Wood ID request

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here

Montanalocal

Minister of Fire
Dec 22, 2014
571
Helena MT
This is a round from a pile of a tree trimer. They are probably city planted trees in central Montana. It is green and somewhat stringy. No leaves or branches.

[Hearth.com] Wood ID request[Hearth.com] Wood ID request[Hearth.com] Wood ID request
 
This looks a lot like an ID thread I had going in early January minus the purple tint, also from a tree service... lots of disagreement on what it was. Some guys thought walnut, but the bark isn't right. This looks more like a locust bark than hickory. Too dark to be honey, so I'd guess black; although I'm not familiar with it personally. Also no expert on all the different types of hickory. It could be a variety of that.
 
The wood looks like black walnut from the northeast. The bark to me is alien. Should make boards out of that!
 
  • Like
Reactions: D8Chumley
I'm also thinking walnut, and puzzled by the bark.
 
The wood sure looks like black walnut, I have just split 1.3 tons of black walnut so I know what it looks like.
Bark looks weird.
Maybe Lewis and Clark carried a black walnut with them on their travels, they planted it in Montana, and then that tree cross bred with the native Montana tree.
 
Is there any odor? Black walnut has a very distinct stink, strong and unpleasant. Is it super heavy? That's what those pieces I had were. Maybe I'll see if I can dig one out and some walnut later to show the differences...
 
One of our top local nurseries lists Black Walnut for sale here locally, so they can grow here. It was an urban planted tree, not a native I am sure. I did not notice any very distinctive smell when I split it, and it was super heavy.
 
Find my thread from Jan 13th "dark red/purplish heartwood"... you'll see the similarity in my mystery wood.
 
If the western guys aren't familiar with it, its probably some hybrid ornamental tree gone wild.
 
I'm in Idaho (so not to far). A common species around this area is Red Elm. It looks like Red Elm in the first 2 photos - but the 3rd photo looks like something else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woody5506
I am not too familiar with types of walnut that don’t grow around me, but this specimen checks a lot of boxes. Maybe one of the California varieties?
 
Last edited:
Siberian Elm
 
I went back and reviewed my ID thread. I forgot that there were votes for soft maple... It seems like it is much lighter already now than it was a month ago. Color has gotten much lighter also. When fresh split it was super dark like yours and really heavy (I can't find the photo attach again, but it's in my other thread). Super high moisture content soft maple could be a possibility.

Photos comparing to walnut.
[Hearth.com] Wood ID request
[Hearth.com] Wood ID request
 
I went back to town and got a bunch more from the pile. I have been splitting them this morning and all the new splits look like this, as opposed to that first split I posted. I also found a round with a small shoot, and it looks like it has opposite buds.

Elm leaves are alternate. Elm

Walnut leaves are also alternate? th-3-137.pdf

Maple is opposite. WinterTreeIDpocketguide.pdf
 

Attachments

  • [Hearth.com] Wood ID request
    100_2417.webp
    238.3 KB · Views: 153
  • [Hearth.com] Wood ID request
    100_2427.webp
    271.6 KB · Views: 155