I just brought a small haul of logs home and I’m stumped. I found these piled up in a wooded area left to rot. They’ve probably been there 3-4 months. I cut them roughly to length and knew right away it was a species I’ve never dealt with before. It’s got a distinct almost sweet/nutty/somewhat fruity smell, smoothish bark, dark heartwood and light colored sapwood. My best guess is Black Walnut. Unfortunately no leaves blatantly belonging to the tree to be found in the vicinity. What do you guys think?
I agree that the bark does not appear to be like any walnut I’ve seen. I don’t have a guess as to what it could be otherwise.
Id say walnot. The only walnut ive ever processed (very little) had deeply furrowed bark as Ralphie Boy stated. Tree of heaven (ailanthus)???
It splits VERY easily. But the wood itself seems hard enough. Ugh. I wonder if it’s a large Sumac tree?!?! The color of the wood is right... If that’s the case it’ll be destined for the outdoor pit.
Looks more like maple to me. With a little luck some sort of hard maple as it doesn't look like red or norway maple.
That’s what I originally thought it was when I took the trouble to grab it in the first place. I found the logs in an area that was 90% maple. But the grain pattern is definitely not maple. The smell too. All I can say for certain is that it’s FIREWOOD, most likely stuff I’ll burn outdoors.
It’s a Mimosa! Takes 12-18 months to season, a touch longer than walnut in same setting for me. I have at least a cord of it and have burned about a 1/2 cord per year of it for last couple years. Coals up nicely, burns hot, minimal ash. Burning wise I like it better than walnut as a yard tree I don’t know which I hate worse mimisa, walnut or sweet gum!!!
Good call, thank you! I'm 100% positive that's what I've got. Pretty exotic. Never heard of them, but after looking them up, I know I've seen them in my area as yard trees here and there. Somebody must've taken it down and dumped it in the woods. I guess since I went through the trouble of processing it already, I'll keep it around to use for shoulder season.
Right at the top of it's hardiness range in CT! " The Mimosa Tree, which originated in southwestern and eastern Asia, prefers the warmer climates. The tree is now commonly found throughout many regions of the world, and it can withstand brief cold spells. In the United States, the Mimosa Tree prefers USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 10, preferring the subtropical to tropical climates of much of the lower latitudes." The Mimosa Tree Complete Guide
