Is this hop hornbeam?

I've got to cut down this tree and a big cottonwood that also split into 3 trunks since they're too close to my barn. I already know the cottonwood makes a decent newspaper substitute for starting the fire. I'm not sure what this other tree is though. The bark on it is peeled kind of like what I've seen on images of hop hornbeam. It's definitely not shag bark hickory as I have plenty of that and know it well. I'm just trying to get information so I know whether to keep it in the good wood pile or the starter stuff. Thanks

 

I think your right, the leave's look just right but the bark looks a little different from mine.
It's a heavy dense wood.

 

Nope. Bark & leaves are different than Hophornbeam.

 

Yeah, I don't know what that is. It's different than the ironwood I have here.

 

Red cedar or juniper flakes like that. Give it a cut and if it smells almost xmas tree like but very strong, likely have juniper. Look for the blue/green "berries" they'll smell of gin

 

Yes it would! Im sorry if I overlooked any info?? the bark just peels like that as the two trees I was saying.

 

I wasn't paying much attention to the leaf picture guess it didnt load for me until now. I rescind my cedar/juniper reply.

 

The shag bark hickory here is just now starting to pop and the branches and buds look nothing like this. These are long slender branches that bloom out every way. I see a lot of these in the creek beds and lower hillsides.

Not my picture, but the shag bark here looks like this...light colored bark and large strips. The pictures are hard to explain the difference but if you were on my place and saw this thing and a shag bark nearby it would be obvious that it's not even close to being the same tree. Another example is the cottonwood near it that is 100% a cottonwood but looks nothing like the pictures you pull up on google images when looking at the bark. But it's absolutely a cottonwood...from the leaves to the seeds that burst open every year and litter the area around my barn and shop with cotton.

 

So I had to dig up this thread after I found out what this is...black willow...my hopes are officially crushed.

 

One thing about willow that i know is when I trimmed branches down, the cut on the tree would just pour like a faucet. It would be like after a rain period then got nice enough to do yardwork. Now I understand why its just not one of those great trees to have. Everyone has something to say about it and it's not considered a favorite. Well if you cut it down, don't worry so much about it. The more involved you get, might have mixed results.