I'm pretty sure this is birch and I've never burned any. From the weight and looks I'm guessing its better than yellow poplar and similar to silver maple. I have a 16 to 18 inch log of it down a couple years but off the ground next to a trail so it's easy to get. At best I figure its shoulder season wood but is it ok for a fireplace (popping)?
Honestly to me it is Poplar not Birch.I say that as that is all we have around here on our farms in Ontario and I have cut many hundred of them down for fire wood over the years.
the bark is gray similar to beech but a little darker and slightly rougher. I have about 10 of these trees in a grove but this is the 1st one to fall.
The wood does look like tulip poplar but possibly a little more dense. I think the bark was stringy but can't remember for sure. It's raining now so I'll check later.
My vote is Aspen also... Called poplar or popple also. As Papadave said, the bark when pulled off is stringy.
Whatever it is, get it up off the ground. If it's been down a long as you state, it may already be going punky on ya.
Yes, do not think this is yellow poplar (or tulip) as yellow poplar is not even in that family!! Yet, this does look like poplar; aspen type poplar, or as most call it, popple.
Thinking it’s aspen Dries fast, burns fast A years of seasoning & It Shouldn’t pop like spruce, Ok for fireplaces
Populus grandidentata, aka American aspen or white poplar. Not to be confused with tulip poplar, or Liriodendron tulipifera. The sapwood appears to be rotten already.
I'm learning a little today. I actually had aspen in my mind but I thought aspen was birch, not very common around here. I think you're correct, it's definitely not tulip poplar, the bark is completely different.
I cut some last year that was blocking my pathway and this is a piece of that and it has been on the ground.
a year down and still in the wrapper Birch would be total punk by now, on or off the ground. With Birch you have carve a section of bark off or it will go punky super quick.
Hard to tell, but by the bark pic, if it has a blue hue it's beech. If it has a green hue, it's white poplar. The split looks like white poplar.
I dunno smooth barks are associated w beech or hollies but heart wood and sapwood look llike poplar. ..balsam poplar I think.. handy trick for black and yellow birch is to scrape off the top bark and sniff the green cambium underneath ..If it smells like wintergreen, you know you’ve got yellow or black birch. Slit it stack it burn it next year. All wood is good... dry. Even most pines but oaks are the best imo..
