Help ID Wood - Should I Use?

[davidmsem]

I live in Connecticut and still cleaning up from a tornado that hit here last year . I cut up a tree today that was extremely soft. Chain saw went through very easily. It has a green color in the core and the wood is physically very light . Wondering what this is and should I even bother using it for firewood as it is very light and probably has low BTU. There is a second picture of another three where the wood seems more dense, and a smooth bark. Curious about people's opinions on should I burn this, especially the very light wood.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

First looks like Poplar, so so wood. Second is Beech, great fuelwood.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

I live in Connecticut and still cleaning up from a tornado that hit here last year . I cut up a tree today that was extremely soft. Chain saw went through very easily. It has a green color in the core and the wood is physically very light . Wondering what this is and should I even bother using it for firewood as it is very light and probably has low BTU. There is a second picture of another three where the wood seems more dense, and a smooth bark. Curious about people's opinions on should I burn this, especially the very light wood.View attachment 243289 View attachment 243290

Split it, dry it, burn it, enjoy it.

 

[baseroom]

I would say the first is Linden /Basswood. It is a light shoulder season wood Splits easily second is beech.

 

[davidmsem]

First looks like Poplar, so so wood. Second is Beech, great fuelwood.

Thank you. This site rocks.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Those are nice straight rounds. Will be a pleasure to split those up.

 

[davidmsem]

Split it, dry it, burn it, enjoy it.

Thank you. I'm going to store as rounds as I have a good supply of a wood on hand. That's why I'm concerned about the light wood. Hoping it does not rot.

 

[davidmsem]

I would say the first is Linden /Basswood. It is a light shoulder season wood Splits easily second is beech.

Thank you very much! Love this site.

 

[Woody Stover]

You could split some of the first (whatever it is, I've never seen Bass) and use it for kindling, and some small splits to kick off a load of dense wood like the Beech. I don't know if Beech will dry in a summer. Probably not. I hope you are ahead on dry wood already, and are set for next winter...

 

[Woody Stover]

To the left in the first pic, is that Black Cherry? Even though it's only medium output, it's one of my favorites. Great "kickoff" wood for a fresh load, and smells great while doing it. Coincidentally, I've got a small chill-buster load going right now. 6 small splits, 3 of them Cherry.

 

[davidmsem]

You could split some of the first (whatever it is, I've never seen Bass) and use it for kindling, and some small splits to kick off a load of dense wood like the Beech. I don't know if Beech will dry in a summer. Probably not. I hope you are ahead on dry wood already, and are set for next winter...

Thank you for your comments. Yes, I'm in good shape for a few years, probably 4 years of wood that is split and seasoning for a few years already. Going to store the stuff from the tornado last year as round. There is a overwhelming supply of wood in my town from that tornado, a good problem to have.

 

[davidmsem]

To the left in the first pic, is that Black Cherry? Even though it's only medium output, it's one of my favorites. Great "kickoff" wood for a fresh load, and smells great while doing it. Coincidentally, I've got a small chill-buster load going right now. 6 small splits, 3 of them Cherry.

I think it might be cherry as it had a sweet smell when cutting it. I too love the smell of cherry when placing it in the fire. I tend to just bunch all my wood together, the high btu and low. It works out. Definitely can tell when a high BTU wood is on though, things kick up a notch!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I would say the first is Linden /Basswood. It is a light shoulder season wood Splits easily second is beech.

I'm thinking more like Poplar because of the green coloring inside, I had Basswood before but it was a very solid light color inside not green like that.

But it also looks like an an animals head, it looks like the ears of a dog or something and then a face, if he would turn one of those rounds over it'd probably look like the face of a dog lol!

 

[Marshy]

I live in Connecticut and still cleaning up from a tornado that hit here last year . I cut up a tree today that was extremely soft. Chain saw went through very easily. It has a green color in the core and the wood is physically very light . Wondering what this is and should I even bother using it for firewood as it is very light and probably has low BTU. There is a second picture of another three where the wood seems more dense, and a smooth bark. Curious about people's opinions on should I burn this, especially the very light wood.View attachment 243289 View attachment 243290

First pic is ash (maybe popular), second is beech. Even if the first happens to be Aspen I would mix it in with the rest. Yes you should use both, both dries fast and gives good heat. The beach is a little slower dying but if you cut it earlier enough it should be ready in one season (20-23%). Its not oak quality type hard woods but much better than soft maple or elm. Both split easy.

 

[Eureka]

Basswood doesn’t have heartwood so I’d also say poplar on that one

 

[CincyBurner]

Top pic: tulip-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) - bark looks a bit like ash, but note the greenish heartwood with streaks of pale purple (mauve); easy splitting, but often splits off in irregular, odd pieces. It's shoulder season wood.
Bottom pic: American beech (Fagus grandifolia) - tough to hand split, but a great burning wood.

Burn it all (unless you have too much (?)). Wood from your property is an easy, good find.

 

[johneh]

Poplar will rot even if staked unless it is split then it will stay good
as a kindling burns very fast

 

[Woody Stover]

Top pic: tulip-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) - bark looks a bit like ash, but note the greenish heartwood with streaks of pale purple

Another tell is when the valleys between the bark ridges are light gray in color, but I don't see that here on every Poplar.

There is a overwhelming supply of wood in my town from that tornado, a good problem to have.

You can afford to get picky, then. For example, if Tulip is giving you a lot of ashes for the amount of heat you get from it, use it for kindling only and put your efforts toward Oak or another specie that yields less ash and better heat. I haven't used if for fuel, just kindling, so I don't know for sure but thought I remembered the ashiness being mentioned...

Poplar will rot even if staked unless it is split

Yep, it goes to crap pretty fast when it's down, so if I want to get some for kindling I find a dead standing one.

 

[davidmsem]

Poplar will rot even if staked unless it is split then it will stay good
as a kindling burns very fast

Thank you. What do you mean by staked? I assumed that storing it as rounds on pallets off the ground will prevent it from rotting . True ?

 

[weatherguy]

Thank you. What do you mean by staked? I assumed that storing it as rounds on pallets off the ground will prevent it from rotting . True ?

Think he missed a c, stacked

 

[Woody Stover]

I assumed that storing it as rounds on pallets off the ground will prevent it from rotting . True ?

If no water could get on it, like in a shed, maybe you could leave it in rounds. Otherwise, I would at least pop the rounds in half. I'm just guessing, haven't messed with the Pooplar much...

 

[davidmsem]

If no water could get on it, like in a shed, maybe you could leave it in rounds. Otherwise, I would at least pop the rounds in half. I'm just guessing, haven't messed with the Pooplar much...

Thank You woody. I've always assumed that leaving the wood in rounds, off the ground up on pallets, provided the best chance for longevity in storage.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I'm saying tulip poplar in top photo, beech in bottom photo. Beech is great (I recommend waiting a year to split it). Tulip tree gives you heat -- worth cutting and splitting, nothing to write home about.

 

[johneh]

Think he missed a c, stacked

You are right typing slower than my mind works
an some days I can not spell my name fingers just don't work any more

 

[Woody Stover]

fingers just don't work any more

They get tired from grabbing all that wood.