Wood ID Please

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HandyFrank

Member
Nov 17, 2014
18
Connecticut
Saw a tree being taken down a few streets over and they said I could take as much as I wanted, and even loaded it on my truck. I only grabbed a small amount because I need to build a new wood stand, but I probably should have grabbed more.

They said it was a Sugar Maple, but I have no clue how to tell the difference. Anyone have a guess if that is accurate? It got rained on last night.

IMG_6101.jpg
IMG_6102.jpg
 
It doesn't really look like the sugar maples I have - mine have bark that is a greyish color with irregular plates, but it's hard to tell with it being wet and not a real good closeup of the bark. Wood appears light like a maple would be. Just from looking at the cross section it looks more similar to my rounds of ash, but it could very well be sugar maple too.

Sugar Maple is pretty uncommon here unless planted as a specimen so I rarely come across any as firewood. If you could post a closer view of the bark that would help. I don't suppose you were able to see any leaves? My sugar maples still mostly have their leaves but they may be already down up in CT.
 
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ryanm527 said:
It doesn't really look like the sugar maples I have - mine have bark that is a greyish color with irregular plates, but it's hard to tell with it being wet and not a real good closeup of the bark. Wood appears light like a maple would be. Just from looking at the cross section it looks more similar to my rounds of ash, but it could very well be sugar maple too.

Sugar Maple is pretty uncommon here unless planted as a specimen so I rarely come across any as firewood. If you could post a closer view of the bark that would help. I don't suppose you were able to see any leaves? My sugar maples still mostly have their leaves but they may be already down up in CT.
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Thanks for the info. The tree was taken down a solid week back so leaves are probably long gone, but if I drive by and see some in the yard i'll snatch one and share a picture. Here is another shot of the bark. I'll plan to take more pictures once it dries up if that helps.
IMG_6104.jpg
 
I totally agree with Ryans comments. The bark furrows are too regular and evenly spaced. And it looks too dark but that could all be the rain.
There is a lesser known Black maple which is a type of sugar maple and that bark is darker than Sugar.
But still...not really getting Sugar as the type. The bark has even furrows not irregular plates.
 
Thanks for the insight everyone. Glad to hear it is worthy of burning and a decent wood either way. I was planning on leaving the rounds until the summer since I split by axe and wood comes apart so much easier when it is not wet, but from reading around the site I take it that's not a great idea.
 
It's not silver maple, my vote is Norway maple.

bark1.jpg
 
Its hard maple. The dark dots on the cut ends are on a bunch of Norway maple I split up this summer. Good stuff in a few years.
 
Norway.
 
Thanks to everyone for the replies. Sure does look like a Norway from the pics shared. How does Norway stack up against other hardwoods for burning characteristics?

Just for fun here are some more pictures while dry. Either way it looks like decent wood and I'm planning to get it lifted up to season better and may do the splitting now if I have the time.
IMG_6293.jpg
IMG_6294.jpg
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Norway is good, close to sugar maple.
 
I'm late to the party, but that wood definitely looks like Norway Maple.
 
entwife14 said:
That's good to hear. I have two Norway Maples that need to come down.
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Cut 'em down! Cut 'em all down! They're non-native and considered to be an invasive species because the crowd out everything else when they take hold in the wild.
 
Ralphie Boy said:
Cut 'em down! Cut 'em all down! They're non-native and considered to be an invasive species because the crowd out everything else when they take hold in the wild.
Click to expand...

I agree wholeheartedly. They are such a nuisance -- another problem (told to me by an Arborist) is that the roots "girdle" the base of the tree, causing instability. No surprise that so many were downed during Sandy (severing our underground utilities in the process). I have to get permission to remove them, as the village planted them years back. Ugh. Then pay $500 for a permit to remove them. Ugh again. I may try to negotiate a waiver, due to the non-native status and threat to our underground power lines.
 
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entwife14 said:
I agree wholeheartedly. They are such a nuisance -- another problem (told to me by an Arborist) is that the roots "girdle" the base of the tree, causing instability. No surprise that so many were downed during Sandy (severing our underground utilities in the process). I have to get permission to remove them, as the village planted them years back. Ugh. Then pay $500 for a permit to remove them. Ugh again. I may try to negotiate a waiver, due to the non-native status and threat to our underground power lines.
Click to expand...

Only in New York :p
 
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