Calling all Maple Experts

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Razo

Razo

Burning Hunk
Jan 8, 2014
215
NEPA
Ok so here is a wood ID for you all. While retrieving my last black birch I had the opportunity to take this tree as well. Opposing branches so I know it is either Maple or Ash (see, I'm learning). Now the bark doesn't look very much like Ash to me so I'm going to assume this is some sort of Maple, now the question is, which type?

I scoured the forest floor for leaves but all I could find were mountains and mountains of oak leaves, not a maple leaf that I could pick up on. I am assuming this is just due to the fact that oak leaves hang around longer and there are some oaks in the area.

No distinct smell when cutting it, it is fairly heavy wood and splits like average, not super easy, not really tough.

I grabbed some pictures in the light rain so the color may be distorted slightly but hopefully the pics are ok.

First, the branches.

In this shot, you can definitely see how they oppose each other.

upload_2014-4-29_13-31-33.png

Here is a close up of the buds if it helps or matters at all.

upload_2014-4-29_13-32-0.png

alright onto the bark.

upload_2014-4-29_13-32-30.png

distinct black center section/heart wood

upload_2014-4-29_13-33-9.png

upload_2014-4-29_13-33-20.png

a view of the whole lot

upload_2014-4-29_13-33-35.png

Bark (wet)

upload_2014-4-29_13-33-48.png

one of the rounds split open

upload_2014-4-29_13-34-5.png

and a pic of the split (photo is a bit washed out)

upload_2014-4-29_13-34-31.png
 
I personally think it is sugar maple and here is my case:

The end grain is fairly tight. I have heard that silver maple would have more spaced out growth rings

upload_2014-4-29_14-6-28.png

The buds seem to be more elongated which seems indicative of Sugar:


My buds:

upload_2014-4-29_14-9-35.png

upload_2014-4-29_14-9-53.png

reference picture of sugar maple bark from google

upload_2014-4-29_14-11-39.png


But its hard to call without leaves, I'm interested in what everyone's thoughts are.
 
Hmmm so a vote for soft maple, thanks for the input. I wouldn't be disappointed if it was soft, I would have a great shoulder wood that will be ready for next fall/winter and also useful in getting denser woods started. However if it is hard maple, I'll have higher BTU's but longer seasoning time.
 
I can't tell what kind it is for sure but you took some damn nice pictures with plenty of angles to help with getting an accurate ID!
 
I have to guess sugar maple also. Red or silver maple have large red buds. Grain and bark look more like sugar maple also.
 
Razo said:
Hmmm so a vote for soft maple, thanks for the input. I wouldn't be disappointed if it was soft, I would have a great shoulder wood that will be ready for next fall/winter and also useful in getting denser woods started. However if it is hard maple, I'll have higher BTU's but longer seasoning time.
Click to expand...

Sugar maple is no soft maple but great hardwood for your stove. I think about 23 MBTU per cord. Buds and wood look like sugar maple. However, the bark looks different than the one we have around here but that could be regional differences.
 
Sugar. If it were soft maple the buds would be red or even leafed as they just became here in the north of NJ.

Soft will also be showing seed development this time of year. Remember soft maple helicopters in the spring, Sugar maple seeds late summer/ early fall.
 
my red maple does not have that dark heart wood.
 
I think it is a Red Maple. Red Maple will grow almost anywhere, and the ones here have bark and wood that looks a lot like the wood in your excellent pictures. I cut a few Red Maples with dark centers this winter.
 
Red(Soft) Maple. 1000% certain THAT IS NOT HARD(SUGAR) MAPLE
 
nrford said:
Red(Soft) Maple. 1000% certain THAT IS NOT HARD(SUGAR) MAPLE
Click to expand...

Agreed. The buds look funny just because they've started to "pop". Newest part of the twig is red, and you can see the lowest bud scales are red too - red maple.
 
Just wondering what the dark coloring might have come from?
 
kjahnz said:
Just wondering what the dark coloring might have come from?
Click to expand...
Very typical colors for fresh cut Soft Maple. in fact the dark heart is one of the keys to ID-ing Soft Maple Vs. Hard. Hard maple heartwood is more of a light-Brown shade.
 
I would have guessed red maple just from the bark. In any case it'll keep you warm in winter :)
 
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Thanks for all the responses guys, seems the consensus is red maple then. By the way I cut it in a normal forest tree line. I wasn't in a swamp or anything. I love over-analyzing everything and I've studied a lot of pictures online the last 2 days. While none look exactly like my pictures, I can definitely see some red maple characteristics there. I'm reading around 20 MBTU's per cord which is on par with black walnut. So if I CSS now I'm thinking there will at least be a possibility of it being ready for late winter to get longer burning woods going or else for spring shoulder season.
 
Looks like the red maple I cut over winter. Bark, buds and twigs are very similar to your photos.
 
Your all wrong---- It's E.T. Wood, you can tell from the 5th photo.:eek:
 
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Osage said:
Your all wrong---- It's E.T. Wood, you can tell from the 5th photo.:eek:
Click to expand...
Wow I didn't even notice but now that you mention its all I see and freaking me out haha. Looks like the face he will be making when the maul is coming down.
 
Definitely red maple. I put some pics up 3-4 years ago and that's what it was. I have some sugar maple and the bark is much different and the middle is not as dark.
 
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Razo said:
around 20 MBTU's per cord which is on par with black walnut. So if I CSS now I'm thinking there will at least be a possibility of it being ready for late winter to get longer burning woods going or else for spring shoulder season.
Click to expand...
I burned a lot of Red this winter. I split a bit big, and some wasn't dry enough for my cat stoves. Would have been fine in yours but drier is always better. I see 18.7 a lot for Red but it went long enough for me. The Walnut I burned definitely went a little longer...
 
Acer rubrum (Red Maple, also known as Swamp, Water or Soft Maple), is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. The U.S. Forest service recognizes it as the most common variety of tree in America.[3] The red maple ranges from southeastern Manitoba around the Lake of the Woods on the border with Ontario and Minnesota, east to Newfoundland, south to near Miami,Florida, and southwest to east Texas. Many of its features, especially its leaves, are quite variable in form. At maturity it often attains a height of around 15 m (49 ft). It is aptly named as its flowers, petioles, twigs and seeds are all red to varying degrees. Among these features, however, it is best known for its brilliant deep scarlet foliage in autumn.

Over most of its range, red maple is adaptable to a very wide range of site conditions, perhaps more so than any other tree in eastern North America. It can be found growing in swamps, on poor dry soils, and most anywhere in between. It grows well from sea level to about 900 m (3,000 ft). Due to its attractive fall foliage and pleasing form, it is often used as a shade tree for landscapes. It is used commercially on a small scale formaple syrup production as well as for its medium to high quality lumber. It is also theState Tree of Rhode Island.
 
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