Sugar Maple, Beech or what?

[ReggieT]

Hi Guys,

Stumbled upon this free tree from a Real Estate Developer close to my house...he says its a beech...others say Maple of some sort.
Here are some pics...the tree has been down about 2 months.
Smelled sort of sweet when I split a piece, although it's lighter, and full of knots & harder split than my red oak.
I'm kinda stumped.

Thanks
Reg

 

[tomtom85]

Well I can tell you its not beech.

 

[Brushwacker]

Kinda looks like an red maple that has been dead a while. The twist and knots probably attribute to it splitting hard.

 

[ReggieT]

Kinda looks like an red maple that has been dead a while. The twist and knots probably attribute to it splitting hard.

I concur...thanks Brushwacker.
Decent firewood?

 

[svk]

I do not think that is red maple.

 

[tomtom85]

Maple or ash

 

[Marshy]

If all those dry brown leaves belong to that tree then post a pic.

 

[Oldmaple]

Red or Sugar Maple

 

[Woodcutteranon]

I will go out on a limb and say Sycamore...
I want to see more leaves but....That's what some of the shots look like. Sycamore is a difficult firewood. Hard to split, and dries out to light as a feather...They usually grow near creeks but have been used as shade trees on older streets etc.

Joe

 

[moondoggie]

Its maple of some sort. Looks like sugar to me. Any close ups of new growth branches? If its red maple they will be red. I really do think its sugar maple.

 

[thor97]

Sure looks like sugar maple. Is it heavy like red oak? the bark's not right for ash

 

[djones]

Not beech and not ash, maybe silver maple

 

[svk]

If it was maple you would think there would be lots of maple leaves on the ground. The wood does look like sugar though.

 

[Brushwacker]

Its hard to tell, the bark looks tainted with mildew or old moss. I wouldn't rule out quacking aspen which burns about like cottonwood. Quaking Aspen is soft and would cut easy with a sharp chain and seems to retain most its moisture when dead.

 

[moondoggie]

some of the op's bark looks similar to this more mature sugar maple i am cutting today.

 

[moondoggie]

 

[lone wolf]

Looks like red Maple ,is it in a low wet area?

 

[duckman]

looks like red maple. the trees still standing look like it too.

 

[NSMaple1]

I'm not seeing any maple leaves.

 

[Motorsen]

Argghh look like aspen to me. The bright white wood and the leaves on the ground. Beech in the first pictures based on the the colour of the wood but the bark didn't add up.