A scrounge in a old grove...help me with an id please?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

schlot

Minister of Fire
Nov 21, 2011
771
Iowa
Helping out a relative by cleaning some downed trees in his grove. Not the most productive day of scrounging, but getting out in the woods on a cold day is always fun!

Is this Mulberry?

wood20.jpgwood21.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Thistle
I can narrow it down to Mulberry or Black Locust, and I am leaning toward mulberry. It looks too yellow for Black Locust and not dark orange enough for osage orange.
 
Thanks, in person it does look more yellow than orange.
 
My first thought is black locust. I've never cut any mulberry so I can't say for sure. I can say for certain that is snow on the end of that round and snow does not burn well.:p
 
Looks like locust to me but I don't know what Mulberry looks like..
 
My first thought is black locust. I've never cut any mulberry so I can't say for sure. I can say for certain that is snow on the end of that round and snow does not burn well.:p

LOL. So I guess the ice logs I made are a bad idea?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ralphie Boy
If it stays yellow, locust ( my guess). if It turns a reddish brown , mulberry. Any thorns on it?
 
It's mulberry. Great burning wood!

Hey Beagler! I've not seen you around in a while. How's the winter treating you? I've got a Beagle story for you, give me a call or stop in sometime!
 
LOL. So I guess the ice logs I made are a bad idea?

Well... them ice logs are hard to start and tough to keep burning and don't even think about trying to split 'em! On the up side, once you get them burning good, you can capture their steam and heat your whole house. To do that, of course, you'll need to get yourself a tight mesh steam net, about a number 4 should do it. Number 4's are the green ones.;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: bluedogz
Mulberry.Great stuff.
 

Attachments

  • mulberry41707 005.jpg
    mulberry41707 005.jpg
    91.7 KB · Views: 122
  • mulberry50107.jpg
    mulberry50107.jpg
    102.9 KB · Views: 121
  • mulberry42410.JPG
    mulberry42410.JPG
    80.8 KB · Views: 107
  • PICT0014.JPG
    PICT0014.JPG
    94.1 KB · Views: 132
  • Like
Reactions: schlot and raybonz
That's a tough call, but I'd say Locust based on bark. The wood looks more like Mulberry, but for a Mulberry to have bark that thick & furrowed I would expect it to be a real big old trunk.
Black Locust.
Either way it's great stuff!
 
That's a tough call, but I'd say Locust based on bark. The wood looks more like Mulberry, but for a Mulberry to have bark that thick & furrowed I would expect it to be a real big old trunk.
Black Locust.
Either way it's great stuff!

I looked up the BTUs for both...like you said, either way it's a nice little score. Just wish the tree was bigger.
 
Mulberry 100%, not locust, great find :p

Joking aside, it doesnt look like locust to me but does look like mulberry.
 
ok, im going to go against the grain here. But im not 100% sold on either. Im thinking Osange Orange. The bark, color of the wood, and the dark center of the wood around the fold in.

17D49DB5-C163-4399-A456-527FA63DA286-12935-00000ACA129442BD.jpg


But any which way you slice the pie, any of those three will be a good heat supply.
 
Ha! And you thought there was an easy answer!;lol
 
ok, im going to go against the grain here. But im not 100% sold on either. Im thinking Osange Orange. The bark, color of the wood, and the dark center of the wood.

Not impossible, but I think southern Iowa has some but up in the NW corner I'm not sure we do. But then again....
 
Lots of it in southern & southwest IA,NW Missouri,scattered small amount within 25-30 miles west of me in Dallas/Guthrie counties,some south in Madison,Warren counties.None immediately near where I cut in Guthrie however.
 
Wow, that's a tough one. I do agree I think it is an old mulberry. It is in the 50-60+ year old range and that is making a bit tough. Bark looks a bit rough for what I'm used to for mulberry and leans toward BL. I also could not rule out OO as the growth rings look more like OO than either mulberry or BL to me. As stated above, the keys for me would be thorns = BL or OO, no thorns = mulberry. Split a piece and take it inside for a few days, turns reddish brown = mulberry. If thorns, OO look more like a cone shaped spike and BL looks more like a rose bush thorn. Any leaves would make it real easy as none of the three are close to the same.
 
I'm leaning towards mulberry as well, but I've been wrong before...:p

The sapwood being really white has me leaning that way. Of course, I've also seen fresh cut locust that has a band like that too....
The best way to tell if it's locust that I've found is to give it the sniff test......smell a fresh cut or split of it. If it has an "olive" smell to it, then you've got locust. Locust, when cut green, has the smell of pimentoed olives....

That will seal the deal.
 
I'm leaning towards mulberry as well, but I've been wrong before...:p

The sapwood being really white has me leaning that way. Of course, I've also seen fresh cut locust that has a band like that too....
The best way to tell if it's locust that I've found is to give it the sniff test......smell a fresh cut or split of it. If it has an "olive" smell to it, then you've got locust. Locust, when cut green, has the smell of pimentoed olives....

That will seal the deal.

Oh great, my wife already thinks I'm off the deep end will all the talk of "wood this" and "wood that". Now you want me to smell my wood??? I see her buying me a new jacket....one with very long arms! LOL
 
Wow, that's a tough one. I do agree I think it is an old mulberry. It is in the 50-60+ year old range and that is making a bit tough. Bark looks a bit rough for what I'm used to for mulberry and leans toward BL. I also could not rule out OO as the growth rings look more like OO than either mulberry or BL to me. As stated above, the keys for me would be thorns = BL or OO, no thorns = mulberry. Split a piece and take it inside for a few days, turns reddish brown = mulberry. If thorns, OO look more like a cone shaped spike and BL looks more like a rose bush thorn. Any leaves would make it real easy as none of the three are close to the same.

Sorry, it had been dead for a while for a while so no leaves. There weren't any thorns on the bark either.
 
Thorns on the branches?
 
Thorns on the branches?

None there either, it was a mess to get to the trunk will all the branches down, so I'm sure I wouldn't have painfully noticed.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.