Can you help identify this wood? White Ash?

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JordanCT

Member
Oct 16, 2018
15
CT
I am leaning towards white ash, but the bark doesn’t seem as furrowed as I would expect for the age.

Thoughts?
 

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Need better pics of leaves and actual wood with the bark on it.
 
I dont see any opposite branching and bark profile isnt ash. First guess is some sort of soft wood. Leaves look odd, but maybe its just cause they're dead. Need more clear pics.
 
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Sumac tree - trash wood.
 
A first impression (a quick flash ID) it looked like tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima). http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=76
A zoom-in of pic 1 confirms it. What appears at a distance to be dried, brown leaves are actually the dried fruit - single samara (helical). Also, has an alternate branching habit (ash is opposite).
Ailanthus (local arborists call it 'stink tree' because rancid peanut butter odor when its twigs are bruised) is an invasive, weed tree that makes for very poor firewood. Take a pass on this wood.
 
New to site! Thankee fer the add!! :)
Ash leaves are directly opposite each other with a leaf sticking straight out the end, just like Hickory! (Only Ash leaves are pointy)
Ash is also a bit “shreddey” when split! And is cream colored off white!
That looks like “Heaven wood”, “Tree of Heaven” to me!
Split open a small branch or leaf when green and it has a stench to it!
Dry, it doesn’t smell bad!
If you are under any time or space constraints and/or have plenty of hardwoods available..you might want to pass on this!
It’s definitely not “night wood”! Burns up pretty fast..but, it cuts and splits super easy! smaller pieces can be split with a hatchet!
Dries really quick and makes, not the greatest but ok, kindlin!
Better to use on fall or spring days when it’s not real cold and you have time to feed the stove!
I have plenty of it laying around but there’s so much Ash, Oak, Hickory, Beech, Hard Maple and Black Cherry to be had that I’m going fer that before it’s dozed up and burnt this Dec or Jan! (Turnin into crop land)
That being said, I hate to see it just laying there tho!
I’ve cut some up and already burnt it!
I may drag onother’er two and cut up! ;)
It’s prolly akin to Poplar for burnin!
So..es “mejor que nada”,(“better than nuthin”) if you’re cold! ☺️
 
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