black birch or pin cherry?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here

birch or cherry?

  • cherry

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • birch

    Votes: 10 76.9%

  • Total voters
    13
Status
Not open for further replies.

Kosmonauts

Member
Jan 15, 2016
220
Pennsylvania
had a post on here about a month ago about a tree ID and a debate began between it being black birch and pin cherry or black cherry. It was mostly white but had a red core and here are some pictures of a split. Thanks...
 

Attachments

  • [Hearth.com] black birch or pin cherry?
    12896220_10205848318157134_1817610338_o.webp
    95 KB · Views: 504
  • [Hearth.com] black birch or pin cherry?
    12903992_10205848317517118_1082447983_o.webp
    71 KB · Views: 496
If it smells of wintergreen (methyl salicylate) = birch
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kosmonauts
That looks like cherry in the pic but it's slightly out of focus. I had the fortune of getting 2 cords of black birch that I've been burning this year and I'm also surrounded by pin cherry. I've probably had 7-8 come down between my property and neighbors and my brothers property so I've been burning both all year. World of difference between the two once they season.
 
That looks like cherry in the pic but it's slightly out of focus. I had the fortune of getting 2 cords of black birch that I've been burning this year and I'm also surrounded by pin cherry. I've probably had 7-8 come down between my property and neighbors and my brothers property so I've been burning both all year. World of difference between the two once they season.
I can imagine! I just have never seen cherry be so white...the center is dark reddish but the majority of the wood is white. Also definetely doesn't smell like cherry...
 
I'll take a pic of a split of each later and we can compare it to yours.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kosmonauts
Can you post a picture of the bark on a bigger split? Black Birch bark changes as it gets older.
 
It was a little older than I thought...But the bark of the cherries anywhere in my area even the ones of the exact same size don't have as much smoothness to them, and also there is not the cherry smell AT ALL.
 
thanks so much! What was the give away and any attributes that made you decide?

I have been wrong before once or twice ( just ask my wife!) but I think it's black birch and here's why.

I think a pin cherry and black birch look very similar especially when younger. They both have horizontal lines or wrap to the bark making them look very similar. As the black birch ages the bark changes and it looks similar to the picture you posted above. As others have said, the way to tell for sure is to peel that bark back and smell. If it smells like wintergreen it's a black birch not a pin cherry. I also think the wood is too light in color to be a pin cherry. I think the pictures of the small diameter logs you posted make us all think pin cherry, but that's what young black birch trees look like also.

Do a good sniff test peeling that bark back again and report back. I think the definitive answer lies in that distinct wintergreen smell of a black birch.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Lakeside
Here's a pic of an older big black birch on our property with a big burl on it... You can see how with this older tree the bark has become peeled, but still see some of those tell tale horizontal lines or wrap to the bark. Not really the best picture of a black birch to show the bark comparison but it's all I had.

[Hearth.com] black birch or pin cherry?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kosmonauts
I have been wrong before once or twice ( just ask my wife!) but I think it's black birch and here's why.

I think a pin cherry and black birch look very similar especially when younger. The both have horizontal lines or wrap to the bark making them look very similar. As the black birch ages the bark changes and it looks similar to the picture you posted above. As others have said, the way to tell for sure is to peel that bark back and smell. If it smells like wintergreen it's a black birch not a pin cherry. I also think the wood is too light in color to be a pin cherry. I think the pictures of the small diameter legs you posted make us all think pin cherry, but that's what young black birch trees look like also.

Do a good sniff test again and report back. I think the definitive answer lies in that distinct wintergreen smell of a black birch.
Well it's a very woody smell with almost a menthol type note...very minimal but it doesn't smell like cherry I know that. Also all of my cherry is red all the way through and this has a lot of white in the wood and when I cut it it was a very pearl white with a darker center
 
Status
Not open for further replies.