Ash or Poplar?

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Stax

Minister of Fire
Dec 22, 2010
941
Southeastern PA
I previously posted what I thought was a score of Ash (bottom two rows). Am I wrong? Before IDing, hear my thoughts.

After stumbling upon a huge score of poplar a couple of streets over from this score, I'm worried that the bottoms two rows are poplar like the 5 rounds on top. The differences as you will note will be the difference in bark color, grain and heartwood. The bark on the two bottom rows appear a lighter grey color, the grain is a little darker and the heartwood doesn't have that greenish look. There were no leaves on either score. Whadda ya think?
 

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First one looks like silver maple the other is tulip.
 
Jay, the bottom two rows are the same ones in my thread, "On the way to work". Did you look at that one?
 
Stax said:
Jay, the bottom two rows are the same ones in my thread, "On the way to work". Did you look at that one?

Just now, Tuilp looks alot like ash. My bet is tulip! ;-)
 
Another vote for tulip on the top few rounds for sure. I like tulip personally, its easy to split, dries quick, and burns well in the early or late season.
 
Split them open and lets see ! Ones on top with green are poplar. can't tell on the others with it in the round. Split it all ready.
 
Just the top 5 rounds are tulip. The rest appears to be Ash. Note the texture differance in bark in third photo!
 
nrford said:
Just the top 5 rounds are tulip. The rest appears to be Ash. Note the texture differance in bark in third photo!

Size of rounds should say its the same tree.
 
smokinjay said:
nrford said:
Just the top 5 rounds are tulip. The rest appears to be Ash. Note the texture differance in bark in third photo!

Size of rounds should say its the same tree.

True, but they don't look the same. I'd go with poplar on the top two. If it's all the same, I'm confused.
 
cygnus said:
smokinjay said:
nrford said:
Just the top 5 rounds are tulip. The rest appears to be Ash. Note the texture differance in bark in third photo!

Size of rounds should say its the same tree.

True, but they don't look the same. I'd go with poplar on the top two. If it's all the same, I'm confused.

I dont always believe my eyes, sure could be wrong, but two trees of the same size is highly unlikely. Strange things can happen though but the chances of half ash and half tulip that looks so much alike! Well if it is the op trying a fast one... ;-)
 
nrford said:
Just the top 5 rounds are tulip. The rest appears to be Ash. Note the texture differance in bark in third photo!
Yeah, and the end grain on bottom two rows look exactly like the dead standing Ash I've been cutting and splitting recently.
 
smokinjay said:
cygnus said:
smokinjay said:
nrford said:
Just the top 5 rounds are tulip. The rest appears to be Ash. Note the texture differance in bark in third photo!

Size of rounds should say its the same tree.

True, but they don't look the same. I'd go with poplar on the top two. If it's all the same, I'm confused.

I dont always believe my eyes, sure could be wrong, but two trees of the same size is highly unlikely. Strange things can happen though but the chances of half ash and half tulip that looks so much alike! Well if it is the op trying a fast one... ;-)

Jay I thoght you had been around. "Two trees of the same size unlikely" come on now, I see it everday!
 
Jay, they are from two different trees, and different sites. What's also interesting is that the ends smell different. The poplar on top had a much stronger smell.
 
Stax said:
Jay, they are from two different trees, and different sites. What's also interesting is that the ends smell different. The poplar on top had a much stronger smell.

Then it is both lol, They clearly look different but being the very same size rounds is a long shot! (to me they look to close to start with)
 
dannynelson77 said:
Post a split!! Only way to confirm....
Post a smell. The eyes deceive but the nose knows.
 
Ya, the smell would be good if that could be done. But like I've said before, pictures can be very difficult to ID. Crap, sometimes it is hard enough when you are right there at the tree!
 
My computer must be all pluged up, I can't smell anything.
 
Okay...so we continue on. The smell, well poplar on top almost smelled like a fir or pine smell where as the bottom rounds just smelled like lumber.

Although larger, the rounds on the bottom were signficantly harder to split. After bucking again on the same tree yesterday, I got within 10 ft. of where the base of the tree snapped off and carpenter ants had created tunnels going some 10 ft. which i think weakend the tree. The poplar splits, bucked at the same time were soaked.

In the pics below, for refernce points, the assumed Ash will always be on the left.
 

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Stax said:
Okay...so we continue on. The smell, well poplar on top almost smelled like a fir or pine smell where as the bottom rounds just smelled like lumber.

Although larger, the rounds on the bottom were signficantly harder to split. After bucking again on the same tree yesterday, I got within 10 ft. of where the base of the tree snapped off and carpenter ants had created tunnels going some 10 ft. which i think weakend the tree. The poplar splits, bucked at the same time were soaked.

In the pics below, for refernce points, the assumed Ash will always be on the left.


Clearly you have both! Nford with an awesome call! :cheese:
 
Sorry, I might be confusing you. When I said Poplar on top I was referring to the orignal (score) the not first picture above. Depending on how your browser presents the pictures, the assumed Ash will either be on top or to the left.
 
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