Norway Maple vs Ash ID

[fire_man]

How can you tell the difference between Norway Maple and Ash by judging only the bark and the color and smell of fresh cut wood? The texture and look of the bark is so similar.

I'm starting to get picky in what I scrounge so it would be nice to tell the difference. Tons of wood all over these parts from all the storms.

 

[gzecc]

I agree with the similarities. Ash is like the big straighter, cleaner older brother of Norway. I think the bark has a cleaner more defined grid pattern. Also usually straighter. Norway tends to fork about 5-8' from the ground. The norway wood is more yellow and has more brown areas. Really comes down to experience. Norway is also good. Not as good as Ash. Look for the tunnels of the Ash borer when the bark is off.

 

[Kevin Weis]

Not a big fan of Norway Maple! Has a huge ash (no pun intended) content after its burned. More so to me than any other wood burned. But as they say. it still has BTU's. Kevin

 

[fire_man]

Thanks guys. I think what I got is ash since its nice and straight and the wood is very white/light in color - no yellow/brown shades. Maple has a "sweet melony" smell which this does not have but its been down a while.

The difference in bark between the two is still a mystery to me.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Look on the flat cutside, Ash has a little "pinhole" in the middle of the flat side.

 

[ValleyCottageSplitter]

They are tough. A lot of both around here.

Bark:Norway typically has a tighter x pattern, but that may not be a sole give away.

Smell:The smell is different. Norway is sweet like sugarcane and Ash has kind of a slight minty kind of aroma. The problem is that if the ash is very dry it may have very little smell. Norway is much wetter when green and it might be easier to tell.

Wood color: Wood color for ash has some reddish mixed in and reddish brown heartwood, Norway has very pale sapwood and dark brown heartwood. The pith hole is a giveaway for ash as others mentioned.

I would not complain about either. Green ash and Norway Maple are about identical in BTU's. The only legitimate looking Norway density I found was here: http://www.wood-database.com/norway-maple/
Both show 40lbs/ft^3.
The only downside to Norway is that the seasoning time might be 1.5x to 2x longer.

Pic is of Norway.

 

[fire_man]

I didn't realize the BTU's were so close between Norway Maple and Ash. I just assumed Ash was much higher.

The stuff I cut definitely has a minty smell, so that pretty much clinches it.

I found a picture from an old Hearth post showing the pin hole.

 

[ValleyCottageSplitter]

Glad that helped! More than half of my stash is ash, so it is easy to identify now. Also a pleasure to split and burns great!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The buds and bud scars look completely different too.

 

[Woody5506]

Never had much issue identifying the two because the ash I get around here typically has a lighter colored greyish bark compared to a more lively looking darker norway maple bark. Ash is a far more attractive wood, but both are great for burning. The maple is pretty wet when green, while ash is not. I've burned Norway maple 9 months after splitting that did surprisingly well, but the next couple cords I have lined up to take from my sister's house will sit for hopefully a couple years.

 

[kennyp2339]

Love burning both species