Springfield mo. What are the white. Possibly dead trees all over?

[moresnow]

Spent the weekend down that way. Seems to be plenty of dead standing stuff? Curious if anybody here knows what specie it is. Looks white. Appears to have zero bark or very smooth? No shortage of hardwoods down that way. Wow!

 

[Sodbuster]

Spent the weekend down that way. Seems to be plenty of dead standing stuff? Curious if anybody here knows what specie it is. Looks white. Appears to have zero bark or very smooth? No shortage of hardwoods down that way. Wow!

If you have the Emerald Ash Borer in your area, it's likely Ash. Cut as much as you can it's great firewood.

 

[TreePointer]

It's very common in my region to see elm trees with Dutch elm disease (DED) lose their bark completely before falling over years later. After they lose their bark, the wood gets bleached by the sun to look very whitish. There are large stretches of DED elms that look like this along certain sections of the PA Turnpike.

EAB ash trees often keep a lot of bark (especially on their trunks) even after falling to the ground.

 

[moresnow]

We have/had both afflictions here in Iowa. If it's EAB it's a different flavor than what we have? Dutch Elm disease swept through here in the late 70's I believe (the ultimate Morel hunting years soon followed). Many of those dead Elm's are gone. None appear like this. Neither left our local trees appear pure white? Heck, maybe these are naturally this way and healthy! Dunno.
This is something different. I am kicking myself for not taking a few pics. The wife and I were commenting for hours as we drove home. I appreciate the comments and thought's.

 

[Osage]

It's very common in my region to see elm trees with Dutch elm disease (DED) lose their bark completely before falling over years later. After they lose their bark, the wood gets bleached by the sun to look very whitish. There are large stretches of DED elms that look like this along certain sections of the PA Turnpike.

EAB ash trees often keep a lot of bark (especially on their trunks) even after falling to the ground.

Have seen cottonwood do the same thing. Have cut some when it was like that and wasn't to bad of wood.
I would guess it's either elm or cottonwood.

 

[Mark N MO]

Wonder if what you saw was sycamore? Quite a bit of them in my neck of the woods, N of Joplin. Especially around ponds, rivers, and lakes. Most of the trees on our 20 acres consist of red/white oak, walnut, and hickory. Couple of scattered sycamores, around the ponds.

 

[therealdbeau]

Like Mark N MO said, I instantly thought of Sycamore when reading your title. They are very unique looking the way they shed their bark but they aren't dead.

 

[matts6spd]

I live in Springfield and I think the previous reply of elm is most likely what you've seen. Seems to last a good while standing dead when the bark falls off. Its not a top choice for firewood around here because its pretty tough to split.

 

[Kevin Weis]

I put Elm right below well seasoned Mulberry or maybe even above it. I like it better than Ash actually. No problem to split wit a 28 ton splitter.

 

[TreePointer]

Elm makes nice coals, too.

 

[moresnow]

Sycamore looks like what I was seeing. Betting.

 

[TreePointer]

Sycamore looks like what I was seeing. Betting.

Sycamore should be easy to differentiate from elm, ash, and just about any other tree. Look at some online images of sycamore bark, and you'll see characteristic patching (mottled) bark.