What the heck is this wood?

[iceman2424]

Curbside scrounge. Tons of it. I was leaning Box Elder, because it smells nasty (sour), and it'd be just my "luck"...but it splits too easily, and I've never seen yellow heartwood with Box Elder (despite the fact that it smells like piss), so now I'm questioning myself. Any thoughts from you fellow lumberjacks?

From the top...

Yellowish hue:

Bark shot:

Weird thick white layer under the outer bark:

Another split, same tree, but dark brown interior.

 

[JimBear]

Initial thought would be Mulberry but it usually doesn’t turn dark until it’s split & starting to dry, Mulberry splits very easy & I’ve never known it to stink, that’s usually reserved for elm. It maybe Black Locust, it has a yellow center, but I have never cut any of that.

 

[fishki]

Red Elm? Locust?

 

[Kevin Weis]

I'll go with the Mulberry as well for now. Elm would be more stringy when split. Other option would be locust. Kevin

 

[JimBear]

Here’s some end cut pics of Mulberry. In the pic top 2 pieces are Mulberry the bottom 4 pcs are Hedge.

 

[JimBear]

Here’s a pic of some Mulberry that was cut/split in December

 

[Dobish]

not box elder. i would say poplar?

 

[Jags]

Looks walnut to me

 

[CincyBurner]

I'd go with mulberry. Looks like mulberry I've cut and split - bark and white sapwood.
Mulberry splits easily. Good burning wood (near the top at 23.2 MBtu/ Cord), but not the greatest smelling smoke.
Not too many US tree species with yellow/ yellowish wood: Osage, mulberry, yellowwood, prickly ash (shrubby tree), and Amur corktree (introduced).
Bark is consistent for mulberry. Mulberry has bright yellow to yellow-brown wood when cut/ fresh split, but turning a brown hue as it ages.

 

[Woody5506]

I'd say Mulberry although i never thought it smelled bad

 

[PA. Woodsman]

You'll know if it is Mulberry because as it dries the cut sides will turn brownish red, and it should be heavy as heck wet. Great fuelwood!

 

[mstoelton]

Mulberry,

Get it dry and enjoy some of the best firewood there is. I absolutely love mulberry.

When it is dry and you damper your fire down it will burn with a blue flame. It is closely related to Osage.

It has nearly the BTU's of Osage but it is way easier to split.

 

[Squirrel1410]

I wouldn’t rule out Catalpa... the smell you describe suggests that.

 

[Squirrel1410]

These top right are catalpa.

 

[iceman2424]

These top right are catalpa.

Holy crap dude, that looks remarkably similar.

But is catalpa yellow inside?

 

[Squirrel1410]

Holy crap dude, that looks remarkably similar.

But is catalpa yellow inside?

Yes, very light sap wood, darker heart wood. Here’s another pic, this one just from the internet. On the younger trees, the pores are very large, almost like bamboo. Those seem to shrink and become more normal looking on larger trees. If you find long bean-like pods nearby that fell last year, then that would be a giveaway. They’re a real nuisance around here.

 

[Squirrel1410]

Holy crap dude, that looks remarkably similar.

But is catalpa yellow inside?

It can be on the fresh cut, that tends to darken up. It can even appear greenish at first. Almost like poplar. The smell is bad though.

 

[Kevin Weis]

It's Mulberry for sure. I burn a lot of it. Still hacking on a 110 year old mulberry on my neighbors that was standing dead for 20+ years until it was knocked over and pushed to the side for an access road for a logging job next door. Burns great when its cured right. The btu/ash content listing from Penn State puts it just below oak at least for the ash content. Pretty impressive. Kevin

 

[AmbDrvr253]

Catalpa usually has a light brown bark. Very dissimiliar from the pics here. Im saying mulberry as well.

 

[nrford]

Mulberry