Wood ID Help Please

[Nelson]

Hi Nelson
I never think to bring a wheelbarrow out in the woods with me. What state is WI?
The forester thing is pretty fun. I had DEC foresters come here and private foresters and the NYS guys were WAY more helpful.
I hate people who are tight a$$ed with information. It is really important to find someone who is motivated by land conservation even if you're not.
Money prejudices.
Anyway, there is an easy way to tell Elm from from other species, it has unique characteristics. Nothing that will be seen from blurry digital photography. Unfortunately for all of us.
Elm is good.
But I was gonna say maple. But I cant really see anything distinctive in those pics.

Hi - WI is Wisconsin

I'm looking forward to what the Forester has to say. We are in a part of hte state that historically had many Oak Woodlands (Oaks, Hickory, Black Cherry, etc) but these were largely maintained by natural fire. Since settlement, those natural fires don't naturally occur so these Oak Woodlands have been transitioning to include more shade tolerant trees, including Maples. As it is now, I haven't seen much Maple in my woodland so I don't think it's Maple. After some research, I starting to lean towards Elm given the bark (white/red/white on the inside layer). When I get a chance, I'm going to go back out and check the bark to verify.

My phone has a cracked lens on it so it's taking bad pictures. Lesson learned.

Question in general - Is Elm typically more stringy and hard to split?

 

[nrford]

te="Nelson, post: 1596806, member: 30729"]Hi - WI is Wisconsin

I'm looking forward to what the Forester has to say. We are in a part of hte state that historically had many Oak Woodlands (Oaks, Hickory, Black Cherry, etc) but these were largely maintained by natural fire. Since settlement, those natural fires don't naturally occur so these Oak Woodlands have been transitioning to include more shade tolerant trees, including Maples. As it is now, I haven't seen much Maple in my woodland so I don't think it's Maple. After some research, I starting to lean towards Elm given the bark (white/red/white on the inside layer). When I get a chance, I'm going to go back out and check the bark to verify.

My phone has a cracked lens on it so it's taking bad pictures. Lesson learned.

Question in general - Is Elm typically more stringy and hard to split?[/quote]

Answer to question, in general yes Stringy and a real pain to split. If standing dead and bark has fallen off it is usually easier to split than green.

 

[Nelson]

Answer to question, in general yes Stringy and a real pain to split. If standing dead and bark has fallen off it is usually easier to split than green.

Well, that certainly fits with my experience. It was a blow down so all bark intact. I started trying to peel before I split it and quickly learned that effort was in vain!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Question - does temperature have any say in it? It's been really cold here so the wood was no doubt "frozen". Yes, knarly is a good way to describe what I was splitting! I did manage to get all the rounds split but it definitely kicked my butt.

It takes a lot longer than this to freeze that wood. Only the very outer parts will be frozen.

 

[Sinngetreu]

You are absolutely correct. I've said it here several times; the same species of tree grown in different areas with different weather, soil, and moisture conditions can and will look and act differently. For that matter, two trees of the same species grown on different sides of the same hill can be vastly different in many ways. Thankfully I must live in the land of easy splitting ash, cause I split a;;y wood by hand!

I'll trade ya.... you know.... so your not missing out.

 

[aansorge]

Green ash is not that easy to split all the time in comparison to white ash which is.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Green ash is not that easy to split all the time in comparison to white ash which is.

I've heard that. I don't have any green ash on my land, but it is growing here and there around me. I do have cut and split a lot of blue ash. It is about as easy as white ash and burns about the same. I don't believe I've ever seen black ash.

 

[Applesister]

Oh..Wisconsin
Dont know about elevations between our 2 states. Or Lat and Long. But maybe close in species.
Didnt know how far out sugar maples range was. I know its eastern states.
There is the black maple who travels in different circles...
New York promotes its sugaring trees. Its interesting to wonder what would come back from a fire or clear cut. Or what you might want to plant in the wake.
Elm is a curiousity. Like American Chestnut. I did a little research when I thought I had an errant Siberian Elm pop up in the orchard but it turned out to be Slippery Elm. Thank God.
Did a little study.

 

[Nelson]

And the answer is..... Elm! Had a forester out a few weeks back and he confirmed that it was Elm. Thanks for the replies!