Help with wood ID

[cocey2002]

I have plenty of this stuff in my woods. I believe it is a maple of some sort??? Any idea? Good to burn when seasoned? Thanks

 

[Todd]

Do you have any pictures of the bark? If it's a Maple it's good firewood, especially Sugar Maple.

 

[cocey2002]

Here you go!

 

[Todd]

Any leaves laying around? I'm guessing sugar maple.

 

[JimWalshin845]

Looks like Quercus falcata... AKA Southern Red Oak

 

[johnsopi]

Looks like Maple, but not the good stuff. The Maple I have like that is light weight splits easy and burns fast.

 

[jpl1nh]

It does look maple like, but not sugar maple. How about a picture of the whole tree?

 

[cmcramer]

Looks like Acer saccharinum, 'soft maple' or 'white maple.' Only 'OK' quality wood, not nearly the quality of sugar maple, Acer saccharum. But it sure does cut and split easily. So, I use some intermixed with hardwoods. (plus, I own 'em...)

Soft maple trees branch into long, spreading, curving branches, almost drooping. Irregular crown. Brittle branches, break off easily on wind storms. Sugar maple branches are more proud - not droopy, and not nearly as fragile.

 

[cocey2002]

Thanks guys. Good information. I have some downed tree branches from this Maple do to an ice storm. Probably soft maple. I'll cut them up and mix them in.

 

[JimWalshin845]

Acer saccharinum is Silver Maple and the bark looks a little too rough, but it could be a maple! If we had a leaf description or photo it certainly wood(sic) help :coolgrin:

 

[cmcramer]

Acer saccharinum is Silver Maple and the bark looks a little too rough, but it could be a maple! If we had a leaf description or photo it certainly wood(sic) help :coolgrin:

Agreed! But I sure have seen a lot of variation in the bark texture of these trees growing on my land. I'd like to see a photo of the entire tree - what's it shaped like?

 

[guy01]

The bark looks maple but the maple I've split is curley and stringey and not much fun . After 2 years of seasoning tho it burns hot and holds well

 

[DiscoInferno]

I'll guess red or silver maple, but a leaf would settle things. Maples can be hard to distinguish from isolated bark and wood photos without leaves. Lot of regional variation in the bark too. Around here (MD), silver maple bark is the most "flaky", followed by red. Sugar maple bark isn't usually flaky. Up in MI, sugar and red maple bark and wood look identical to me.

 

[jpl1nh]

I'll guess red or silver maple, but a leaf would settle things. Maples can be hard to distinguish from isolated bark and wood photos without leaves. Lot of regional variation in the bark too. Around here (MD), silver maple bark is the most "flaky", followed by red. Sugar maple bark isn't usually flaky. Up in MI, sugar and red maple bark and wood look identical to me.

Yeah, around here a lot of variation in red maple from smooth to bark like Cocey shows, though sugar around here looks coarser than any red. Silver bark seems more flakey, somwhat towards shagbark hickory. The wood looks more like silver maple though.

 

[cocey2002]

A leaf found near the tree.

 

[jpl1nh]

A leaf found near the tree.

Red maple

 

[JimWalshin845]

Bingo!

 

[Todd]

I still say sugar maple. Either way it's good firewood.

 

[DiscoInferno]

The leaf is definitely a red maple. Sugar maple has smooth margins, not serrated.

 

[RonB]

Red Maple. Not as hard as sugar and not as soft as silver maple. Fairly fast growing tree. Stems of the leaves (during growing season) will be red upon close inspection, while the leaves are green. Leaves turn red in the fall.