Came across this stuff today in Central Minnesota. Fair bit of small diameter tress fell over in the woods. Didn't think much of it till I put the saw to it and dang it was hard. Bark is pretty fine, leaf dont look like no oak...ideas.?
Friday night wood ID thread..
- Thread starter Circle B MN
- Start date
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Hmmmmm....
Indeed...I'd have thought it was an ash but going from oak to it, and back to oak, it is surely harder to cut.
Hackberry?
Cheesecutter
Addicted to ArboristSite
Looks like ironwood (hop hornbeam)
Second vote for ironwood
Johnny Yooper
ArboristSite Operative
it's Ironwood, leaves are similar to American Elm and Yellow Birch. Probably the hardest thing in the woods next to a rock, at least here in the upper Midwest. Very high on the Btu scale; the old timers say not to burn it straight or it will eventually burn out the stove. I never pass one up if it's dead or dying, they don't get very big but makes for excellent firewood; harvested a lot of them in 40+ years of cutting firewood; ironically, the largest one I've ever seen happens to be in the woods just behind our house, a knarly 9 incher.
Thanks for the input men. There's heaps of this stuff fell over in the woods just down the road. Nice sized stuff that dont need split'n...
When you do find ironwood, there are often several of them growing in a stand. Check all around that area as you may have more primo scrounge.
Say what???
johnnyballs
ArboristSite Operative
my 1st thought was hackberry until i saw the leaf...hornbeam
I've not seen one. Just a guess. Guess I was incorrect.
I'd go with Ironwood too. Generally it doesn't get real big. A few years ago the owner of a local game farm hired me to do some TSI work. (timber stand improvement) Worked out a deal and was paid in pheasants. The forester marked the trees to cut and these two Ironwood were the biggest in the County according to the forester.
I've not seen one. Just a guess. Guess I was incorrect.
Just messing with you. Hackberry has a very distinct bark, it looks like it has warts all over it:
I was about to post a hackberry pic. Seems like some folks like to give advice about things they don't know anything about.
It surprises me that they would direct these trees to be cut down in the name of TSI considering they are such large specimens for their species.I'd go with Ironwood too. Generally it doesn't get real big. A few years ago the owner of a local game farm hired me to do some TSI work. (timber stand improvement) Worked out a deal and was paid in pheasants. The forester marked the trees to cut and these two Ironwood were the biggest in the County according to the forester.
The area in question was probably pastured at one time. Row crops were planted on the tillable areas and the rest grew up into woods. The problem is invasive species such as box elder, elm and ironwood took over. The goal is re-introduce the oak savannahs that cover a good chunk of the woods around here. The Ironwood had to go. Those trees aren't super big in my book, but big for Ironwood.
Here is a big one I cut. (This was a very heavy leaner)
I wouldn't cut this widowmaker:
