Tree ID help

[ampamp]

Beech...right? Just double checking. Thanks! A friend has ~20 acres of pretty thick woods he wants thinned out a little bit and there seems to be a fair number of these trees. We both win....he gets a controlled harvest from me......and I get free firewood. Life is good.

 

[Jack Straw]

Looks like Beech.....peel off some bark, should have that great smell of Beechnut Gum!

 

[ScotO]

Looks like beech to me, get all you can. Great BTU's and it seasons relatively fast after being C/S/S.

 

[Woody Stover]

I'm no woodland management expert but I think I have read that the Beech can really take over if not kept in check. Just me but I would take the opportunity to learn a bit about proper management, and try to do it right. I'm just harvesting dead or down trees here at present, so I haven't got to the management stage yet...
At any rate, it sounds like you've hit the jackpot!

 

[jackofalltrades]

You are correct sir, that is indeed beech. I have never burned any of it because I can't find one solid enough to fool with.

 

[Jack Straw]

I have quite a bit of it. It tends to grow in clumps of 3 or 4 and seems like it has decent btu's. Usually quite wet when you cut it, not sure of the drying time, I'm on a 2 year+ drying schedule for all of my wood.

 

[bogydave]

Looks like beech to me too.
When I lived back east, we called them squirrel & bee trees. Hollow in the middle.

 

[lukem]

This is interesting. I've cut a lot of beech and never saw a hollow one, and never saw one that grew in clump. Different variety maybe?

 

[ScotO]

This is interesting. I've cut a lot of beech and never saw a hollow one, and never saw one that grew in clump. Different variety maybe?

I cut a huge beech last winter, and half of the top was hollow.

 

[Jack Straw]

+2 on the hollow

 

[Locust Post]

Looks like beech from here. Beech is one of my favorites because it has a tight bark and even when the bark comes loose not much mess. Pretty high on the BTU list too. Some of the big beech around here go hollow but not all of them. There have been a few winters when I was blessd to be able to burn beech almost exclusively and once or twice all from 1 tree. Massive trees that is.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Beech makes excellent firewood but marginal lumber. However, back in the 1950's we lumbered off a woods that was 90% beech and got some decent prices for the lumber. It always smelled good around the mill for sure.

 

[timusp40]

Ampamp,
My brother burns Beech when he can get it. He lives in the Upper in Michigan where Beech was once very plentiful. Not so any more. Excellant firewood by the way.
take care,
Tim

 

[begreen]

I'm not sure about lumber, but beech makes a beautiful cabinetry wood and veneer. A friend has all beech cabinets and they look stunning.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

i agree BeGreen. Beechwood can be pretty, but in the lumber business most don't want it.

 

[nrford]

There are customers for beech lumber. It is used alot in wooden toys. The biggest problem with beech is that you can expect 40% loss to degrade(warp,Cup, and serious issues with checking) in the kiln. That is why it is a species with little value to hardwood lumber producers. It has it's most value as firewood.