - let it rot. If it's maple, cut Iraq up as it will make great firewood. If it's birdseye maple, sell the logs for big bucks.

VC_fan
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 17:25
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I'm near you and have a lot of these and it's pretty common for them to fall over. I've been told they're red maples.

Woodweavil
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 17:27
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It's definately not poplar, it doesn't look like maple either. It looks like red oak but I'd have to see a cross cut of it or the leaf from it.

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 18:02
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Quoting: SE Ohio
I can afford to be picky



Good situation to be in. Makes a great gift for someone if you don't use it then. That's how we get rid of the wood we don't need or want.

SE Ohio
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 18:18
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Woodweevil,

Sorry but it toppled pre-leaf emergence. I can try and match up the bark with another tree and see if the leaves say "oak" in a few weeks.

Would love to be able to gift wood, but cabin time is only the occasional weekend, and the time flies! Last visit was three days and we didn't get to everything on our list. Gotta keep the family happy at the cabin!

ErinsMom
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 18:56
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With the one leaf cluster in front, I think oak.....

Just
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 21:11
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its a dead white ash, makes good fire wood easy to split . it was probably killed by emerald ash bore look for small holes in the lower bark..

Nirky
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2014 21:52
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Put me down for white oak.

SE Ohio
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2014 09:57
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Thanks everyone for the responses!

I've attached another picture that shows a broken section. Does not appear to have a red oak "tint".

The leaves showing in the picture are from a sapling. Downed tree is showing no sign of buds.

I'm hoping for maple or ash (will check for emerald ash borer holes) . I guess I'll get a "feel" for it when do a test cut with the chainsaw. If I discover the wood type I'll post here.
Broken section of tree
Broken section of tree


Smawgunner
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2014 10:43
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I was going to guess Poplar.

VTweekender
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2014 11:18
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I believe Just is correct, white Ash.........they have Ash quarantined here in my county because of the Ash Borer.....Cut Ash can't be transported across the county lines.

old243
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2014 11:31
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looks like poplar , to me. Of course I was wrong ,one other time. I will cut and burn any kind of wood. Currently cleaning up some dead and dying elms. Dutch elm disease is sweeping through our area just now.
old243

adakseabee
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2014 17:19
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The large downed tree with smooth bark towards the top of the tree and on smaller branches while the bark on the larger trunk the bark is furrowed is Quaking Aspen, also known as Trembling Aspen and Golden Aspen. It is the most widely distributed tree in North America from Alaska to Newfoundland and south to Virginia, and in the Rockies south to Arizona and New Mexico, from sea level to elevations as high as 10,000 feet above sea level. It is a pioneer tree after fires and logging and on abandoned fields. replaced over time by conifers and more valuable hardwoods like maple, oak, and cherry. The leaves, about the size of a silver dollar, of this species flutter in a breeze with a distinctive sound.

This species is often mistaken as Bigtooth Aspen, also known as Largetooth Aspen and Poplar. Bigtooth Aspen's bark is greenish, smooth, thin, becoming dark brown into flat, scaly ridges. The mature bark in the photos is furrowed, not segmented into flat, scaly ridges.

The small tree visible in the first two photos that is bent over and has some new growth on it is a maple, probably a red maple, identified by the paired forking keys with the red stems. Examination of the mature leaves would be necessary for me to confirm this as the paired forking keys are not clearly shown in the photos.

Don_P
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2014 22:55
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Aspen poplar (popple) and tulip tree poplar (litiodendron tulipifera) are two trees that get us into trouble talking trees on the net.

I'll throw my vote in and agree, it's a dead tree

Looks like an ash to me too, and do agree, don't move the bugs out of the area.

SE Ohio
Member
# Posted: 23 Apr 2014 08:13
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I promise I won't move the wood any further than the wood stove . Our county (Vinton) is nearly surrounded by counties that already have the emerald ash borer. Will have it soon if it hasn't snuck in already.

OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 23 Apr 2014 19:12
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I don't think it's an ash. It looks like our Balm-of-gilliad. It's a softer poplar. I'm not sure you have then down there so maybe it's cotton wood. Please let us know if you ever find out.

Owen

creeky
Member
# Posted: 23 Apr 2014 19:28
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I'm going with cotton wood. Poplars etc are all cottonwoods. You can usually spot 'em as they have rough bark below but as they get higher the bark turns smoother. Like a birch.

i hate 'em. they're everywhere. dropping branches. falling over. great for woodpeckers tho.

it's a soft wood. i imagine it would be good for carving. book shelves. that sort of thing.

you burn walnut, cherry and locust for fires. where's the eye bugging out smilie.

old243
Member
# Posted: 24 Apr 2014 10:45
Reply 


poplar, also makes excellent 'paint grade trim. I saw and dry, if I can find good stuff. A lot of our local poplar, especially on lower ground is, balm of gilliad,bam, tends to be shaky, You can burn it ,and I do, not as long lasting as hard maple. old243

Don_P
Member
# Posted: 26 Apr 2014 22:34
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This is a good dendro bookmark;
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/factsheets.cfm

Sustainusfarm
Member
# Posted: 27 Apr 2014 22:13
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I'm gonna guess maple...check the ground for leaves from last year...do you see any maple seeds with the wings on the ground from last year?

buksnbears
Member
# Posted: 28 Apr 2014 07:27
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thats my quess also.

morock
Member
# Posted: 19 May 2014 20:14
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Looks like poplar to me. Does it smell bad after you cut it? Not a nice wood smell, then its poplar.

SE Ohio
Member
# Posted: 27 Oct 2014 10:08 - Edited by: SE Ohio
Reply 


Just cut off a few hunks of tree in question. Wood seems soft and poplar-ish. Couldn't really smell much. Will split and dry some for outdoor firepit, and save the cherry wood for woodstove.
Mystery tree x section
Mystery tree x section


OwenChristensen
Member
# Posted: 27 Oct 2014 20:20
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Balm of gilead

Dobie
Member
# Posted: 30 Oct 2014 10:39 - Edited by: Dobie
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that is not maple or ash or oak. those trees have ridged bark. this tree has skin like bark.

99% bet its poplar , the only way it would be aspen is if the bark was a lighter colour. maybe your pics are dark but from here it looks like poplar .

Ash and oak and maple don't fall that easy. especially oak. opposite branches would be the maples, that is ash, boxelder, sugar maple, those are all maples, if the branches are alternate its not a maple.
brnaches.jpg
brnaches.jpg


FishHog
Member
# Posted: 30 Oct 2014 10:50
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we call that Popular in Ontario. Junk wood for fires.

Dobie
Member
# Posted: 30 Oct 2014 20:52
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Yup and smells like crap when cutting it. But for free who cares. I'd burn it outside.

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