Tree ID

[Skier76]

This monster is in our backyard in VT. It's a tall tree...I'd say about 100'. Rumor has it, that big chunk of missing bark was caused by a lightning strike. Any help IDing the tree would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Archie]

Tis the season. Leaf sample pic?

Edit: OK sometimes I get ahead of myself. Might be hard to get a leaf sample - the trunk looks like it has a long way to go before it hits a branch. My guess is maple.

Edit 2 (jeeze): Based on bark, beech or hackberry? Is there a prize? This is getting embarrasing.

 

[smokinj]

I'll go with beech

 

[Todd]

Lombardi Poplar

 

[LLigetfa]

The bark almost looks like Aspen (Poplar) but the branches don't. Lombardy has a very pronounced vertical form.

 

[SolarAndWood]

That looks like the bigger beech we have in the Adirondacks. Cut it down and make some firewood. They will cover a quarter acre with canopy so thick nothing else will grow if you let them. Ours generally get some disease that I forgot the name of and are generally not good for anything other than pulp or firewood. Our local forester recommended thinning them out as soon as they show the spots. They make great firewood.

 

[coolidge]

Looking like a spruce to me. Cut it down its probaly hollow.

 

[Ratman]

My mouth is watering just looking at that beech.

no doubt

 

[coolidge]

Guess i should enlarge the pictures, my mistake. Beech

 

[Skier76]

Is there a prize?

I could send you a leaf! :lol:

I'll try and get a leaf sample this weekend.

We probably won't cut it down unless we absolutely have too. Right now, it's the only tree in that part of the yard.

Edit:
The lowest branches are way way up there! I can't even reach them with my Fiskars pole saw from the ground.

 

[SolarAndWood]

We probably won't cut it down unless we absolutely have too

It looks like time will take care of that for you anyway.

 

[billb3]

looks more like ash to me

 

[firefighterjake]

Based solely on the bark I would say poplar or aspen (folks around here tend to lump quaking aspen, bigtooth aspen and balsam poplar together and call it popple) and I feel reasonably confident in saying this . . . but I'm much better with leaf identification and I can't quite make out the leaf shape/size.

If you can remember what the leafs look like this site may help since Maine and Vermont have similar tree species and climates . . . http://www.umext.maine.edu/mainetreeclub/MTC.htm . . . I would look at the poplar, aspen and beech trees since these seem to be the most prevalent guesses. As for spruce . . . I can only assume that was a joke . . . I hope.

 

[Skier76]

I'm thinking Balsam poplar based on that link. http://www.umext.maine.edu/mainetreeclub/FactSheets/odd-year-htm/BalsamPoplar.htm

This tree dropped a lot of purple fuzzy things in the spring. Which did a great job staining the deck I had just pressure washed. Luckily, the purple washed off after some rain. Also, the buds that fell were sticky. Height seems about right. And this tree is growing in a low area right next to a stream.

I'll still take a pic of a leaf though.

 

[firefighterjake]

I'm thinking Balsam poplar based on that link. http://www.umext.maine.edu/mainetreeclub/FactSheets/odd-year-htm/BalsamPoplar.htm

This tree dropped a lot of purple fuzzy things in the spring. Which did a great job staining the deck I had just pressure washed. Luckily, the purple washed off after some rain. Also, the buds that fell were sticky. Height seems about right. And this tree is growing in a low area right next to a stream.

I'll still take a pic of a leaf though.

Yeah, based on the picture of the bark and your description of the catkins (most folks call them catskins) I can say that I am about 95% positive that you have a poplar or aspen . . . show me a leaf and I will up that percentage.

Pics of catkins:

http://images.google.com/images?gbv...=result&cd=1&q=poplar+catkins&spell=1&start=0

 

[firefighterjake]

Deciding to take down this tree or not will be up to you. While it may be the only tree on the property, poplars are not a very strong wood -- I find that they often lose branches in ice storms or with heavy winds . . . and may even break off at some point on the tree. In addition, for whatever reason, ants around here seem to like making homes in them. Not a very good tree for firewood -- low BTU . . . and until recently they were considered more of a weed tree by the pulp and paper industry. Today, thanks to advances in paper making they have a little more value . . . plus they are used in making OSB by some manufacturers.

 

[JustWood]

I'm goin' with poplar or hybrid elm. Closer pics are in order.

 

[Skier76]

I'm thinking Balsam poplar based on that link. http://www.umext.maine.edu/mainetreeclub/FactSheets/odd-year-htm/BalsamPoplar.htm

This tree dropped a lot of purple fuzzy things in the spring. Which did a great job staining the deck I had just pressure washed. Luckily, the purple washed off after some rain. Also, the buds that fell were sticky. Height seems about right. And this tree is growing in a low area right next to a stream.

I'll still take a pic of a leaf though.

Yeah, based on the picture of the bark and your description of the catkins (most folks call them catskins) I can say that I am about 95% positive that you have a poplar or aspen . . . show me a leaf and I will up that percentage.

Pics of catkins:

http://images.google.com/images?gbv...=result&cd=1&q=poplar+catkins&spell=1&start=0

Yep! Looks very similar to the purple ones Google Images brings up.

I'll have to show you guys the roots on this thing...gnarly! They stick out of the ground and shoot out suckers in some locations. Some roots grow right into our stream.

We'll certainly keep an eye on it. If it has to come down, I'm going to have a lot of firepit wood on hand!

 

[Skier76]

Sorry to bump an old thread.....

Well kids...things just got a lot more interesting.

I called up a neighbor in VT who's a contractor. I wanted to get the name of a decent tree guy to do some limbing. I figured a recomendation is a lot easier than me throwing darts at the yellow pages and cold calling. He gave me a name, I called the guy Monday. The guy called me back Tuesday AM. He left me a message Tuesday afternoon (talk about promt service! He went out to our place after work) "Yeah, give me a call back, you've got bigger issues than limbing." Uh Oh.....

I talked to the guy for almost 20 minutes. Really nice guy. 38 years doing tree work. He said that base area is starting to rot...conk disease or something like that. He recomended taking it out because if it fell, it would probably destroy the entire house. Not a pleasant thought. Problem is, his crane isn't big enough. So he's going to have to sub the crane work out. Off the top of his head, he was thinking $1600-$1800 just for the crane. Eek!

He's hopefully going to stop by this weekend when we're up. We'll talk and try to hammer out some details.

 

[smokinj]

Sorry to bump an old thread.....

Well kids...things just got a lot more interesting.

I called up a neighbor in VT who's a contractor. I wanted to get the name of a decent tree guy to do some limbing. I figured a recomendation is a lot easier than me throwing darts at the yellow pages and cold calling. He gave me a name, I called the guy Monday. The guy called me back Tuesday AM. He left me a message Tuesday afternoon (talk about promt service! He went out to our place after work) "Yeah, give me a call back, you've got bigger issues than limbing." Uh Oh.....

I talked to the guy for almost 20 minutes. Really nice guy. 38 years doing tree work. He said that base area is starting to rot...conk disease or something like that. He recomended taking it out because if it fell, it would probably destroy the entire house. Not a pleasant thought. Problem is, his crane isn't big enough. So he's going to have to sub the crane work out. Off the top of his head, he was thinking $1600-$1800 just for the crane. Eek!

He's hopefully going to stop by this weekend when we're up. We'll talk and try to hammer out some details.

Get another est. a crew that has a climber will be cheeper than a crane.........

 

[firefighterjake]

Sorry to bump an old thread.....

Well kids...things just got a lot more interesting.

I called up a neighbor in VT who's a contractor. I wanted to get the name of a decent tree guy to do some limbing. I figured a recomendation is a lot easier than me throwing darts at the yellow pages and cold calling. He gave me a name, I called the guy Monday. The guy called me back Tuesday AM. He left me a message Tuesday afternoon (talk about promt service! He went out to our place after work) "Yeah, give me a call back, you've got bigger issues than limbing." Uh Oh.....

I talked to the guy for almost 20 minutes. Really nice guy. 38 years doing tree work. He said that base area is starting to rot...conk disease or something like that. He recomended taking it out because if it fell, it would probably destroy the entire house. Not a pleasant thought. Problem is, his crane isn't big enough. So he's going to have to sub the crane work out. Off the top of his head, he was thinking $1600-$1800 just for the crane. Eek!

He's hopefully going to stop by this weekend when we're up. We'll talk and try to hammer out some details.

Get another est. a crew that has a climber will be cheeper than a crane.........

I was thinking the same thing . . . a climber would be a lot less in the long run.

 

[Skier76]

Thanks guys. I'll take some better pics this weekend. This monster is about 15' from our deck and 12' from our shed. Behind the tree, a stream and a hill. There's not a huge area to drop stuff. Again, I'll take some pics...should help describle what I'm babbling about.

 

[thewoodlands]

This monster is in our backyard in VT. It's a tall tree...I'd say about 100'. Rumor has it, that big chunk of missing bark was caused by a lightning strike. Any help IDing the tree would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Looks like a Quaking Aspen, Skier take a look at the pictures I put up looks the same.

zap

 

[smokinj]

A climber will drop pieces of the tree one at a time with a bull rope its very slick, and a great climber top paid 500.00 much cheeper than a crane.

 

[Skier76]

Thanks zap! It is an odd looking tree; I just don't see that many around.

jay, good point. That something I'm going to have to look into.