What is this firewood?

[andym]

Can someone help me ID this wood? It was a fairly large tree that had a section split off. I cut one like this last year and know it splits beautiful by hand. It's quite heavy (green). I don't have any leaves unfortunately. Last year I thought it was red oak, but am now pretty sure it's something else. Another type of oak? Growing in the woods it resembles oak.

 

[TheAardvark]

Sassafrass

 

[osagebow]

If it is Sass. should smell like rootbeer. Not a lot of btu's, it is rot resiatantand light to carry so i use it for stringers under the stacks. Lasts 6 years in the dirt, enough for two oak rotations

 

[andym]

Sassafrass

It's possible I guess, but basically all pics I'm seeing for sassafrass show deep grooved bark. This is very scaly.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Sassafrass

I agree based on the red color in the bark and the grain. It should smell like Pinesol, very easy to identify.

 

[andym]

I'll sniff it tomorrow I guess. I do recall it being a little stronger smelling than some. I'm seeing btu ratings around 18-19million? I burn a lot of white elm which is similar BTU wood. I was hoping it was something much better! It'll burn though.

 

[Indianawood]

Im in Northern Indiana. That doesn't look like sassafras we have here. You definitely wouldn't describe it as heavy. Oak or hickory my guess

 

[CincyBurner]

Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
cornflake bark + orangish heartwood
Largest leaf (double compound) is US forests.

Sassafras will be low weight wood, plus it is fragrant and its bark is thick and soft.​

(broken link removed to https://vtcommunityforestry.org/news/tree-spotlight-kentucky-coffeetree)
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/DENDROLOGY/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=158
It's a legume like black locust and honeylocust so its wood should be fairly dense and good burning, but never came across it much for firewood.

 

[lost in the woods]

could it be WO of some sort? im thinking like swamp WO?

 

[andym]

Im in Northern Indiana. That doesn't look like sassafras we have here. You definitely wouldn't describe it as heavy. Oak or hickory my guess

I don't cut a lot of green wood but it is fairly heavy. Much heavier than standing dead ash. It's heavier than green walnut. Ive never cut much fresh oak or hickory.

 

[andym]

Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
cornflake bark + orangish heartwood
Largest leaf (double compound) is US forests.

Sassafras will be low weight wood, plus it is fragrant and its bark is thick and soft.​

(broken link removed to https://vtcommunityforestry.org/news/tree-spotlight-kentucky-coffeetree)
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/DENDROLOGY/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=158
It's a legume like black locust and honeylocust so its wood should be fairly dense and good burning, but never came across it much for firewood.

You could be right. The bark is very similar. I will examine a few more pieces this afternoon if I have time. I may need to wait til spring to make a positive ID.

 

[CincyBurner]

I will examine a few more pieces this afternoon

andy -
If still possible inspect twigs/ bud scars. KY coffeetree has stout twigs with distinctive heart-shaped bud scar.
I think wood itself looks similar to honeylocust, but orange instead of yellow.
Check for seed pods (honeylocust & black locust have pods too), but KY coffeetree pods are big & thick. Nothing else looks like them. They litter site for months.

Note: KY coffeetree are dioecious (separate male and female trees), so seed pods only on female trees. It's a great tree for the landscape, if you select a male varietal.​

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I like the Kentucky coffee tree idea, because I haven't seen this wood in splits or rounds before. I'm used to judging the tree from how it branches, its fruit, its leaves, etc. Not the bark.

 

[andym]

I would certainly not describe the smell of a fresh split or the smell of the bark as resembling root beer. It has a nice wet wood scent, but that's it. One guy who's seen it said definitely not sassafras. I may have time this week to scout the area for leaves or seed pods and will post a pic of the other live trees like it.

 

[andym]

I finally took a stroll to check out this mystery tree now that it's fully leafed out. It is definitely Kentucky Coffeetree. Last one to leaf out. The leaf pics are from smaller saplings, but the larger trees are the same.

 

[patrickk222]

its definitely black cherry one of my fav's some ppl dont like it but i love it

 

[andym]

I also love cherry, but that is certainly not what this tree is.

 

[Woody5506]

Coffee is good wood, I've gotten it once....or so the guy said. The pods are pretty distinct and about the easiest way to ID the tree. They almost look like bananas.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I also love cherry, but that is certainly not what this tree is.

I agree. Coffee tree sounds like a good guess. I know cherry very well, as firewood and in the woods, and I'm not inclined to call that cherry.

 

[andym]

The leaves are what give a positive ID. largest leaf in North America. The compound leaf can reach 3 feet or more.