Thought it was Hedge, must be Mulberry?

[Soundchasm]

Got turned on to a charming little pile, and when I inspected it, I thought it must be Osage. Got home and started splitting and decided the color wasn't right and the splits weren't popping, and the grain wasn't tight enough. Growth rings seemed wrong, too. Too big.

No leaves around, but it must be Mulberry, and according to the charts that ain't all bad!

 

[Firefighter938]

Looks like mulberry to me also. It will be yellow when first cut, then turn dark purple/red as it dries. It is a very good wood though. Nice score.

 

[Woody Stover]

Sapwood and bark sez Mulberry.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

the splits weren't popping

You'll hear PLENTY of popping when you burn it down the line! When you open your stove door you'll swear there is a 4th of July sparkler in there somewhere!

 

[claydogg84]

I agree, Mulberry. Can't say how it burns myself. I've got some in the stacks but that's 3 winters away.

 

[Syd'sDad]

Looks like mulberry that I have. My Osage has more pronounced braided looking bark. You will really enjoy burning the mulberry once it finally seasons. Good grab.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Mulberry definitely turns bronze then brown when split and left in the sun and is definitely great wood, give it 3 years before burning, at least I am, mine was also stringy and slow with the splitting of it...... But very heavy.....

 

[AmbDrvr253]

Ive got some in my stacks as well. Cant wait to see how it does.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I like mulberry better. Osage is too explosive. They both pop but Osage more.

 

[Applesister]

Its really odd how dark the endgrain is and how bright yellow the splits are inside. Its a totally unexpected color change.
Does anyone know why some woods do that? I understand oxidation and all that. Is it sap deposits? Salts? Volitile esters?
I had cottonwood sending out some serious sparks the other night with a funnel of gassy flames from a crevice and that wood just burns like wadded up paper. It doesnt normally spark or pop like Aspen.

 

[Oldman47]

Looks a lot like my own mulberry.

 

[Applesister]

The leaves in the background of your picture are White Mulberry. Why do I split hairs? Firewood is firewood after all.
I dont know the answer. But when I read all that nit picky stuff in the chainsaw section you guys get pretty detailed about piston stroke power and compression ratios and porting modifications.
Some people are picky about what they cut, some people are picky about what they cut with.

 

[Applesister]

Anyway, what difference would there be between White Mulberry and our Native Red Mulberry?
Apparently all the difference in the world to the Chinese silk worms. China tricked Britain with Red mulberry imports when Britain decided to tap into the wealth of the silk trade. The British attempt to raise silk worms failed. But the Red mulberry became part of British culture.
Our native Red mulberry's history is foggier than Britains. But I would want to know what I was indescrimately hacking down on my own property.
I mean, you know, ignorance is bliss when it comes to firewood.
Of course I feel the same way about underbrush, who cares if its Witchhazel and speckled alder and ironwood, its in the way.

 

[heavy hammer]

I have some large block odd sizes of mulberry that I got from some tree guys couple years back. Stuff is a nice hot burning wood you will enjoy nice grab

 

[Soundchasm]

Thanks for all the input. This will be going in the 16/17 pile. It was a utility cut, so that suggests it was cut live. I always split small, and this stuff was testing at 50%, but it didn't have the heft of "just came down yesterday" rounds. It felt more like "I've been rained on a bunch but I'll be good to go sooner than later".

I think I'm entitled to a little "Split Whisperer" fantasy once in a while...

 

[ctswf]

I have what I think is mulbery cut down at my fathers house, I thought it was a soft sappy wood so I wanst going to take it...reading this is sounds like I should.

ill have to double check but it was a gnarly berry tree, which is yellow in the center when cut. ironically I just cut it up to test my new chainsaw

 

[Oldman47]

If you can get mulberry at a good price, do it. It may not be the best in terms of BTU but that status belongs to hedge, not oak. Mulberry is darned respectable compared to most other woods in terms of BTU content.