Wood ID for a Rookie?

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b33p3r

Feeling the Heat
Jan 29, 2008
286
NE Pa
Can you guys help a rookie out with an ID on 2 different woods. 3 different pictures of the 1st wood and 1 combination picture of the second wood.


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White Ash.
 
What about the 4th picture?
 
ash, all of it
 
Thanks!
 
Thanks! Kinda confused why dark center on one but not on the other? Just a different Ash?
 
Big Ash, I Like Big Butts ;lol ;)
 
Thanks! Kinda confused why dark center on one but not on the other? Just a different Ash?
I don't as a rule see that dark of heartwood on the White Ash here, but the bark and grain looks identical to the previous pics. Did you cut the wood yourself? If so, I would assume it's from different trees or you wouldn't be asking about it. I suppose it could be Black or Green Ash but I'm not familiar with those...
 
I have gotten a couple Green Ash and the center is darker like that. White is much harder/heavier. Green Ash after it has seasoned well burns with the prettiest flames you've ever seen. I think is the only wood I've ever burned where I can sit and just watch it burn for a while. Not a great over night wood but for during the day is perfect. The first pics I would say White Ash.
 
I think Ash is probably the best all around wood you can get. It splits easy, seasons in a year, and has good btu's. Of course Locust is still my favorite, but not as plentiful.
 
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What about the 4th picture?

Still ash. Someone also made a comment on the size of the heart in ash. In the pictures below, that is almost all ash (just a few small elm mixed into both pictures but the majority is ash). Just look at the difference in the sizes of the hearts.


Wood-5.JPGWood-8.JPG
 
Thanks Dennis, thats interesting. I have green ash here and my problem is that I know the trees. I seperate green from white by seed pods. I never pay much attention to a possible dark heartwood. Im mad at myself for not paying attention.
I asked my nextdoor neighbor what all the saplings were in his hay field. They are completely taking over. And he disgustingly said they were from my Ash trees. And I laughed. I think they are poplar but I just asked why he let them grow. They have taken over like sumac does. I need to sneak over and cut some twigs.
An odd phenomenon if the field has been taken over by Ash. He sounds insane saying the seeds are from my trees. I dont think they blow that far.
Anyway...I wonder about the darker heartwood. Since what I have is green Ash. And it loves wet soil. It grows in the wet ditches in the horse pasture in full sun. Never seen Ash in the woods.
 
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I'm not so sure picture 4 is ash because the ridges on the bark are too flat and shallow. I've not seen white ash with ridges that flat and shallow. I have mostly white and blue ash on my land. Blue ash has kind if a scaly or flakey bark that's real easy to spot. I've never cut or seen green so what do I know?!?;lol
 
Thanks for the replies. I did not drop these 2 trees. But they are 2 seperate trees dropped at the same time. In fact they are clearing some pole lines for new power lines just 1 1/4 mile from my house and the one land owner gave me rights to get whatever I wanted off his property. About a mile stretch of freshly cleared power lines :) So I may drive you guys nuts with wood IDs til I get good at it. I'm gonna pick through the oak and ash for now since I can ID them. I'll snap some pictures of other logs while I'm cutting and post.
 
Thanks Dennis, thats interesting. I have green ash here and my problem is that I know the trees. I seperate green from white by seed pods. I never pay much attention to a possible dark heartwood. Im mad at myself for not paying attention.
I asked my nextdoor neighbor what all the saplings were in his hay field. They are completely taking over. And he disgustingly said they were from my Ash trees. And I laughed. I think they are poplar but I just asked why he let them grow. They have taken over like sumac does. I need to sneak over and cut some twigs.
An odd phenomenon if the field has been taken over by Ash. He sounds insane saying the seeds are from my trees. I dont think they blow that far.
Anyway...I wonder about the darker heartwood. Since what I have is green Ash. And it loves wet soil. It grows in the wet ditches in the horse pasture in full sun. Never seen Ash in the woods.


You are welcome. Most of our ash is also in wet areas too. We don't have green ash in this area so I am only faintly familiar with it.

Interesting that he feels the brush is coming from your ash trees. I'd guess popple coming up from the roots or cherry does the same.
 
I'm not so sure picture 4 is ash because the ridges on the bark are too flat and shallow. I've not seen white ash with ridges that flat and shallow. I have mostly white and blue ash on my land. Blue ash has kind if a scaly or flakey bark that's real easy to spot. I've never cut or seen green so what do I know?!?;lol

Looks like it is from a limb.
 
I'm not so sure picture 4 is ash because the ridges on the bark are too flat and shallow. I've not seen white ash with ridges that flat and shallow. I have mostly white and blue ash on my land. Blue ash has kind if a scaly or flakey bark that's real easy to spot. I've never cut or seen green so what do I know?!?;lol
Looks like it is from a limb.
You are welcome. Most of our ash is also in wet areas too. We don't have green ash in this area so I am only faintly familiar with it.
Yeah, I think I've seen the flat ridges on branches, or further up the trunk. I will look at a few the next time I'm out.
I think the Black Ash is more common than the Green...
Dennis, that's interesting that your Ash comes from wet areas; Maybe that accounts for the darker heart. Before you said that, I thought maybe it had to do with the type of soil the tree grew in. Most of our Ash is on well-drained slopes. I do have one to cut that's in a very wet area. It'll be interesting to see what that one yields.
 
I definitely have white ash growing in my limestone based woods, high and dry. Unfortunately, I think it is starting to be unhappy white ash.

And I never would have guessed white ash on that 4th photo.
 
Unfortunately, I think it is starting to be unhappy white ash.

And I never would have guessed white ash on that 4th photo.
So you've got the light-colored heartwood there, too?
Unhappy with the borer?
 
Yea if you had some White Ash and Green Ash you could tell the difference by the weight alone.
 
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