OK, what is it

[ChoppyChoppy]

Doesn't look like any poplar that I have seen. (aka cottonwood, aspen, etc) The bark is wrong and so is the color of the wood.

Though as most logger and firewooders, we mostly just know what grows where we cut. I suppose an arborist would know more dealing with yard trees. Had a guy bring cherry logs in this summer to be milled. Somehow was able to get a cherry to grow here. I have a hard enough time to get native trees to grow! haha! -30* temps and 60+mph winds are tough on anything.

 

[radio]

The thick orange inner bark looks distinctly like the big tooth aspen I have. Peel some of it off and see what the odor is like. Mine were stringy with a strong sweet almost citrusy odor. But that was when I had them freshly cut. Not sure how long your logs have been lying there.

The maple I've cut does not have a thick nor orange inner bark. However, I just read an article about identifying maples tress in the latest issue of Mass Wildlife magazine. It seems that maple has the most varied looks than any other tree and can easily be confused with many other species depending upon many factors. It's like a chameleon.

I see nothing in any of the first 2 photos that resemble oak and I've never seen cottonwood so I would guess that it's aspen and if not, then possibly maple.

 

[c5rulz]

These are log cut offs and are on a log landing. (attached pic)

I took a couple rounds of this to my logger buddies who cut it and they weren't sure either since there was no brush for them to see. I did put the $hit on them about that since they are the "pros".

 

[unclemoustache]

I know it confused me lol! The striations in the grain of a split would prove me wrong, but I'm sticking with maple. For the first two pics. Silver or sugar. A leaf would tell for sure.

No way! Bark is not at all like silver or sugar maple. Too smooth for either. I'm sticking with oak, but this is a mystery. I hope we get to find out and aren't left hanging.

 

[lone wolf]

No way! Bark is not at all like silver or sugar maple. Too smooth for either. I'm sticking with oak, but this is a mystery. I hope we get to find out and aren't left hanging.

Sort of looks like it but we need more pics from the OP.

 

[DSW]

Very rare to see Oak rot out in the middle, especially when there's still hard wood.

Maple on the other hand, lot of heart rot in these parts.

 

[Woodcutteranon]

Now those look like oak. Especially the bottom of the second pic

 

[panolo]

Now those look like oak. Especially the bottom of the second pic

What i thought as well.

Very rare to see Oak rot out in the middle, especially when there's still hard wood.

Maple on the other hand, lot of heart rot in these parts.

Almost the opposite here. Lots of hollow red oak and solid sugar maple.

 

[cuinrearview]

No way! Bark is not at all like silver or sugar maple. Too smooth for either. I'm sticking with oak, but this is a mystery. I hope we get to find out and aren't left hanging.

I've cut some, from forests, that were that smooth. They had that orangish red inner bark too. Everything in yards and along roads is much shaggier and lumpier.

 

[moondoggie]

It looks similar to Chinese chestnut also.

 

[lone wolf]

It looks similar to Chinese chestnut also.

Weird it looks a bit like Oak but a little like Elm!OP split a damn piece and post clear pics!

 

[c5rulz]

Guys I cut 25 cord of oak a year. Trust me when I am bucking logs I can tell the difference between oak and what ever this is. A lot of the piles O logs is oak. The first two pics in this thread are the ONLY thing I don't know what it is. There is also a poplar in the pile that I won't take. When cutting poplar the chips are very large and snow white. The mystery wood has a smaller chip than poplar, is tan colored and the rounds weigh significantly less.

 

[cuinrearview]

The mystery wood has a smaller chip than poplar, is tan colored and the rounds weigh significantly less.

Less than poplar?

 

[c5rulz]

Less than poplar?

Sure real soft wood like cotton wood and popular have huge snow white chips. IMHO, the harder the wood the smaller the chips.

 

[cuinrearview]

Yah I know that. Was commenting on the weight.

 

[Lee@themancave]

Pic 3 & 4 gotta be walnut.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J120A using Tapatalk

 

[stumpy75]

So show us a pic of a split and let's get this over with!

I'm leaning toward silver or red maple by the bark, but a pic of a split would probably clear that up. I don't see the typical rays on the end that would indicate some type of oak... Actually, my first thought when I looked at the top pic was pignut hickory, but the OP said it was a light wood...

 

[c5rulz]

So show us a pic of a split and let's get this over with!

I'm leaning toward silver or red maple by the bark, but a pic of a split would probably clear that up. I don't see the typical rays on the end that would indicate some type of oak... Actually, my first thought when I looked at the top pic was pignut hickory, but the OP said it was a light wood...

Guys it has been raining out the last couple days and I am not wild about dicking around with it in this weather.

 

[longbowch]

Where is white spider? He would know.

 

[unclemoustache]

Tom Trees is pretty handy at ID as well.