Tree ID...

[Wilbursan]

It's the dead tree I'd like an ID on. It's dead as can be and I was worried about it falling, especially after it started leaning. On the back side of the tree it's actually cracking. I tied a rope and pulled it and it didn't budge. I used an axe on it and after the 1/4" or so of dead wood came off it was solid as can be and hard as a rock. It looks like cherry, but I didn't realize cherry was that hard. Any clue? This is northern Alabama.

 

[TheBigIron]

Could be red elm?

 

[claydogg84]

Going solely by the color of the wood, I'm going to agree with you on Cherry.

 

[Wilbursan]

I had dead tree in the front cut down last year and was told it was cherry. This smells like that as best as I can remember. Does red elm smell similar or completely different?

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

No they don't smell alike. Red elm to my memory doesn't have much smell. Cherry has a rose sweet smell. By color and how the bark is decaying it looks exactly like the dead cherries I cut. And they can be very hard when dead or alive. They're great wood.

 

[Wilbursan]

Awesome. I just assumed this would be a rotten sweetgum that was going to explode into a mist of carpenter ants and termites when it hit the ground. Looks like I might get a decent amount of useful wood out of it.