Wood ID help

[jds015]

Was walking the property over the weekend and found where the power company contractors had dropped some trees. We have plenty of oak, maples, hickories, cherry, pine, etc. on the property so we have good options, but wasn't quite sure what these trees were and need help with them. Three different pictures of three different trees. They just need sliced up and split now. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Wood Duck]

I think you have White Oak, not sure (maybe a southern oak I don't see up in PA), and Red Maple.

 

[husky345 vermont resolute]

I think you have White Oak, not sure (maybe a southern oak I don't see up in PA), and Red Maple.

I'm gonna say hickory

 

[Paulywalnut]

Looks like Ash. I can't see the whole round for the telltale little BB size hole in the middle of the round. If not, it's probably oak. Either one is primo wood.

 

[claydogg84]

I'm guessing Hickory. It's exactly that though - A guess.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Doesn't look like any hickory I've ever seen. Heartwood is WAY too light color for hickory.

Could be white oak, can you see medulary rays in it?

If no medulary rays present my bet is silver maple. Heartwood seems a bit darker than normal for silver maple but not out of the realm of what I've seen before.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Not quite sure from the pictures, Oak, Hickory like the other fellas said, but I know one thing-that's damn fine looking wood, so nice and clean!

Hey, where's the snow on the ground?

 

[English BoB]

Looks tight grained so its a BTU wood, take it and use it.

Bob

 

[TreePointer]

Heartwood is too small and not dark enough for oak. Looks like a softer hardwood. In fact, I've seen silver maples with bark like that growing in tall forests. They look a little different when they have to compete with tall trees.

Pictures of a twig with buds and leaf scars would pretty much confirm ID.

 

[ewlsey]

Silver Maple.

 

[jds015]

Thanks for all the replies! Figure most of this is worth cutting up since its already down and easy to get to. As for the snow on the ground PA Woodsman, we've had a mostly snowless winter down here, which is actually unusual for our location, lots of rain in the 30's and low 40's is the story this winter. We certainly have all the varieties everyone mentioned, that's what makes it difficult to determine and I know the pictures aren't the best. I'll put a couple more pictures below, maybe they will help or maybe not? We have most hardwoods, just don't have any native birch or native sugar maple, although scored a great sugar maple from someone's yard last week! Very fortunate.

 

[Joe13]

Looks a lot like White oak to me.

 

[jds015]

Definitely thinking image5 (the one the right) is some type of oak, its the other pictures and other trees I am "stumped" on. I've had folks say black gum, and then all the other possibilities, but its like English BoB said, its all tight grained good BTU hardwood, so why not cut it and split it?

 

[Jags]

The first 3 and the 4th pic are of maples. Pic #5, not sure, could be oak.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I'm seeing possible maple, and white oak. Definitely not seeing hickory.

 

[Applesister]

American Basswood?

 

[TreePointer]

Oak is easy to ID for many. Make a cut and sniff. It should smell like oak boards where you buy lumber.

 

[jds015]

TreePointer, I tried the stiff test yesterday and I def feel like 1 of the 3 types I have questioned is some type of oak. We have lots of red and white and others too. The smaller, alligator scaled specimens are still confusing to me (images 2 & 4 above). I can believe maple as there are quite a few of them around. The area is just above a small creek too and not a high and dry spot. My final question is what is image 1 above. I'm going to add more pictures I got yesterday of that tree. Ignore the small section of poplar in the picture showing the trunk lying on the ground. I'm providing a picture of the stump, the trunk structure and a chunk of the wood that has been sawed off. I'll say, the chunk is already beginning to dry fairly quickly and I'm guessing the tree was dropped within the past 2-3 weeks? Thanks again for everyone's time and suggestions! I've come to love this site and appreciate the wealth of knowledge and information.

 

[kversch]

red, silver maple, swamp maple. common to grow in or near wet areas. Heavy as hell when its green.

 

[Applesister]

There are lots more common species of trees where you are than what we have up north by Canada.
Im assuming the land is yours, and you want an ID. Have you ever used a leaf press? Or a flower press?
You have tons of leaf litter on the ground with some really creepy vines. I would collect all the different leaves you can find from that spot. And ID them. That is what I do. By process of elimination.
You have red maple leaves, turkey oak and white oak and a lot of others. And Im still thinking Basswood but I didnt see any bass leaves. Any way you slice it, you have a lot of wood there.
Also, Red maple and silver hybridize.

 

[jds015]

Applesister, thank you for those suggestions. I should certainly have thought of picking out the leaf litter and seeing what I had. I have done that elsewhere before and to determine what type of nut/fruit litter there was as well. The property is family land, so not mine personally, but I can roam and harvest trees/wood as I please, so very fortunate in that respect. It was a very tangly mess before power company contractors went through and thinned some things. This spot is immediately adjacent to a high tension powerline right-of-way. They dropped the trees and even cut them up some, so easy pickings. Thanks again to all!

 

[nrford]

It's definitely, not an Oak nor is it Basswood. Soft Maple is the answer!

 

[TreePointer]

Getting back to my earlier suggestion:

This time of year, a twig with buds (plus any leaf scars) is GOLDEN for getting an ID. It's the next best thing to having leaves and sometimes better.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

Those are different species. You have oak, and maple, to be sure. Maybe something else.