What's this wood?

[karl]

I think I saw a picture of this stuff on here a little while ago and somebody said it was poplar. It has really weird/pretty lines through it, some pieces more than these.

It burns really well. It's easy to start but it doesn't seem to last very long.

 

[jpl1nh]

Did you mean to include pics?

 

[gpcollen1]

Is it green in color. Sounds like what people call 'poplar', which is not a poplar at all but American Tulip (Liriodendron Tulipifera if you want to look it up).

 

[karl]

I thought for sure I posted pics, but they are gone. Here they are again.

 

[johnsopi]

Maple ?

 

[Henz]

need a better pick of the bark but I can tell you that it is spaulting..menaing rotting, thats what those lines are etc..anyways, could be locust

 

[Matt_W]

The end grain kinda reminds me of elm?

 

[karl]

So the weird lines in it aren't a normal characteristic of the wood? I know it's starting to rot, I'm burning it now because it's really dry.

 

[Gooserider]

No, the lines are a form of early rot known as "spalting", Essentially they mark the progression of certain types of rot fungus through the wood before they actually start to attack it and cause it to visibly deteriorate.

The interesting grain patterns produced by this process are actually somewhat valued by fancy wood workers, who will pay extra for "spalted maple" and other such woods, however it is a bit of a gamble on the part of those attempting to make it, as you need to leave the wood in contact with the ground just long enough to get good spalting, but not long enough to start rotting, which can be a delicate balance.

From our perspective, it burns fine, perhaps a bit less heat than unspalted wood, but not greatly so.

Gooserider