Is this oak? (pics)

[CowboyAndy]

We were out scouting trees for this coming weekend "woodcutting extravaganza" and were in an area that has been previously cut by us and another guy. All the good maple is gone, but i came across several groups of large trees that my brother in law insisted were boxelder, thats why they never cut them in the past. oak is very scarce on my father in laws 200 acres because he said that 10 years ago all the oak caught a disease and died. This sure looks like oak to me... sorry no leaves to identify it.

 

[RAY_PA]

I dont think so

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Andy, where have you been?

If you can get more pictures further up the tree and maybe one from a distance it would help. That second picture sort of looks like red oak but as usual, it is so difficult to tell looking at pictures. And naturally, you don't have any with the grain showing, but someone should be able to help. Like I stated, as few more pictures would help.

btw, the way those two trees are together at the bottom is very typical of red oak.

 

[CowboyAndy]

Andy, where have you been?

If you can get more pictures further up the tree and maybe one from a distance it would help. That second picture sort of looks like red oak but as usual, it is so difficult to tell looking at pictures. And naturally, you don't have any with the grain showing, but someone should be able to help. Like I stated, as few more pictures would help.

btw, the way those two trees are together at the bottom is very typical of red oak.

Hey Savage! Things have been busy at work...

Anyways, i will try to get one from a distance, but I only have my phone (lost the cord for our digital camera) so i dont know how the quality will be. I'll bring the saw too and see if i can get a limb off to see come grain.

I have a tree in my yard that looks identical and i cut/burned and i remember the flesh being very brown. Also, now that I think about it I remember seeing lits of little "fruits" all over the grounf underneath these trees, if that helps any.

EDIT: It also looks alot like this tree: https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/37022/

 

[Bubbavh]

Looks like sassafras to me. They tend to grow close together like that.

Look at the trees behind the pile of Oak rounds in both of my pictures.
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/36879/

 

[JustWood]

Ash or basswood

 

[smokinj]

Ash or basswood

Looks like ash to me never seen bass wood!

 

[Wood Duck]

I don't think it is oak, but photo Id is not my specialty. It loooks like White Ash to me. Almost as good as oak, maybe better if you need to burn it next year, since Ash should be seasoned in a year, oak probably not.

 

[CowboyAndy]

I guess the bottom like is it really doesnt matter what it is, so long as its not bottom of the barrell stuff. I have plenty of pine that is easy pickings for my softwood stash.

Would you guys spend an entire day cutting and hauling these trees if you werent sure about the quality of the wood?

 

[smokinj]

I guess the bottom like is it really doesnt matter what it is, so long as its not bottom of the barrell stuff. I have plenty of pine that is easy pickings for my softwood stash.

Would you guys spend an entire day cutting and hauling these trees if you werent sure about the quality of the wood?

Looks good andy should be ash or as lee said bass wood either way its good wood

 

[Jamess67]

I say ash too
compare here
http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c254/Jamess67/Bark/

 

[gpcollen1]

Another option could be Bitternut Hickory - Carya Cordiformis...

Always hard to tell based on growing conditions and the pic..

The easiest way to begin to differentiate trees like this is to take a look at the branching pattern. If the tree branches opposite one another, it will most likely be Maple, Ash, Dogwood, Horse Chestnut, - with a few other options in there. If it is alternate branching - it could be everything else.

Also - take a look at what the dominant leaves are on the ground under the tree. Ash are compound leaves - so are hickory, but different numbers of leaflets...

 

[Bubbavh]

I would if I had the spare time.

But I also burn just about anything. I've been passing lots of pine on the roadside lately (branch pickup time in a nearby town) I just don't have the time to get any of it right now with my new found oak supply that I've been working on. I could probably get 2 cords just on the way to work. Breaks my heart to know they are gonna toss it in the chipper.

 

[CowboyAndy]

So I took a ride over there yesterday with my father in law and he also says its ash.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Looks ashy

 

[Ncountry]

Looks like basswood. If I remember correctly I think basswood has pee sized nuts or "berries" too.

 

[Jags]

Sure looks like a nice piece of ash to me.

 

[CowboyAndy]

So how do you guys rate ash? I mean I know its not maple, but is it better than say boxelder and popple? Does anyone have any good btu charts?

There is alot of this stuff, and its easy pickings... im cutting and burning it no matter what, just want to get an idea on the quality of it.

 

[Jags]

Ash is good stuff. Burns well, coals good, decent btus, seasons quickly. I won't give up my oak for it, but sure wouldn't turn it down either.

Just one of many charts out there: http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1554/build/g1554.pdf

 

[gpcollen1]

To add to the pros about ash - It splits very nicely too and there is plenty of it these days with all of them dying out. Makes me want to split by hand more...

COns - none that i know of unless you are love with another type of wood...

 

[Ncountry]

Basswood can easily be mistaken for ash but it is on the bottom of most btu charts.

 

[Jack Straw]

Check the small branches high up and see if they grow in a random pattern or if they grow across from each other.( I hope that makes sense) Ash tree branches grow across from each other. Not many other trees do that. Growing in a clump like that looks like Basswood.

 

[LLigetfa]

Around here, Basswood has a smooth bark and always sends up lots of young suckers. The bark looks too coarse for the kind of Ash that grows here.

 

[Jack Straw]

Around here, Basswood has a smooth bark and always sends up lots of young suckers. The bark looks too coarse for the kind of Ash that grows here.

The pattern of the bark does look like ash to me.

 

[CowboyAndy]

Okay, heres a cut piece of the tree(s) in question

Also, got a nice surprise... this is hickory, right?

Oh ya, and I'm an idiot...

and this is what it took to get out...