It gets easier. Any time you see a thread here titled "tree ID" or something similar, check it out. Usually lots of pics and folks who really know trees chime in with their knowledge. Good way to learn. Same for "scrounge" threads. We usually post pics and ID of the wood.
That will help I have learned one thing hardwood from softwood the difference in them when I split them with an axe. I'm friends with this older gentleman and he can be 30 yards away and Bam he's telling me what type of wood it is
Yep, not hard to do after a while. I'm waiting for all the pros on here to jump in. Some trees have bark that's very similar to others (same with leaves), which can make it tough to differentiate until you cut into the tree. If there are still leaves attached, you can learn from that. There are also books (check the library) which have pics, descriptions, and other info on trees. TONS of info on the web.
You can try a try a tree ID book. Check this out Tree ID Books edit; I see Dave and I had the same idea
Every time your out in the woods try to figure out at least 1 type of tree. It’s harder when leaves are off but in time you will figure it out. Certain trees grow a certain way. Some times you will be able to know what kind of tree it is before you even get close to it. I have a couple books but I use google more than anything. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My late uncle tought me this about 55 years ago maybe it will put you on the right track. Remember the acronym MAD HORSE, it stands for Maple, Ash, Dogwood and Horse chestnut (a.k.a. buckeye) These are the only deciduous trees in North America with opposite branching and leafing. Once you see that opposite branching and/or leafing it narrows the field of search. Also, oaks species can be narrowed by their leaves. Red oaks have pointed leaf lobes while white oaks have rounded leaf lobes. It takes time and research but there are a few tricks out there to help.
I'm still not great at ID but do know a few. I remember when I went to work in the woods and about the only one I knew was oak. So, I had a tendency to ask anyone I was near what kind of a tree it was. Same when I started in the sawmill. Every time we worked on a different log I'd ask the sawyer. In time I got so I new a few and by then I even was the sawyer. I've learned a few since and pretty much know what we have around here. Many times I'm lost when I go somewhere else though but know enough of the main type tree that I get along okay. So the best way I can advise is like I did. I learned 4 or 5 right away. Then over time learned a few more, then a few more then a few more. And yes, sometimes you can tell what kind of a tree it is from 1/4 mile, if it is the right kind of a tree. For example, most elm grow in the same shape and it is different from most other. Maple, especially with leaves off can be spotted 1/2 mile away because of the redness of the tips, etc. Just get started. Learn 3 or 4 of the main type trees in your area. Don't worry about the type of tree that does not grow where you are or grows very few of them. Pick out the main types and concentrate on them. Learn the difference in the bark between a young and old tree and this can vary a lot! Good luck.
Yep, and sometimes even on the same tree. Poplar can have at least two different looking bark types. Sometimes looks a little like Birch, sometimes smooth, sometimes rough. I still call a lot of our trees Spruce because that's what I think they are. White Pine has some pretty distinct characteristics, even when young. Zactly.
Stoveburner38, like others have said start with easy ones. White birch, then yellow In summer look at maple leaf. Do same with oak. Ash bark looks tire treadish. Once you split elm by hand you will never forget that stringy sob.
I have finally gotten decent at it, but there is always something to learn. I've got a few tree I'd books as well. Something that I've recently found is an app put out by Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!). It was free and called VTree. You can download it by zip code or the whole database if you want. I haven't used it long enough to know how it does in other areas, but it does fine around here. Decent pix and a few ways to narrow down species.
It's a good app, I use it a lot. I use the whole database because we have so many folks on FHC from all over North America who have different trees than we have here. Like the man on T.V says: "It makes learning fun!"
Just wait ... You are going to grab something that you probably shouldn't have passed on(willow, pizz Elm) and after figuring it out you won't forget. Everything else is fair game firewood wise. Lots of good stuff on the internet and FHC. You may also want to contact HolsatiaRedneck and get on his weekly game show wood quiz when it resumes.
Watch em through the year, leaf shape and bark can tell ye alot. Doesnt mean youre always right, i talk from expierience A decent book about trees species can help alot.
Don’t forget to use your sniffer... different woods have way different smells. There’s always some lively discussion here about sniffing your wood
And different people think some wood smells terrible while another thinks it smells great. Smelly is in the eye of the sniffer.....uh, or something to that effect.
