Wood ID

[Cearbhaill]

This came down in my woods last summer during that horrible derecho wind.
Zone 6b, eastern Kentucky.
It was a large tree so before we spend too much energy working on it I would like to know what kind of wood it is. I feel sure it is naturally occurring as I doubt anyone has ever intentionally planted anything back there, but you never know what with birds and all. Most of what we have are red or white oaks, hickories, and poplar and this looks nothing like any of them.
Thanks to anyone who might offer an opinion.

 

[gzecc]

Need to see a pic of it split and the end grain

 

[Cearbhaill]

Split is up there, here are two ends...

 

[Woody Stover]

Visible 'medullary rays' (radiating out from the center) mean Oak. Grab it, split it, stack it in the wind and wait two or more years.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

+1 on the oak. The rounds and split in your pictures look like they are from the upper part of an older tree or the whole tree is young. In any case split i,t stack it and let the waiting begin. Remember the best and most accurate way to measure moisture in your firewood is with a multi-year calendar!

 

[basod]

The bark looks alot like willow oak from a limb somewhere up the tree.
The large rings(atleast they appear that way) coincides with a faster growing oak.
Was it dead when blown over? - usually a live oak when killed will hold it's leaves

 

[chvymn99]

Id go with Oak too. It looks like that of a Pin oak. What does it smell like after its split?

 

[gzecc]

Split is up there, here are two ends...

Just where is the deep end?

 

[bigbarf48]

Pin oak id say

 

[bogydave]

Oak is Good BTU wood.
How much do you have cut up ?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Worry not. You have some great firewood there.

 

[Cearbhaill]

Thank you everyone!

It was living when it went down- I was watching out a window when the derecho went through and I saw several enormous oaks and hickories go down like dominoes. That's why we're so behind cutting this one up- we have so many down.
Yes, those photos are of the smaller branches that were dealt with last summer so we had room to maneuver out there. The main trunk is all that is still lying there waiting for us and I just wanted to make sure it was work the trek hauling it.

And don't worry about seasoning time- we work years ahead with our wood.

Thanks again.

 

[ScotO]

Another vote for oak. Get all you can, split it small to medium, stack 'er up and sit back and smile........good as money in the bank.
3 years down the road you'll be grinning again as it warms your home in the cold winter months!

 

[Wood Duck]

Oak for sure. The bright orange inner bark suggests Black Oak, or maybe simething similar. Does Pin Oak have orange inner bark? The smooth bark looks like Pin Oak.

 

[Shane N]

I never would have guessed oak, but I'm an ID n00by. All we have around here are red and white oaks, which have a rough bark. I enjoy guessing on ID threads and then scrolling down to see if I was even close. I was WAY off on this one . I guessed maple or poplar based on the smooth bark. Lots to learn....

 

[bigbarf48]

Oak for sure. The bright orange inner bark suggests Black Oak, or maybe simething similar. Does Pin Oak have orange inner bark? The smooth bark looks like Pin Oak.

All the pin oak I've been splitting does have that orange inner bark

 

[Bret Chase]

Thank you everyone!

It was living when it went down- I was watching out a window when the derecho went through and I saw several enormous oaks and hickories go down like dominoes. That's why we're so behind cutting this one up- we have so many down..

That is one thing I don't miss about living down there (I lived for a few years in Knox and Whitley counties)... the orange dirt that won't hold roots in the ground..

 

[Woody Stover]

All the pin oak I've been splitting does have that orange inner bark

Pins like water. Was the soil pretty moist where the tree was?

 

[Applesister]

OAK and probably the "red" oak group based on that weird smooth bark. I dont know if willow oak is smooth. Toni do you have any limbs with the leaves still attached? You dont need to make an exact identification but Im curious about the bark issue.
Dont let the boys scare you into not cutting it up. Oak is gold. Funny thing about hurricanes and tornadoes. They never seem to take down poplar. I found some that still had leaves partial emergence. My brother in law says they have laying longer than this last spring. I said last spring. Dont know how long leaves will stay attached to a dead oak tree before they start to decompose.