I'm thinking either a young cherry OR my namesake (Buckthorn). If it's Buckthorn, it would have a lot of branches, may have thorns (not all do), and would have a bright orange appearance if you scratch through the bark. The bark and heartwood look about right for Buckthorn, but the whiter sapwood is throwing me off a bit.
I could see that. When I googled an image I got this image. Here is a pic that I took with the others that I think looks similar to this. What do you guys think?
Never heard of buckthorn, but you've got me... Looks darn close! Wonder it's BTUs? Side note- anyone in upstate NY know if it's common? I see it's listed as invasive in NYS but I haven't heard about it.
In my 5 minutes of research, the only thing I hear about it is that it burns hot. All I know is that it is pretty heavy and feels like the locust and mulberry that I have been cutting.
Rhamnus Cathartica--- Buckthorn! The BTUs, although never accurately tested, probably fall somewhere above cherry but below the more dense hardwoods. They grow fast, but have pretty tight growth rings. I LOVE burning it as it has a fairly low moisture content and can split easily if it's not too twisted. It is incredibly common in certain parts of NY. I have a ton of here in Penn Yan and have seen it all over the Finger Lakes region. However, at my cabin in the Southern Tier, I haven't seen a single tree. It's nasty and isn't a food source for deer (and is therefore not desirable in most woodlots around here).
Like all wood it burns really well when properly seasoned. Give it 6-8 months or so if it's in those smaller rounds like in the pics. We have monster trees here that take a while to process down to burnable wood. I love taking my lil MS250 to an ancient Buckthorn and figuring out the best way to take it down branch by branch. Since it's a fruiting tree (well, the female trees), it gives off a sweet aroma when lit. Although not as nice as cherry, it's cool to go outside and smell the burning buckthorn.
I am someone who not only loves firewood, but loves to collect different species. I am working on a wood "pantry" with samples of all kinds of different woods to try. This will make a great addition to the pantry.
Im the same way. Love getting interesting and unfamiliar woods. Actually just started a thread about them. Head on over
