Another wood ID
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webby3650 said:If you will recall Postalizer had a thread a few days ago titled another name that wood. It is the same wood pictured there as you have pictured, Sassafras. In that thread it was called everything but what it is Sassafras.
WRONG! That was cottonwood this is sassafrass. Grain, color,sap wood and bark are all different.
I cast another vote for Sassafras. The telltale "tip" will be if it had a unique "sweet" smell to it.
Wrong!LEES WOOD-CO said:webby3650 said:If you will recall Postalizer had a thread a few days ago titled another name that wood. It is the same wood pictured there as you have pictured, Sassafras. In that thread it was called everything but what it is Sassafras.
WRONG! That was cottonwood this is sassafrass. Grain, color,sap wood and bark are all different.
webby3650 said:Wrong!LEES WOOD-CO said:webby3650 said:If you will recall Postalizer had a thread a few days ago titled another name that wood. It is the same wood pictured there as you have pictured, Sassafras. In that thread it was called everything but what it is Sassafras.
WRONG! That was cottonwood this is sassafrass. Grain, color,sap wood and bark are all different.
Not trying to get in the middle but here is a link to the post in question.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/27468/
And after review they do not look like the same wood to me
It is hard to tell by the grain sometimes. The life or climate of the tree can change the grain alot. The bark has a distinct red color just under the surface that cotton wood in my area does not have. But really who cares it all burns nice and keeps the gas man far away!
I worked in my brothers furniture business for a few years, the end grain looks a little bit like butternut,,,,hard for me to tell unless its planed like furniture
I have a butternut next to my garage. The bark in these pictures doesn't quite seem the same - actually it reminds me of the Hemlock trees we have growing by our cabin. I've never cut into one of them though and I've never seen a sassafras.
I know one thing - I'm only on the forum today because it's raining here in south central PA. I was supposed to be splittin'. These pictures aren't helping any! Nice splits!
I know one thing - I'm only on the forum today because it's raining here in south central PA. I was supposed to be splittin'. These pictures aren't helping any! Nice splits!
I don't know 'bout Long Island too much, but I've never had anybody in South Central Pa. talk about cottonwood or butternut trees.
We have sassafrass, but I ain't never seen one as big as pictured by Chief Ryan here.
That right there in them pics looks like pine bark to me.
ponderosa pine, red pine, or some such.
the Chief said it was easy to split and not heavy.
Fact that it's on Long Island, easy to split, not heavy, bark looks like pine bark, I'm sayin' some kind of pine.
We have sassafrass, but I ain't never seen one as big as pictured by Chief Ryan here.
That right there in them pics looks like pine bark to me.
ponderosa pine, red pine, or some such.
the Chief said it was easy to split and not heavy.
Fact that it's on Long Island, easy to split, not heavy, bark looks like pine bark, I'm sayin' some kind of pine.
The bark looks like sassafras, but sassafras is a very dense wood...and thus wouldn't be light. Most sassafras don't get that large in circumference either (but it is possible). Based on the pics and thread info...I would lean toward cottonwood, it has a similar deeply furrowed bark and is a softwood. Could also be a pine..
It is definitely not butternut. Butternut is a relative of the American elm...that grain is far too straight and the bark is much more flaky.
It is definitely not butternut. Butternut is a relative of the American elm...that grain is far too straight and the bark is much more flaky.
I'm going to go with Sassafras. I cut up and split 2 or 3 big ones this year and mine were lighter like the ones pictured. Didn't realize they grew so big either, always thought of them as a small/bushy type tree. The smell is undeniable though.
- Oct 8, 2008
- 450
thats definitely sassafrass....I have about 2 cords of it and a lot of those trees on my property. Easy way to tell is if it smells like root beer while cutting it.
ansehnlich1 said:
I would have to agree... I've seen a lot of sassafrass but not that big or even close to that big maybe 10-12" is the biggest I've seen it around here.
Looks like pine to me! Picture 1 and picture 4 make me almost sure of it. Long Island has a lot of the same trees that we have here... Looks like a big Ole pitch pine as we call it! Dry it good and burn it up!
Around me, I have never noticed any pine to have a "very strong" smell. And when splitting pine and it does have a light aroma, is smells like.....well....pine. Dunno about some of your funny woods out east.
Funny you say that Bubbavh, the splits right behind the splitter are pitch pine. Definitely not the same wood. The pine is sappy and pine smelling. These splits are without a doubt different in smell and appearance. The bark does look like some type of pine though.
I live in west central Pa and have sassafras growing abundantly but I have never seen it with a caliper as this piece. In our area it is rare to see it any larger than 3" to 4" inches.My vote judging by the bark is Larch. Any leaves or needles on the ground. The bark and wood looks like the Larch I cut down this summer.
All you guys that say sassafras might be correct. Though I have never seen it this large. Wikipedia.org claims it can reach a diameter of 3 foot and grow 120' tall. Young bark is smooth and light orange while old trees it is orange/brown and deeply furled. Larch also has bark that is similar and has a sweet smell. Leaf ID would be the best way to determine. What I am saying is you may be right on Sassafras. I have never seen it this large but we do have lots of Larch in our area and it's bark looks like this bark. I just went outside too a Larch tree to compare. The Sassafras in our area never gets larger than 10' tall. Wikipedia says deer feed on it heavy maybe that's why it stays small around here, Lots of deer. A side note did you know Sassafras is toxic and causes liver damage. The FDA bands it in any food or products for Human consumption or use as does Canada.
- Oct 8, 2008
- 450
most of the fallen sassafrass ive processed has been in the 10-12" diameter range. I havent cut anything but there are some Sassafrass trees in my yard that are probably 14-18" in diameter at the base and 40-50+ feet high.
as soon as i saw the pic of the split log i knew what it was....the interior color, the orange around wood and the bark. I have tons of it on my property lol. once the brush dies back a little bit more im going to pull 2 more fallen sassafrass out and get it cut up.
as soon as i saw the pic of the split log i knew what it was....the interior color, the orange around wood and the bark. I have tons of it on my property lol. once the brush dies back a little bit more im going to pull 2 more fallen sassafrass out and get it cut up.
Chief Ryan said:
What is the diameter on that? It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks big.
Is the bark Flaked like pine? I've cut some pretty funky smelling pines!
Same sense I am not doubting sasafrass either just hard to Imagine one that big because they don't ever seem to grow strait enough to get that big. Always leaning to the side fighting for space and sunlight. (they tend to grow in clusters around here)
So my official guess is.............
Wait for it............
pineafrass
Sorry, I'm a dork
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