In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Wood ID

Discussion in 'The Wood Pile' started by jrider, Jun 2, 2020.

  1. jrider

    jrider

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2018
    Messages:
    5,828
    Likes Received:
    40,373
    Location:
    NJ
    This got dropped off from the tree company that brings me most of my wood. It’s very heavy and pretty sure it will stay that way once dried. It’s hard but splits easy.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. farmer steve

    farmer steve

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2016
    Messages:
    1,966
    Likes Received:
    14,375
    Location:
    top of the hill york co. PA.
    Norway maple is my best guess.
     
  3. jrider

    jrider

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2018
    Messages:
    5,828
    Likes Received:
    40,373
    Location:
    NJ
    Never seen a Norway maple with bark like this. At first I was like oh look, tree of heaven based on the bark alone
     
  4. my best swag guess is paulownia tree wood
     
  5. jrider

    jrider

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2018
    Messages:
    5,828
    Likes Received:
    40,373
    Location:
    NJ
    This stuff is heavy and bark is much smoother
     
  6. farmer steve

    farmer steve

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2016
    Messages:
    1,966
    Likes Received:
    14,375
    Location:
    top of the hill york co. PA.
    After looking at the pics on the puter, tree of heaven is a good possibility. I think i remember splitting some one time and it had a bad smell. Could be heavy when green.
     
  7. buZZsaw BRAD

    buZZsaw BRAD

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2019
    Messages:
    32,640
    Likes Received:
    199,592
    Location:
    North Haven, Connecticut
    bark looks like TOH. Wood texture sort of has an oak type look. Did it smell like oak at all?
     
  8. ReelFaster

    ReelFaster

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2016
    Messages:
    2,670
    Likes Received:
    18,312
    Location:
    S.Jersey
    Looks an awful lot like the tree of heaven stuff I got not long ago and posted on here

    Small Scores & an ID
     
  9. jrider

    jrider

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2018
    Messages:
    5,828
    Likes Received:
    40,373
    Location:
    NJ
    It had an earthy smell
     
  10. jrider

    jrider

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2018
    Messages:
    5,828
    Likes Received:
    40,373
    Location:
    NJ
    I agree that it looks very much like that but I’ve always read that was terrible firewood. This didn’t cut like poor grade softwoods and is really heavy.
     
  11. Midwinter

    Midwinter

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2017
    Messages:
    19,846
    Likes Received:
    130,472
    Location:
    Nashua, NH
  12. jo191145

    jo191145

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Messages:
    6,953
    Likes Received:
    47,832
    Location:
    Ct
    Looks like TOH to me.
     
  13. mr.finn

    mr.finn

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2014
    Messages:
    603
    Likes Received:
    2,625
    Location:
    Mass
    Bark looks an awful lot like Tree of heaven. Never handled or split it though.
     
  14. jrider

    jrider

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2018
    Messages:
    5,828
    Likes Received:
    40,373
    Location:
    NJ
    Nah. I’ve cut some of that before
     
  15. jrider

    jrider

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2018
    Messages:
    5,828
    Likes Received:
    40,373
    Location:
    NJ
    Here’s the thing with it being or not being tree of heaven - everyone says it’s absolute junk wood but this stuff is heavy and dense. I am pretty sure it will still be heavy when it dries but I could be wrong. The stump piece is about 18-20” long, 20”-24” in diameter as it flares out and two of us can’t pick it up without really straining. Is that normal for tree of heaven?
     
  16. Stumpy75

    Stumpy75

    Joined:
    Nov 15, 2019
    Messages:
    152
    Likes Received:
    800
    Location:
    Toledo, OH
    Yes. Really wet and heavy when green. Dries out a lot. I have a couple of cords of TOH that I had to take to get a bunch of mulberry. It burns ok. Better than snowballs!
     
  17. MAF143

    MAF143

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2018
    Messages:
    1,674
    Likes Received:
    11,713
    Location:
    North Central OH
    Not much better... I had to cut one up to get it off a friends lot in town. By the time it was dry it was pretty light compared to when it was green. I ended up tossing it all out in the woods. Some of the branches that we had thrown on one of our burn piles were touching the ground and sprouted... I had to spray it 3 or 4 times to get rid of it completely. Our forester popped a vein on his forhead when he saw it sprouting by the burn pile. It is very invasive and hard to erradicate if it gets established.

    I can't really say if what's in the pix is TOH or a Maple. My experience with TOH was a few years back and mostly what I remember is that the leaves look very much like Black Walnut leaves.
     
  18. Cash Larue

    Cash Larue

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2019
    Messages:
    2,503
    Likes Received:
    20,721
    Location:
    Pine, CO
    The bark looks tree of heaven. I typically find that TOH wood tends to be a bit more yellow. But it may just grow/mature differently in different areas. I collect Tree of Heaven and burn a lot of it here. It is actually a pretty heavy wood. I also find that it burns pretty well. It’s not a soft wood. It’s actually a hard wood. Puts out a fair amount of heat. Seems like that’s an unpopular opinion though.

    You’ve already split it. Just stack it and burn it. Or just give it to me. I won’t let it go to waste.
     
    MAF143, jo191145, Woodsnwoods and 4 others like this.
  19. Woodsnwoods

    Woodsnwoods

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2015
    Messages:
    3,067
    Likes Received:
    20,080
    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    Tree of heaven....new one on me. Did you ask it can you ask the tree guy? I have my tree guy id the wood prior to drop off and verify with pictures. Luckily my tree guy knows I only take hardwoods. It sounds picky, and I help him on small jobs with softwoods, but loads of low BTU wood simply does not work for me. Love to see the final verdict.
     
    MAF143 likes this.
  20. jo191145

    jo191145

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
    Messages:
    6,953
    Likes Received:
    47,832
    Location:
    Ct
    I’ve cut a lot of TOH but smaller ones. Haven’t really burned any yet except for in a pit.
    Seems a lot like Tulip to me as far as weight and splitting.
    Maybe the bottom of the tree is holding a lot of water? I know the small splits I burned seemed relatively dry considering they had only been cut and split a month. But they sizzled pretty good once they got hot LOL
    I know from reading it’s used in China for firewood and cooking fires.