Wish I could offer any knowledge on this stuff. All I know is we always considered it a weed tree. It grows along the field edges slowly taking over empty spaces. Never paid it much attention because I didnt want the job of cutting it all back along with the bittersweet and grapes that go with it LOL. My sister bless her soul started tackling the job a few months ago. This split is not a fresh round. It’s at least five years cut and been kicking around since then. Trees grow pretty straight with few branches and I knocked a couple down years back to stack our long branches on to save on pallets. Also noticed there’s a few hickories of some sort that look similar but not exactly the same in the area. That’s all I know.
Have you ever seen the leaves? It looks like box elder, and the "weed" description fits. There would be no red in the splits it the piece was cut 5 yrs ago.
Im not being contrary mr.finn- But one thing I do know is that I’ve never seen any species of hickory with such a prominent pith that it is totally separate from the heart wood.... That is however a dominant feature in young elms of the Siberian persuasion in this area... Too, not saying it’s S.E. either.
Good point Eric, I totally missed that. I went on bark and stringiness of the split. Back to the drawing board
Boy that bark sure looks like Norway Maple. I handled some log lengths that were unsplit for two years and the bark was tight. Good burning after a short CSS.
Kinda puts it above a trash specie I am thinking! Dry some and burn it. Fill us in. May be the sleeper tree that nobody has been keeping. Bonus
looks like ash to me and by the way you describe it as well. Never heard of it keeping the bark after 5 years though just laying around.
True. I’m surprised it still has tight bark. I’m used to oak that sheds pretty quickly. It’s not a soft wood persay like tulip so I’d have to say it’s not as weedy as I always thought If it’s ash it’s the first ash trees I’ve known to be on our property. Course that doesn’t mean much LOL There was another grove in the back pasture that we’re doing the same thing. Filling in the open space. Big tree knocked most of them flat so we just cut them out. Most of the pasture is filling in with maples or black birch. Just a couple spots where these things flourish. Finally got some snow. Later I’ll pull the plow off the atv and drive out there and see if I can get any pics that may be more useful.
Maybe not more useful but I’ll post em anyway. I notice the branches in the pics look like they are dying. Far as I know they’re healthy. Could be the bittersweet choking them out though. Appreciate your thoughts folks. Something I need to learn is ID.
After seeing the branches/twigs/splits it looks like tulip poplar to me...although not 100% sure. I have two huge ones growing in the woods just off our back yard, approaching 100' tall and growing almost perfectly straight up, which ive dubbed the "twin towers"! Ive never cut any for wood. I, like you describe it as a "weed" tree. I used to cut in the DOT dumping area at Wharton Brook...where the state dumps tree debris...stumps, logs, branches, chips etc. Id see a lot of it there. Seems the state workers knew the primo stuff and would dump it in their parking lot.
Yeah I got quite a few BIG tulips. Can certainly understand your guess but I don’t think so. Looks similar, especially from pics but it’s a harder wood. Tulip sheds it’s bark pretty fast too and no thick brown layer of sponge under the bark. May have to revisit this ID in the spring when I can get some leaves
It might be a butternut, but guessing. Seems im only good at identifying trees that ill cut for firewood. I have one in my woods that snapped in the Noreaster last March under the heavy snow. I cut it, split it and almost didnt use it. Very light weight when seasoned. The wood reminded me of Eastern white pine. Ended up giving it to my stepdaughter and it burned beautifully in her fireplace. Nice flame and no spitting. I have the 20' stalk to cut down. I'll post pics when im able.
