What can you tell me about this wood?
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I can tell you that it is small. 
It looks like some kind of softwood perhaps? Very interesting grain to it.
It looks like some kind of softwood perhaps? Very interesting grain to it.
red oak
Minister of Fire
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Maybe I should have mentioned -- I know what it is. I thought it would be fun to see if anyone can tell what it is (or anything about it) from the pictures. I agree that it will burn although this is the only piece of it that I have, so I wouldn't get many BTU's from it 
osagebow
Minister of Fire
No takers on this little guy?
Ive done all my tree research on decidious trees and my only belief is it is not in that group.
Ive done all my tree research on decidious trees and my only belief is it is not in that group.
It's a bristlecone pine! It was growing at an elevation of about 10,100 feet and if it hadn't been cut down, it might have looked like this (in few thousand years) :
![[Hearth.com] What can you tell me about this wood?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/105/105926-b7f2c93cdbe6453e25a0d0be474a9c98.jpg?hash=krUazO6uJM "[Hearth.com] What can you tell me about this wood?")
I got it on a recent trip to California. It's from the Schulman Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The oldest living organism in the world (non-clonal) is a bristlecone pine (they call it the Methusela tree, it's over 4800 years old!) is located hiking distance from the visitor center. These things grow really slowly -- their growing season is only 10-12 weeks per year.
The wood is very dense and is very insect & rot resistant (which would be necessary to live that long). There's not much moisture in the cold thin air and these things get pummeled by the wind. The really old ones have exposed roots due to erosion. When that happens, the roots stop working and that part of the tree dies & stops growing but other parts of the tree keep growing and they end up looking all twisted and gnarly (the young ones look straight and fairly 'normal'). The needles can remain for 40 years (most pines recycle their needles every 2-5 years).
I was surprised something can live that long under those harsh conditions. But I guess the thing is that not much else can live there either, like insects & pests that could threaten the tree.
In 2008 an arsonist burned down the visitor center and when they rebuilt it, they had to take down a few trees, so the ranger there decided to cut them into pieces and sell them as souveniers, which is how I got this.
Has anyone else ever been there? If you like trees and are in the area, I highly recommend it!
I got it on a recent trip to California. It's from the Schulman Grove in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The oldest living organism in the world (non-clonal) is a bristlecone pine (they call it the Methusela tree, it's over 4800 years old!) is located hiking distance from the visitor center. These things grow really slowly -- their growing season is only 10-12 weeks per year.
The wood is very dense and is very insect & rot resistant (which would be necessary to live that long). There's not much moisture in the cold thin air and these things get pummeled by the wind. The really old ones have exposed roots due to erosion. When that happens, the roots stop working and that part of the tree dies & stops growing but other parts of the tree keep growing and they end up looking all twisted and gnarly (the young ones look straight and fairly 'normal'). The needles can remain for 40 years (most pines recycle their needles every 2-5 years).
I was surprised something can live that long under those harsh conditions. But I guess the thing is that not much else can live there either, like insects & pests that could threaten the tree.
In 2008 an arsonist burned down the visitor center and when they rebuilt it, they had to take down a few trees, so the ranger there decided to cut them into pieces and sell them as souveniers, which is how I got this.
Has anyone else ever been there? If you like trees and are in the area, I highly recommend it!
osagebow
Minister of Fire
Nice - Those are some tiny growth rings! I mention bristle cones every year when I teach Gymnosperms.
Kids are usually still giggling at Gymnosperm's translation, "Naked seeds" though.
(stealing your pic, by the way)
Kids are usually still giggling at Gymnosperm's translation, "Naked seeds" though.
(stealing your pic, by the way)
Ram 1500 with an axe...
Minister of Fire
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