So I was cutting up a big Hackberry that fell over and while I was enjoying seeing everything blooming around me I noticed this... I've seen these leaves before but they're almost always small trees no bigger than 1'-4'...this thing is a good 30' Any idea what this 5 leaved tree is? Thanks guys.
It looks like a PawPaw tree to me. I see that you're in Tennessee and that in the PawPaw's range. I'll see if I can find a picture to post.
As I look at the leaves in the upper left corner of your last picture, I believe XXL is correct....Horse Chestnut. Good eye XXL!
I haven't crushed any leaves...they magically appeared over the last week or so... So I guess the big question is...are these things worth using for firewood? It's growing in the middle of a bunch of Sugar Maple, Hackberry, Black Locust and Beech and it's going to be shading many of the Sugar Maple saplings I see sprouting up. I haven't noticed any this big anywhere, it seems they're all under 10ft with the majority of those being saplings.
My average last frost date is April 15th my papaw is just now blooming, and starting to leaf out. Look closely for purple flowers about 3/4" in diameter. Usually on a downward hanging stem 1.5" long. They won't be on trees under about 10' tall; if blooming season is past look for small fruits in clusters of 1-4. Wild pawpaws are usually found close to streams and rivers.
/Moparguy Last year my ex's mother had her horse chestnut tree cut in February. I took a "small" load of this wood as this tree was gargantuan. If indeed horse chestnut, you'll find its hard to figure out where the BTU's are in this but I have been told to look at Buckeye in comparison. I think its a good wood, people note that it is "spitty" but I haven't so much. The wood does have a sorta earthy nutty yet a sickly sweet smell when it burns. Its not particularly pleasing but its not a godawful stink. The nuts then the shells are really spikey. The shells are like prickly as heck and they'll be littered all over and stick to your shoe. If I were you, its ok to burn probably saying its best in a stove if you don't really wanna smell it so much. Burns pretty well for me right now having started splitting it when I got it. 14 months. I should note that Ive not burned inside, no stove yet just fire pit. Sometimes Im just not minding the smell so much because Id rather focus on the heat and the fact that I put work into it and its ready to go for the fall. Just gonna let it season one more summer and should be fantastic to throw in for the evening enjoying time with my daughter or letting the 4 legged ones catch some zzz's in front. Here's a small link for description Which Wood? - Dean Forge I can't think that it's just above basswood in terms of heat, its better than that. My logs burned pretty well over a hot fire to begin with so hope this helps.
Thanks for the info. I've been secretly putting together a list of "undesirables" that I will be working on taking out next late fall and winter...they don't know I'm coming for them... I guess these will join the list under vines, spice bush, and sumac (tree of heaven).
I wouldn't call it undesirable but if you aren't hurting for wood id pass on it. One thing about that wood is it may sprout suckers, think black locust but no thorns. The cuts made on the tree before the big removal was like a crown. Just bunches of them at any cut area, small branches included. So this is kind of a hard one to get rif of, maybe. I probably wouldn't burn it or get it again but I didn't have other sources for wood figured out yet so I couldn't be choosing. Now I kinda can. Just a matter of timing on my end...it was a free wood pick up anyways.
If you decide it is not worth taking home, that doesn't prevent you dropping it to "release" the sugar maples. I am sometimes amazed at the idea that only things worth taking home are worth cutting. Sometimes you need to decide to actively manage your wood lot.
Thanks for all of the info. Looks like I have another tree to scout for now. It seems like every time I have a good grasp on all of the trees in the area another species pops up. I like the variety.
This is a Buckeye Tree. Are the leaves five-part leaves? Pawpaw trees have one-part leaves, but you mentioned five-part leaves. As for removing undesirables, I'd keep a little of each native species. I'd thin to give space to the more desirable trees, but keep native trees and shrubs where there is space. For example, you may not want a forest of Buckeyes, but a few of them are interesting to have around. The Tree of Heaven I'd completely remove if possible. I have found it is better to girdle Tree of Heaven than it is to cut. Cutting makes them sprout from the roots. Girdling (cutting a ring out of the bark) kills them slowly but seems to kill the roots too.
I was going to say buckeye as I am one...big upturned white flowers give that tree away before producing the armored spiked nut.....
Wow buckeye and horse chestnut are really alike unless they are considered the same tree depending on location?
I'm not going to cut the big stuff out of fear of it falling on desirable trees around it. I'll let them just fall over naturally. The vines are getting cut and they can die hanging. The spice bush is getting cut and it won't fall over on anything. The Tree of heaven I have are almost all getting cut except for a few monsters that will take out good trees so I'll just manage the sprouts around those few. I've got 150 acres so there's no shortage of land management in the winter...luckily the TOH are sort of in patches and I know where they're all at.
They are 5 part. I'm going to try to take out the saplings that are growing in with the more desirable saplings.
I have a hunch on what they may be, but need some more experienced eyes than mine to conirm. Wood id on the following would be appreciated (sorry, no foliage has come out yet) I think the top image is that of yellow birch. Not sure about second, was a deadfall so it's looks may have tarnished a bit. I'll check back in later, thanks all.
My guess is birch, of some sort. Maybe black birch. When scraped, does the bark smell like wintergreen mint? Regardless, you'd want to cut a groove in that smaller stuff, if you're not going to split. A thin groove will help it dry out. I grove my black birch on opposite sides, before cutting to length.
