Wood Id

[Shane Collins]

I was in my woods today starting on next years wood. I chopped down a dead(ish) tree and I'm not sure what it is. I thought It was totally dead but it had a little growth coming out which may help the ID. The wood has a strongish smell that reminds me of oak, which I thought it may be at first. After seeing the leaves, which are tiny and only just starting to grow. I thought maybe Ash. But the wood looks too dark for that. So my last thought was maybe Elm? Any ideas?

 

[nrford]

Butternut, but not 100% sure from those photos. Is it hard or relatively soft. I also thought perhaps Red Elm, but bark is different from Red Elm in these parts.

 

[Shane Collins]

Butternut, good catch. Could well be that. The wood feels pretty light, it split very easy and I would say it's softer than most of the hardwood I have. Though that maybe because this was pretty much dead?

The leaves threw me off the most. I don't often see any trees around with compound leaves that aren't Ash. And a lot of butternut are dying out.

What could I have taken a photo of that would have helped more?

 

[nrford]

A cut end of a round. I'd say from your statement "Feels light" Butternut it is! We have very little butternut around here, but from what I have seen that has to be it.

 

[Pellet_Pete]

X3 butternut, for sure. Used to be an important timber species in VT. But you can put it in the same column as chestnut and (very shortly) ash.

 

[Applesister]

Butternut? hmm...that is a blast from the past. I was completely stumped with that bleached white bark. We used to have them here in NY but they are gone from our landscape. I remember my Dad collecting the big sticky fuzzy nuts.

 

[Shane Collins]

I'm sure it's butternut now. I spoke to my father in law and he said he's sure it is. He had two big ones come down in the last couple of years also. Too bad. Very nice grain to it, a shame to burn. Anyone know how well it burns? And thanks for the replies.

 

[nrford]

low BTU