Wood Species

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Bagelboy

Bagelboy

Feeling the Heat
Oct 21, 2013
254
Catskills, N.Y.
Okay guys, my neighbor, who doesn't have a saw, asked me to cut a tree down for him. Does anyone know what this wood is? I hope I didn't spend two hours cutting it down and cutting it up for nothing. but I have bad vibes that its some crappy type of tree like catalpa!
 
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And he has a lot more he needs help with!
 
Tulip poplar? Are the rounds very wet and heavy? I'm not the best identify guy.
 
Yes they are, is this a crappy burning wood,or halfway decent!
 
Tulip Poplar has a leaf that looks like a Tulip, This may be Poplar but not like the Poplar on my land.
 
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Bagelboy said:
Okay guys, my neighbor, who doesn't have a saw, asked me to cut a tree down for him. Does anyone know what this wood is? I hope I didn't spend two hours cutting it down and cutting it up for nothing. but I have bad vibes that its some crappy type of tree like catalpa!
Click to expand...
Looks to be a basswood. Or cottonwood. They have those type leaves and usually the dark center. What I can see of the bark looks similar to a basswood too.
Fall or spring wood . Not great for cold nights . Great kindling..
 
Ok, so not great, is it fast drying, or are we looking at 2 years or so?
 
Its Black Cottonwood. Populus heterophylla L.
Not Basswood, basswood leaves have a lopsided leaf at base like American Elm.
First time Ive seen Black Cottonwood here. Well...first time ever. Thanks for the pics. SO much easier to ID with leaves.
 
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Applesister said:
Its Black Cottonwood. Populus heterophylla L.
Not Basswood, basswood leaves have a lopsided leaf at base like American Elm.
First time Ive seen Black Cottonwood here. Well...first time ever. Thanks for the pics. SO much easier to ID with leaves.
Click to expand...
What's a lopsided leaf at base have to do with the 30 some odd species of basswood?
I have found basswood with leaves like the cottonwood and had to look at bark and the actual veins .
So it could be a cottonwood just never rely on the lopsided leaf part .
 
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If you drew an outline around the edge of the leaf and then folded it in half like a card, the edges wont match. Geez...it would be so much easier to draw. One half of the leaf will be bigger...
 
Applesister said:
If you drew an outline around the edge of the leaf and then folded it in half like a card, the edges wont match. Geez...it would be so much easier to draw. One half of the leaf will be bigger...
Click to expand...
Sorry my phone died during the post and it half posted what I was writing
.
I know what the lopsided leaf is just damn phone messed up the post . Lol
 
So is this even worth salvaging? Does it dry fast, burn long, or any of the above?
 
Thanks everyone, as always! Knowledgeable, nice people. Great site!
 
Bagelboy said:
Thanks everyone, as always! Knowledgeable, nice people. Great site!
Click to expand...
Its your call on processing or not. Its already cut in rounds and splits super easy. I say go for it. Cottonwood or Linden, both low grade firewood. I have to cut some around my horsebarn and I will cut it up in stove size. I dont really care for it though.
 
Im not trying to beat a dead horse here but the Black cottonwood Im thinking of is Populus trichocarpa which natural range is not catskills. However it hybridizes with Balsam poplar which considering the ranges of the cottonwoods and poplars its most likely a Balsam poplar. None of this hair splitting matters as far as BTUs are concerned. So carry on.
 
Cottonwood. Absolutely is not Basswood.
 
Does it burn faster than pine?
 
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