Wood ID please

[Holzstapel]

I was told the large vertical round is Pin Oak, but I do not know what the smaller one to the left is. I cut it down this past weekend to make way for the neighbors oak to be rolled over. I split a bunch of the alleged Pin Oak earlier this year and what a joy it was to split. Great scent too!

These below I scored after Sandy via Craigslist. Some of this tree had a hairy vine on it which I soon discovered was poison ivy. Learned my lesson during that scrounge.


I know the one is birch, but the other? And what makes those little holes in the bark that spiral around?



CL scrounge last week

 

[gzecc]

Silver Maple or Shagbark?, Red Oak? Ash, Black Birch, Red Oak? Age location makes it tough. I do best with splits. Not as good with bark alone.

 

[webby3650]

In the first pic you have a large sassafras round and the smaller is hard to tell. Shagbark typically isn't very shaggy when it's that small.

In the second pic you have ash.

The third pic is also ash with what looks like cherry to me, but could be birch.

The fourth pic is some type oak.
When you said the pin oak smelled good and was easy to split, it got my attention, because pin oak is neither of these things. You've got some sassafras there, it burns hot and fast!

 

[Woody Stover]

1st pic: Not Pin Oak, bark is too deeply furrowed. Smaller one on the left I should know, but.....
2nd, 3rd pics look like White Ash.
4th pic: Red Oak. Should have visible medullary rays (which I think I see on one round) going from the center out to the edges, characteristic of the Oaks.

 

[USMC80]

Webby spot on with the sass. Drys quick, burns quick and smells great!

 

[Woody Stover]

In the first pic you have a large sassafras round

That's what I kinda thought from the scent discription and deep bark, but the bark didn't look orange enough. Pic color is off, I guess.

 

[lukem]

Large round in pic 1 is sassafras. Small round to left is hard to say, but could be Hawthorne, but I admit I am not for sure.

Pic 2 is ash.

Pic 3 is birch and ash.

Pic 4 is oak. 95% sure it is red because of the large "plates" in the bark, but it could be black. They're about the same either way.

 

[Holzstapel]

Sassafras?! Wow, I need to brush up on my tree types as I didnt even know Sassafras grew around here. I could split that wood by hand all day! I have a bunch of that already split and those rounds we were using as seats around the campfire.

I thought the Ash was Maple, but I was only guessing. Some of those rounds of Ash are b***h to split by hand.

Thanks everyone. It's nice to finally know what I have in the pile.

 

[gzecc]

Some or all of the identified ash could be Norway maple. Split it open and take another picture.

 

[jackatc1]

Small round first picture is Hophornbeam, aka Ironwood.

 

[Holzstapel]

Some or all of the identified ash could be Norway maple. Split it open and take another picture.

I'll split one when I get home and take some photos of the leaves from the small shaggybark round.

 

[paul bunion]

The small in #1 could be white oak. A photo of the cut end would help. Rows of horizontal holes on #3 are typically the work of yellow bellied sap suckers. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker/id

 

[Holzstapel]

Small round first picture is Hophornbeam, aka Ironwood.

I googled this and looked at the photos of the leaves. I believe you are correct.

 

[rideau]

Small one is definitely Hophornbeam (Ironwood), no question. It will be heavy, and makes the greatest firewood. I don't split them if they are 8 inches or less in diameter. Let them get good and dry, and one log will burn all night. Absolutely great firewood, much superior to sugar maple or beech. I burn mine during the coldest weather, which here means 20 below or colder.

 

[webby3650]

Some or all of the identified ash could be Norway maple. Split it open and take another picture.

It's ash, I promise you. There is no mistaking it for any kind of maple.

 

[Woody Stover]

It's ash, I promise you.

End grain sure looks like it, but I can see what gzecc is saying about the bark. I'll go with Ash, though. You can see a split in the background in the 2nd pic; I don't think the jagged edge would be Maple....

 

[StihlHead]

Last three pix look like maple to me, except the large round on the right of the second photo has the diamond bark pattern that is distinct in ash. Ash around here has far deeper furrows than that though (Oregon ash). Maples here get red and white lichen splotches on the bark like that. I am not familiar with the maple and ash in the Atlantic states though.

Have to say that you guys in NJ certainly have a TON OF %$#ing GREAT FIREWOOD SCORES THOUGH!

Whaaaaaa! Whaaaaaa! Whaaaaaaa!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Perhaps not the best pictures but here is a typical pin oak. This one died on us so it is now firewood. Notice too all the little limbs on the pin oak. They all have them and most of the lower ones die and become super hard.

 

[paul bunion]

The lower Pin oak limbs also tend to reach down from the trunk. The spindly downward growth is very distinct.

 

[Holzstapel]

Perhaps not the best pictures but here is a typical pin oak. This one died on us so it is now firewood. Notice too all the little limbs on the pin oak. They all have them and most of the lower ones die and become super hard.


View attachment 104757 View attachment 104758

Thanks for posting the photos. I want to try and find a pin oak now. They look quite different from the oaks I'm used to seeing around these parts.

During my morning pickup today I found some Sassafras in the pile. I know this because of this thread!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Holz, if you'd like a few more pictures of some live pin oak, let me know and I'll get some for you.

 

[clemsonfor]

That first big round could be hickory but color does not look right?

Here in SC i have never seen a sassafrass bigger than a few inches in diameter, they get that big!! And i am a forester!

 

[Applesister]

The only positive IDs for me are the black birch and Ironwood and Ash. And the holes could be yellow bellied sap suckers. Ive learned that if the holes are wider diameter on the outer bark and narrower as they go into the wood then the holes were "drilled" from the outside going in. If the hole is precise all the way thru its usually a wood boring insect.
Sap suckers usually leave several rows. The one row of holes all the way around the diameter looks weird.

 

[Woody Stover]

Here in SC i have never seen a sassafrass bigger than a few inches in diameter

I've got several that are at least 12" diameter, and those are in the woods. But a lot of times, they die off before they get that big. I'm using dead ones about 5-6" to stack wood on. Field Guide sez "1.5 ft, sometimes bigger."

 

[webby3650]

I've seen several that were well over a foot in diameter. We have some sassafras boards that were in the attic of the old family barn that were 36" wide! They were nearly 90 years old though.