Black streaks inside tree?

[snaple4]

Cut down 3 dead trees in my yard. The largest one has black spots in the tree that go up. Any idea what it is? The first picture is of the stump. The other two pictures are of a different section of the tree.

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[johneh]

If it had been kiln dried It would be from minerals in the sap . It could of air
dried that way .
We at one time got a whole load of pine lumber that was blue stained like that

 

[Jeffm1]

Might possibly mean there is metal in there somewhere. Nails, screws, staples, bullets, etc. Careful with the chain saw. Be darn sure you wear eye protection.

 

[snaple4]

Safe to burn once I season it? Neighbor suggested someone may have tried to kill it with oil a long time ago but I don't see how it would form these spots that run the length of the tree.

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[Jeffm1]

Safe to burn once I season it? Neighbor suggested someone may have tried to kill it with oil a long time ago but I don't see how it would form these spots that run the length of the tree.

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Yup.

 

[peakbagger]

My bet is you will find metal somewhere that lines up with the stains. Doesn't take much, wire staples will do it.

 

[Alpine1]

If it is of the pinus family (p. sylvestris, p nigra, p pinea etc) it’s been killed by Diplodia pinea, a fungus. The blue streaks are a result of the infection.

 

[JimBear]

I have cut up some dead standing American Elm that had blueish green stains in it but nothing that prominent.

 

[coutufr]

There is metal somewhere in it.

 

[billb3]

Metal in the tree somewhere. Likely iron, but not necessarily.
If you don't find it with the bar and chain you probably will when you split it.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Nice oak tree. Like others said, metal. Especially with it being a yard tree. No issues burning, so good to go.

 

[St. Coemgen]

I have to disagree with everyone here who said caused by metal.

Agree with Alpine1. Looks like blue stain fungus to me. Such as:

Image from: http://2011.igem.org/Team:British_Columbia/Background

 

[Eureka]

I’ve seen that quite a few times in red oak, and I’d say it’s mineral staining. Could be from metal or just a mineral rich soil. I have seen it in the middle of a woodlot. There’s actually a lot of possibilities. That is identical to what I see on fence line trees at fence height. I tend to leave behind the first 4’ of those with all the barbed wire and sand they contain.

 

[BenTN]

Metal. Any chance this tree was on the corner of your property? Looks a lot like a corner post for a barbed wire fence.

 

[peakbagger]

By the way, once the stain occurs, its there for good even in the metal is removed or rusts away. The stain generally travels up the tree away from the iron and gets real dark the closer you get to it. I helped cut some large urban oaks years ago and the guy who bought them told us not to even waste his time bringing anything over with blue stains, we got some nice logs but a whole lot of firewood as few of the trees were any good for about 12 feet from the ground. If I suspect any iron I run my metal detector over the log.

 

[nrford]

It's iron! I've seen plenty of it in the mill!

 

[nrford]

Oak heartwood will not blue stain like the pic of the pine.

 

[Pat32rf]

My vote is metal in an oak tree. possibly a clothes line wrapped around fifty or so years back.....in one of them

 

[BIGChrisNH]

I've only seen that a couple of times, and both times I found at least one old rusty nail inside the tree.

 

[JRHAWK9]

I've seen it in Red Oak by us. These are trees in the middle of the woods and not yard trees

 

[Eureka]

I've seen it in Red Oak by us. These are trees in the middle of the woods and not yard trees

I’ve had the same thing in trees from
the middle of an old woods. No fences in sight. I’m right in trap rock and iron country and always figured it was iron deposits. Pretty common to find little golf ball sized magnetic nuggets of iron ore in the soil around here. I’m a woodworker and have seen my fair share of metal stained woods from nails, fence clips, staples, and steel shot and bullets. Looks pretty much the same as this in many different species.

 

[Firewood Bandit]

Metal

 

[mark cline]

Blue stain fungus very common in pines