I can usually figure out my trees, but this one I run across every year when tapping maples and there are no leaves. Later on when it gets leaves, they are too far away for a visual. I have not seen anything on the ground that is agiveaway either. This is in Northern lower Michigan, in a sandy soil. Mostly Maple & Beech. I can eliminate Ash, Elm, Cherry, Basswood... I don't think its a soft maple. This one is about 12" DBH, and same height as the mature maples. There is a smaller one with the same shape not far from it. Could it be a mulberry? Red or white?
Cotton wood here has blockier bark, but the top looks more cottony than hickory. Unsure but leaning towards hickory.
Some of the bark looks like pignut hickory, but i dont see it in the twigs/limb structure. Cut it down gwoods71 and then post more pics Just a suggestion!
I thought that too. I’ve seen red maple bark a lot like that, but this tree has alternate branching which rules out maple. It does remind me of red elm a little bit in form but I haven’t come across any of that size in my travels so I’m not too confident in that verdict either.
Hickory no doubt about it. Aside from shag, they can all look quite similar. This one resembles shellbark.
Bark has a red maple look, but i didnt think so. No knowingly have seen a mockernut or shellbark hickory so dont know if they are different limb twig wise than out common hickories.
I am liking the hickory votes. If it is, it will be sawmill fodder someday. I am going to try and remember to keep an eye on it after sugar season this year. Not sure why Hickory never crossed my mind, I know we are further north (Traverse City area) than most of the other hickories in the state. I have too much beech with the bark fungus to cut down other healthy trees for firewood right now.
I vote Hickory and none of it grows native around me, if only that could change somehow..... The limbs aren't exactly going to tell ID as well as the trunk since they're usually the younger parts of the tree. For example I picked up some apple earlier last month, it's a good load of it but the trunk shows age much more differently than the limbs. Limbs show bark almost Alder like when the rest of the trunk started doing some " pre-scaling " if I could call it that and looks flaky as it changes into something that resembles a dinosaur scale bark that becomes pretty difficult to remove.
Oak? Apple? Man you’re scoring some great wood for the Evergreen State. Nice work. I’ve seen a serious drop in free hardwood on the free sites over the past 6-9 months.
Wood Scrounger, at your service sir. I've seen more maple and cottonwood/poplar posts but punching in the right terms for specific searches helps. Actually it's a bit of a rougher going as a lot of the wood grabs that come up for free are getting grabbed quicker than I can respond to them. I guess people are really finding out that wood is indeed a hot commodity and they can either collect and burn to save $ for themselves or flip it. Doug fir around here is ok for supply, managing my time with it however is a different matter. Also oak and apple tend to be my BBQ wood along with cherry, Alder and plum from prior pick ups. Not that I won't put apple in a wood stove but the ratio of what I get of that wood as to others.... I'd rather use it to cook something. In reference, I have to pick up at least 10 other loads to 1 which what gets used in the bbq. Either way I hope you have better luck in the coming months. Spring storms are coming and people are pruning their trees. If you need a bit of help finding things, let me know.
