Pond Bank Cleanup: Win-Win Situation; need tree ID

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NextEndeavor

NextEndeavor

Burning Hunk
Jan 16, 2011
248
Southern Iowa
A guy at work is cleaning off the banks of a pond neglected for many years. The overgrowth of nuisance trees has dropped leaves in the water for years, now effecting aquatic life per a fisheries biologist. I've been over there for three afternoons and came away with 6 full size pickup loads of firewood. Problem is, without leaves, I'm not sure what the majority of these southern Iowa trees are. I also took a couple small pin oaks (still have leaves) and a small ash. The pictures should provide a good idea what I'm looking at. The wood is yellowish similar to Mulberry but not as pronounced of a yellow. The bark is different too. These trees all grow pretty much straight up, possibly because they were packed in there so tightly. They are on the pond banks, not actually in the water. Most are 5 inches diameter up to 14. They split very easily. This fresh cut green wood does not have a distinct smell like I find with oak, cedar or pine. They split straight and very easily. Again, found just growing all around the banks of a pond. Appreciate thoughts from those who may be able to identify. Six months from now I'll be over there studying leaves! I'm sure there is another 10 loads waiting but think I'll continue thinning things out for him and make my way to a couple decent pin oaks that I'd like to have C/S/S in my backyard for a future season. Thanks
 

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Looks like black locust to me. The bark isn't as rope-like as we have here near St. Louis ... but black locust is my guess!

If you haven't burned BL before, you are going to love it!

Great score!
 
Is it light wood? Looks more like Sassafrass. If it splits like buttter it is Sassfrass, Locust is real heavy and more yellow.
 
If you don't smell fruit loops when splitting it I think you'd be able to rule out sasafras.

MAtt
 
Definitely black locust- wood color, bark, ring spacing, easy-splitting.
 
It is Black Locust when you cut it with saw the chips and dust look as if you were cutting fresh treated lumber. kind of greenish
 
These chunks are heavier than the cottonwood and pine also cut the same day. However, the pin oak is easily much heavier. These are probably comparable to ash in weight. My pictures really don't show the true color. The wood definitely has some yellow tint maybe even greenish/yellow in it even though not all my pictures indicate that. Attached is another view with a tape measure. The rings appear to be averaging about a quarter inch thick so am guessing this species must be growing a lot faster than the pin oak also attached. The pin is much more red in color with very tight slow growing rings. This pin sample is 10 to 12 inches in diameter, for comparison. And yes, the saw chips came out looking just like green treated lumber. I think you guys have nailed this one. My field tree guides don't show the cross sectional areas but their bark pictures do lineup with the black locust call. The guide also said these trees are fast growing, like a weed and do well for erosion control, hence around this pond. Thanks a bunch for the help! Looking forward to trying this stuff next year.
 

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To me that looks more like Elm than Black Locust. If it is Black Locust there will be thorns on the smaller branches. Some Black Locust don't have a ton of thorns, but they should have at least some. Also, unless they are very young, Black Locust should have some seed pods on them at this time of the year - the pods look like pea pods. Although you say it split easily (and I believe you) I see some of the splits looks stringy like Elm. I have split some Elm that was easy to split, so ease of splitting doesn't completely rule out Elm.
 
Wood Duck said:
To me that looks more like Elm than Black Locust. If it is Black Locust there will be thorns on the smaller branches. Some Black Locust don't have a ton of thorns, but they should have at least some. Also, unless they are very young, Black Locust should have some seed pods on them at this time of the year - the pods look like pea pods. Although you say it split easily (and I believe you) I see some of the splits looks stringy like Elm. I have split some Elm that was easy to split, so ease of splitting doesn't completely rule out Elm.
Click to expand...

I've cut quite a few black locusts that have been thorn-less! I've also cut some that have had 6"-8" thorns! The color of the heart wood and the bark is what convinced me that it's black locust. Also, black locust is relatively easy to split ... unlike elm!

Of course, as my wife tells me, I've been known to be wrong!
 
I'd say Black Locust too. I cut about 5 cords of BL in 2011 and never saw a single thorn here in the Lower Hudson Valley of NY.
 
I am thinking Black Locust now too, the bark of Sassafrass is very similiar. The one suprising thing is you said it is lighter than the Oak. It could be the Oak is just really wet but there are not many woods heavier than locust. A great burner by the way, burns like coal and seasons alot quicker than Oak.
 
Ya, I wondered about the lack of thorns also. I've never seen or heard of Sassafras around here but I'm new at this ID hobby. I know some DNR folks who will know the local tree population types. Per my field guide, the bark is very similar. What color is the wood of Sassafras? These standing trees do have the appearance of elm but they split so much easier ..... and don't stink. One good swing of the X27 and they fly in half. My experience with elm says "hydraulic splitter only". By the way, the red colored pin oak is very wet and will likely take the 2 - 3 years Dennis talks about before meeting up with the stove.
 
NextEndeavor... the rings are much more dense than 1/4". Iif you look closely you will find multiple rings inside each lighter colored ring. Yellow green coloration is definitely more like locust. I have a bunch of locust in my wood stack that I cut this year and there were very few if any thorns. Locust will probably not weigh as much as pin oak and should weigh more than pine. In my experience elm is usually as hard split and can be accomapnied with a less than desireable aroma. FWIW I think it's locust.
 
NextEndeavor said:
These chunks are heavier than the cottonwood and pine also cut the same day. However, the pin oak is easily much heavier. These are probably comparable to ash in weight. My pictures really don't show the true color. The wood definitely has some yellow tint maybe even greenish/yellow in it even though not all my pictures indicate that. Attached is another view with a tape measure. The rings appear to be averaging about a quarter inch thick so am guessing this species must be growing a lot faster than the pin oak also attached. The pin is much more red in color with very tight slow growing rings. This pin sample is 10 to 12 inches in diameter, for comparison. And yes, the saw chips came out looking just like green treated lumber. I think you guys have nailed this one. My field tree guides don't show the cross sectional areas but their bark pictures do lineup with the black locust call. The guide also said these trees are fast growing, like a weed and do well for erosion control, hence around this pond. Thanks a bunch for the help! Looking forward to trying this stuff next year.
Click to expand...

That pin oak should be much heavier that the ash too. Certainly will smell different too. lol
 
It looks like BL to me too, but I'm not 100%. Sure a great score! Take and run your hand down a split and if you feel a bunch of tiny splinters - it's BL. I have found my BL to be lighter than my oak.
 
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