Tree ID - Fearing the Worst

[sw18x]

Hooked up with a guy clearing lots for a couple homes. Walked the site, some young standing maples, a nice big ash the property owner had already felled, and lots of this stuff on the ground. I told him I wouldn't cherrypick so we started loading this stuff. Very light, couldn't figure out what it was until I turned to my buddy and said, this isn't cottonwood is it? I've never played with the stuff but hear it's a waste of time. Course I have an OWB but my poor buddy has an indoor stove and left with a truckload of whatever this is.

The standing trees of this species were tall and straight with no branches until way up, at least 40 feet, so we couldn't get a look at the leaves. Hoping it's not cottonwood because there's a lot more of these that will be coming down too, and it's an all or nothing deal for us.View attachment 295254View attachment 295255View attachment 295256

 

[ShaneLogs]

Looks almost like Ash but i'm not sure. How does it split ?

 

[sw18x]

Just got it tonight, so I couldn't tell you. I agree in the pics it looks a little like ash, especially the bark profile around the edge of the round, but in person it's not even close, much lighter than the ash I've come across.

 

[Fifelaker]

It could be poplar. Bark looks close and if dry the weight is correct.

 

[blacklocst]

The stuff in the front of the pic is Cotton Wood The larger rounds might be Ash.

 

[Oldmaple]

Looks like cottonwood to me. Bark, wood color, description of trees, but pictures can fool you. Buds are long and sticky if they haven't leafed out. Leaves will have flattened stems if anything in the poplar family.

 

[nathon918]

looks kinda like some basswood i have, basically same as poplar, cottonwood, the basswood i have is pretty heavy green, but very light when dry, barly better than pine...

 

[dave_376]

Looks like tulip poplar to me. The bark on limbs and young trees is somewhat smooth and as the tree gets older the bark gets rougher, it can get really rough. I just picked up a load today for campfires and shoulder season heating. I will be going back for more this week, its a huge tree at about 36". I grabbed a bunch of limb wood and plan on grabbing a few big trunk pieces for benches/seating for around the firepit. the best way to tell is by a leaf.

 

[sw18x]

Everything in the truck came from the same tree...I wish it was ash.

Pics I've seen online of cottonwood have deep furrowed bark, these trees are smoother with narrow furrows but that might be because they're not fully matured (15" or so)

 

[sw18x]

...and did I mention it cut like toilet paper?

 

[Jere39]

What did it smell like when you were cutting it. It looks like Sassafras to me. Light weight, cuts very easy, smells almost spicy when you are cutting it. Burns fast, starts easy. Might be the only hardwood softer than Poplar/Aspen around here. Great for camp fires and decorator fires on the deck. I'm sure it would be ok in your OWB, as long as you keep loading it.

I cut this one because it was in the way. I don't bother splitting it for firewood, but I use the log for 25 yard toe line for my shooting range.

If you get to check the leaves, they look like smurf hands:

View attachment 295284View attachment 295285

 

[mr.finn]

It is not Sassafrass, looks to be a bigtooth aspen.

 

[Mike Van]

It's one of the poplar or cottonwood types, pretty much poor firewood. Basswood has no dark heartwood. When you say it saws like toilet paper, thats the tip-off that it won't make good firewood.

 

[RiverRocket]

:agree2:

Looks like tulip poplar to me. The bark on limbs and young trees is somewhat smooth and as the tree gets older the bark gets rougher, it can get really rough. I just picked up a load today for campfires and shoulder season heating. I will be going back for more this week, its a huge tree at about 36". I grabbed a bunch of limb wood and plan on grabbing a few big trunk pieces for benches/seating for around the firepit. the best way to tell is by a leaf.

:agree2::agree2:

 

[Streblerm]

It looks like tulip poplar to me (which isn't part of the poplar/cottonwood family at all) the description of the trees sounds about right.

I've burned quite a bit of it and it isn't too bad. It isn't oak but if it is close, free, and already cut then it sounds like a score to me. I would burn it in my indoor stove without a second thought.

 

[Foragefarmer]

It is not Sassafrass, looks to be a bigtooth aspen.

:agree2:

 

[sw18x]

Well this story has a somewhat happy ending. I went back and talked to the builder, he basically said take whatever you want, if you can't use the cottonwood leave it and take the stuff you can, starting with 4 maples that needed to come down before he could dig the foundation. So I got a nice haul of maple, the property owner was happy, and best of all he has another lot with 100+ trees he'll be clearing in October. Let's hope it's not all Poplar, Cottonwood, or Bigtooth Aspen!