Wood ID

[Spanman75]

I can’t figure out what these rounds are. I also can’t split them . Anyone want to take a stab at ID’ing ? Cut in NJ this winter

 

[CincyBurner]

Wood (grain) and bark look like sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua).
Look for the "gum balls", a dead give-away. Also it has a distinctive palmate, star-shaped leaf.
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=53
Crushed green leaves produce a fragrant terpinen aroma (like tea tree oil).

Middle of pack for heat output - 20.6 MBtu/ cord, but tough to split, sometimes even with a hydraulic splitter.
I give each species a try to split & burn - tried sweetgum once. It's not worth the trouble IMO.
I'd take a pass on it.

 

[gzecc]

Some kind of pine.

 

[Kevin Weis]

I second the Sweet Gum. In Maryland it's a native Coastal Plain tree. In New Jersey thinking similar. But you can plant it near anywhere and it will grow.

 

[TreePointer]

Sweetgum certainly is notoriously difficult to split, but some knotty pine can be very difficult, too.

If pine, it should be easy to ID by cutting/splitting a little and giving it a smell test.

 

[Spanman75]

I think you guys are right sweet gum. I’m going to give it to a buddy that has a hyd splitter. Will that get through it or is it not worth the work and should I dump it?

 

[moresnow]

May as well put the hydro to it. Betting it will finish it.

 

[gzecc]

I think you guys are right sweet gum. I’m going to give it to a buddy that has a hyd splitter. Will that get through it or is it not worth the work and should I dump it?

I didn't know there was sweet gum in NJ. What part of NJ are you in?

 

[gzecc]

Just did my own research and found out that Sweet Gum is in south Jersey. I've never seen it being in north central.

 

[Woody Stover]

I never got a tree, although there are some around. I was used to looking at the bark lower on the trunk which is different than what's pictured. I looked up higher and yep, looks like that.