Wood i.d.?

[hunkerdown]

I would appreciate your thoughts on what type of wood I have here. I live in Western Pennsylvania, and my kids and I have looked through our field guides but cannot confirm the identity of this tree. We are thinking it is a beech. I have included a photo of the bark on the lower portion of the trunk, which is considerably different than the smooth, dark bark on the upper portions of the tree which you can see in the photo of the stacked wood and the photo of the log lying on the ground. What do you think?

 

[Bioburner]

Interesting looking. I just followed through with making sure your post is proper. We had some inappropriate posts get by the mods:-
Welcome

 

[hunkerdown]

Thanks, Bioburner. I have been reading the forums for years, never felt like I had anything to contribute, but I have always admired the civil, clean content posted here.

 

[littleuing]

Looks alot like cherry.. But does seem a bit off of most of the cherry i have seen.

 

[hunkerdown]

Thanks, littleuing. I agree that it looks similar to cherry, but it doesn't look like the other cherry we have in the area, particularly the leaves which have a more bulbous shape (also, I found no signs of any fruit on the tree or on the ground beneath the tree).

 

[Chas0218]

Cedar of some sort.

The bark says cherry, the sapwood color says cedar, leaf says aspen maybe.

 

[Jags]

Cedar of some sort.

The bark says cherry, the sapwood color says cedar, leaf says aspen maybe.

A "Chedarpen"?

 

[littleuing]

Do you happen to live in hunker pa... Just cuious from your name. As i live about 15 minutes away from there and brought a huge sycamore tree home from there last year.

 

[littleuing]

Also the leaf looks close enough to me like cherry... Its the heart wood that looks off. But bark and leaves say cherry to me...

 

[Chas0218]

Second guess, Yellow Birch? haha

 

[Jags]

Well...cedar can probably be ruled out considering he has a leaf in hand.

 

[hunkerdown]

Wow. I would like to thank everyone who has opined so far. I am enjoying the responses, and I am glad to see that this is not an easy one even for those who I assume have more experience. Also, littleuing, I do not live in Hunker, but I have been in the greater Hunker metropolitan area many times.

 

[Jags]

Yellow birch:

 

[Chas0218]

Well...cedar can probably be ruled out considering he has a leaf in hand.

There are leafed cedars they are called a cedar elm, But I agree it's a stretch.

 

[AmbDrvr253]

Either way it looks like firewood to me

 

[Wood Duck]

This is Black Birch. The tree should have a distinct minty or wintergreen smell, especially when you scratch the young bark. The smell gets less distinct as the bark dries out so it may be hard to smell now.

Yellow birch tends to have older bark that peels sort of like White Birch. Black Birch has older bark like the picture in the original post, with young bark that is smooth. Black Birch is also sometimes called "Cherry Birch" because it resembles cherry. Black Birch is a really good firewood, and very common in western PA.

 

[hunkerdown]

Thanks Wood Duck! I like your authoritative response, so unless I am convinced otherwise, I will believe that it is Black Birch and burn it in a few years better informed! Thanks to everyone who weighed in.

 

[STIHLY DAN]

I agree on black birch also. Great firewood too.