Tree I.D. help

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teekal

Member
Nov 28, 2014
91
Manitoba, Canada
Hey guys, I'm trying to learn about identifying tree species, but until I figure it out I'll have to ask.

PART I:

My neighbor let me know a while back that there was a downed tree in his back yard and I was free to pick it up if I wanted it. I guess the previous owner had just dropped the tree, sawed it up, but left it in a big pile and my cousin wants to get rid of it (yay for me).

Just wondering what type of wood this is and how it'll burn:

20150927_140909.jpg 20150927_140918.jpg 20150927_141018.jpg

I believe it is the same type of tree as this standing one:

20150927_141030.jpg


PART II:

This is a different tree, from a different neighbor. Any ideas?

20150927_141250.jpg

As always, thanks for any help!
 
The first 3 pictures looks to be hard maple to me. Then to go along with barmstrong2 live tree elm as is the cut and stacks rounds.
 
I have no idea about the first 3, but it look nice and dead, and if it's dry and still heavy, it should burn for a long time. Gonna say either Elm or Ash on the second, but swaying toward elm. Check the leaves, ash leaves are shaped like elm leaves, but ash are generally smooth edged and elm looks like the edge of a serrated knife, and are kinda shiny/sticky looking, like they're coated in a thin sheen of sap.elm.jpg ash.jpg

The leaves on the right side are ash. Do they look like either of these?

The last pic with the smaller cut rounds look like maple to me, the heartwood is pretty faint and hard to distinguish from the sapwood, color wise, and the elm I've dealt with has very distinct reddish heartwood, clearly demarcated from the outer sapwood, which will be very pale colored. I'm not 100 percent sure on that, I thought the bark reminded me of walnut, but the wood itself looks way too light colored. In any case, I would not hesitate to burn any of these, even the elm. It'll be a sonofaB to split and take 2 to 3 years to season, but it throws about 22 million MBTU per cord, and the maples and ash are even higher than that, usually 23 to 24 for ash (depending on species) and closer to twenty five or six if that's sugar maple. Sorry my five and six keys don't work right now :( I'll give elm some props, though, even though it leaves a good amount of fluffy ash behind, it makes really good coal beds, and it's underrated due to the smell. That new blue sledge and wedge you got should make pretty easy work of any of these, though. Gotta give it to ya, Teek, you're turning into a pro when it comes to scrounging.
 
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It would be easier to tell if you had a close up of the leaves. It would also help if you could split the wood and take a picture.
 
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That new blue sledge and wedge you got should make pretty easy work of any of these, though. Gotta give it to ya, Teek, you're turning into a pro when it comes to scrounging.

You make a guy blush...

I'm still learning - and embracing my rookie status around these parts.

Thankfully I live in a small rural town with lots of open land and nobody else has a stove in their home that I know of. I'm quickly becoming the guy that people tell about "that old tree in my backyard I need to get rid of." I've also had a bunch of people say that they have far too much wood piled up that they can use in their backyard fire pit and welcome me to come and take what I want (I know, it sounds too good to be true!)

Thanks as always for all of the helpful advice guys, learning a lot!
 
I think the live tree and first dead one are elm. The second wood might also be elm, but something makes me think Cottonwood. I'd take it no matter what it is because it is already cut to length. You can't get much easier than that.
 
I think the live tree and first dead one are elm. The second wood might also be elm, but something makes me think Cottonwood. I'd take it no matter what it is because it is already cut to length. You can't get much easier than that.

Oh ya, I guess I should have clarified that I'm taking everything (except the standing live tree, as that was not offered). I posted to try and better learn the species around my area. The last pictured wood was delivered to my place with a tractor in about 8 foot lengths and I cut it to length myself.
 
I think you've moved out of the rookie category. I'm kinda OCD myself, so I hope my rambling doesn't put you off. We all just like to help when we can. When I joined a few months ago, I didn't know jack sh*t and I kept thinking these poplar logs I found on a hillside were black locust, for god's sake. I can't believe I just said that out loud. Well, since I'm being honest..... I was dumb enough a while back to mistake split bigtooth aspen on a wood ID post to be american elm..... Once some guy gave me some rounds of western juniper (and he didn't know what they were at the time either), and my idiot self thought they were shagbark hickory at first, just 'cuz the bark was shaggy. Noob FAIL on my part. So don't feel bad, if you've already got a network of people hookin' ya up with free wood, you're already ahead of the game. Your house will be warm this winter, and you can laugh all the way to the bank at folks still paying out the ying yang for heating oil or propane. Well, that kinda rhymed, at least :(
 
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Good on ya for being a teacher. I'm not one myself, but I do volunteer at my son's preschool. Serious lack of funding there.
 
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