Tree I.D. help please

[ShoerFast]

I'm going to lean more toward something from the Birch famely, that is a Birch type leaf.

The bark looks a little like somethng alond the line of an eastern-ironwood, like Hornbeam.

I never seen anything like that, but nothing in the Ash family splits hard, that I have seen.

 

[skinnykid02]

When I say spits hard I mean when I swing the mall with all my might, it just bounced off like I was swinging a wiffle ball bat.

I borrowed my friend 4 ton electric splitter and it split it. With some kind words and soft touches, but it split it. I actually was suprised it did.

I have split green and seasoned Oak, MAple, Pine, Birch and stuff and never had the maul just bounce off like that.

I will get some more pics soon, keep posted and they will be here in a bit.

 

[blewgrass]

hornbeam doesn't grow more that 5-6" in diameter in the northeast that i've seen.

 

[NapalmDeath]

When I say spits hard I mean when I swing the mall with all my might, it just bounced off like I was swinging a wiffle ball bat.

Sounds just like the Elms I've dealt with.

 

[S Mc]

Sounds just like the Elms I've dealt with.

A large elm removal was actually the impetus for our purchasing a 25-ton hydraulic splitter. Prior to that David and I split all our wood ourselves (he even custom made me my own splitting maul).

Elm wood has this type of coloring, but is fibrous and the leaf's base is wrong for an elm.

The mystery persists.....

Sylvia

 

[pdqdl]

Without a twig, we'll never know, will we?

 

[buzz sawyer]

Guess we'll have to settle with fraxinus mysterioso for now.

 

[modn]

hornbeam doesn't grow more that 5-6" in diameter in the northeast that i've seen.

This is an old one I know but I have a hornbeam out back of where I grew up (my sister owns it now) that is roughly 16"-20" diameter. Actually I built my treehouse in it 34 years ago. We had a gentleman that my father did some work for years ago and he was amazed at the size of it and took pictures of it when he was over one day. We have many of them around here and a few in the 8" size also, but this one is the biggest (on the family property anyway). Just thought I would share, I should measure it to be exact.

 

[S Mc]

This is an old one I know but I have a hornbeam out back of where I grew up (my sister owns it now) that is roughly 16"-20" diameter. Actually I built my treehouse in it 34 years ago. We had a gentleman that my father did some work for years ago and he was amazed at the size of it and took pictures of it when he was over one day. We have many of them around here and a few in the 8" size also, but this one is the biggest (on the family property anyway). Just thought I would share, I should measure it to be exact.

And take pictures!!! We love to see pictures!!! Especially when a tree exceeds the norm. Please share.

Sylvia

 

[modn]

And take pictures!!! We love to see pictures!!! Especially when a tree exceeds the norm. Please share.

Sylvia

Well I was wrong on the size....It is actually 75" circumference or 24" diameter just below where the 1st limb expands from the trunk...basically the smallest trunk area. The 1st picture shows the whole tree. The 2nd shows a better detail of the trunk area and the remnents of the tree house ladder (a shame we did that to the ole guy) The last pic show the 1st tree with a 13" diameter for comparision. Most all the trees behind this are Hornbeam. Since I was a kid the trees don't look a lot bigger, which leads me to believe they are a slow growing tree. How old is a best guess on the big one?

 

[S Mc]

Thanks for posting the pictures, Modn. The 13" dia tree is of a different species, right? I'm not seeing the distinctive fluting on the hornbeams that I would have expected. Does anyone have a botanical name for me to reference?

Hornbeams are a slow growing species and a smaller one at that, so if it was fairly mature when you built your tree house, it would not have grown significantly more (in the grand scheme of things).

Sylvia

 

[modn]

Thanks for posting the pictures, Modn. The 13" dia tree is of a different species, right? I'm not seeing the distinctive fluting on the hornbeams that I would have expected. Does anyone have a botanical name for me to reference?

Hornbeams are a slow growing species and a smaller one at that, so if it was fairly mature when you built your tree house, it would not have grown significantly more (in the grand scheme of things).

Sylvia

I think these are called hophornbeam (Betulaceae Ostrya virginiana) They are both the same variety (and the ones behind it).

 

[sawyerDave]

Reminds me of a joke...

Something in this thread reminded me of a joke I saw, probably in the joke thread, A father and son woodpecker were arguing about the species of tree they were digging into. The son asks dad, is this tree a son of a beech or a son of a birch? Dad replies I think its the best piece of ash I've ad my pecker in in a long time!:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[385xp9106]

could be ash bass wood or linden not sure on the spelling of the last 1..

 

[blewgrass]

my tree id is starting to get fuzzy for trees i don't deal with every day, but by first glance i wouldn't call that a hornbeam, although i am only used to seeing them as poles. did you bend quite a few nails driving them into that tree? i've always considered the hornbeam to be the hardest wood in my area of new england.

 

[modn]

my tree id is starting to get fuzzy for trees i don't deal with every day, but by first glance i wouldn't call that a hornbeam, although i am only used to seeing them as poles. did you bend quite a few nails driving them into that tree? i've always considered the hornbeam to be the hardest wood in my area of new england.

Most people around here call it Ironwood. My tree book says "Hophornbeam" as the buds look like the picture and the leaves and bark are also a dead ringer. The trees are very hard to cut even with the sharpest saw and the nails bend very easy. Very tough trees.

 

[blewgrass]

then that is the biggest hornbeam i've ever seen. thanks for sharing!

 

[modn]

then that is the biggest hornbeam i've ever seen. thanks for sharing!

I also got info from this site:http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Hophornbeam/hophornb.htm I read somewhere that the biggest on record has a 36" diameter. Not bad I guess.

 

[S Mc]

Modn, thank you for coming to my rescue with the botanical. Local common names can get quite confusing as often times we may be saying the same thing but picturing two entirely different trees.

I can wrap my mind around the Ostrya virginiana for the 13" tree in your photo #3. But I must confess the others look smoother bark to me, closer to the Carpinus sp. But photos are always difficult for me. You also have the added advantage of 1) knowing your own trees in leaf and, of course, the 2) fruit would be a dead giveaway.

Sylvia

 

[modn]

Modn, thank you for coming to my rescue with the botanical. Local common names can get quite confusing as often times we may be saying the same thing but picturing two entirely different trees.

I can wrap my mind around the Ostrya virginiana for the 13" tree in your photo #3. But I must confess the others look smoother bark to me, closer to the Carpinus sp. But photos are always difficult for me. You also have the added advantage of 1) knowing your own trees in leaf and, of course, the 2) fruit would be a dead giveaway.

Sylvia

They are definately the same tree. These are easy to recognize as the bark is like no other I have seen....kind of flakey looking. Here are the same photos only drawn up closer.