Is this Sassafras or not??? Tree I.D. Please..

[NordicSplitter]

Everyone tells me that Sassafras is easy to split. Having a dickens of a time splitting it. Maybe I mis-identified it...What do you guys think.....

 

[Doug MacIVER]

does it smell like root beer?

 

[NordicSplitter]

does it smell like root beer?

Hard to tell......

 

[Doug MacIVER]

as a kid , we had sassa all over the place. they never grew to tree, just small saplings. all the aroma and flavor came from the root.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Don't think that is sassafras. Black locust? I've had only a very little BL but it looked like that. The bark just looks too thick for sassy.

I thought I had some pictures but sadly I could not find them. One other thing is the weight. Sassy will be much lighter that BL.

 

[NordicSplitter]

Don't think that is sassafras. Black locust? I've had only a very little BL but it looked like that. The bark just looks too thick for sassy.

I thought I had some pictures but sadly I could not find them. One other thing is the weight. Sassy will be much lighter that BL.

Some of those pieces were quite heavy. It took 2 of us to load them in my buddy's truck....What is the seasoning time for Black Locust? Think it will be ready for next winter??

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I believe it is 2 years for BL. The heavy you speak of really does point more to BL than Sassy. Enjoy it!

One more thing is when it is burned, the BL tends to smell bad. Some say if you dry it a couple years the bark comes off fairly easy and this would be a help as you could put more wood in rather than bark and this would help getting a long fire for those cold winter nights.

 

[NordicSplitter]

I believe it is 2 years for BL. The heavy you speak of really does point more to BL than Sassy. Enjoy it!

One more thing is when it is burned, the BL tends to smell bad. Some say if you dry it a couple years the bark comes off fairly easy and this would be a help as you could put more wood in rather than bark and this would help getting a long fire for those cold winter nights.

Got at least 2 healthy face cords of it with a friend. At least now I won't split it into kindling..Lol

 

[Osagebndr]

If that's fresh I think it's sassy. Bl is green when its fresh cut and the sassy here has the exact same bark as what you have. Being its a little knotty it may be a little harder to split also

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Good point on the green but it just doesn't look like sassafras. But as I've stated more than once, it is very difficult to ID from pictures. They can be very deceiving.

 

[Osagebndr]

You bet , pics can throw a guy off. They both burn good when dry too

 

[NordicSplitter]

You bet , pics can throw a guy off. They both burn good when dry too

The problem is..One is for kindling and the other for all nighters

 

[Osagebndr]

Rite on. I might get a little ribbing bout this , but I believe dryBL can out coal oak and hickory. Try not to burn it too much as it can melt a stove down

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Osage, I highly doubt anyone would rib you about this. I've seen too many claims of that on this forum so many will agree with you.

 

[Osagebndr]

Cool . I'm a red oak man personally tho. Only wood hotter than BL is hedge apple I use that for stave wood

 

[tsquini]

The bark looks like black locust. Where there any thorns on it? As you experienced, chopping it can be a chore. It is easier to split green than dry. Some of my locust has taken up to 3 years to season. It's a nice wood to burn.

 

[NordicSplitter]

The bark looks like black locust. Where there any thorns on it? As you experienced, chopping it can be a chore. It is easier to split green than dry. Some of my locust has taken up to 3 years to season. It's a nice wood to burn.

No thorns on it. Very difficult to split by hand. Thanks

 

[Paulywalnut]

That last big piece with the deep furrows has the tell tale ash pin hole in the middle. Looking closely, it looks like ash.
Without a rootbeer smell when cutting or splitting it's not sassafras.

 

[NordicSplitter]

That last big piece with the deep furrows has the tell tale ash pin hole in the middle. Looking closely, it looks like ash.
Without a rootbeer smell when cutting or splitting it's not sassafras.

Iv'e split alot of Ash by hand. That's the toughest Ash I have ever split

 

[Paulywalnut]

Iv'e split alot of Ash by hand. That's the toughest Ash I have ever split

Probably not ash then, although I have had some tough ash when it's green.

 

[Clyde S. Dale]

I'm say in' sassafras because of the 4th pic. The exposed bark has orange in it. Tell tale sign for me.

 

[NordicSplitter]

I'm say in' sassafras because of the 4th pic. The exposed bark has orange in it. Tell tale sign for me.

Why is it so hard to split? Tough stuff. I thought Sassafras was easy to split?

 

[gzecc]

Not BL. Could be Sassafras. See pics attached.
http://farmerrachel.hubpages.com/hub/Five-Types-of-Hardwood-for-Firewood

 

[NordicSplitter]

Not BL. Could be Sassafras. See pics attached.
http://farmerrachel.hubpages.com/hub/Five-Types-of-Hardwood-for-Firewood

Based on that article, Sassafras is classified as a Hardwood. Do you think it would be best used as kindling or for regular burning? Thanks

 

[jatoxico]

Not like the BL I get around here. Maybe Honey Locust, I have no experience w/ that stuff. To me heart wood of sass is more yellow/green not brown/orange like the pics shown.