What causes this?

[FLHX Storm]

Yesterday I went out and felled another Black Locust and today since it was so nice I decided to fell a few black locust saplings before going for this tree that I believe is a black birch. But the question I have is what causes the discoloration in it like this? The first picture is the stump base after I felled the tree where I used the Humbolt cut. Then I cut it off to the ground. The second picture is the top part of the same humbolt cut. You can also see from some of the pieces laying on the ground they have the same discoloration.

 

[Walt41]

Looks like verticillium wilt disease, I'm sure one of the guys on here could explain it better but I think it starts in the roots.

 

[FLHX Storm]

Is it contagious? I have a nice fat black birch (34 inches across) about 6 feet from where I felled this one that I was hoping to keep.I think this one may have been a sucker from the fat one.

 

[CTYank]

Dunno what causes the discoloration- only seen that in hickories around here.

Picture-perfect hinge BTW. Surprised no one's mentioned that. :cool2:

 

[FLHX Storm]

I've only seen that type of discoloration in the area where a nail was in the tree or a piece of fence running through the tree, but it was usually only in the area where the metal was, not throughout the entire trunk like this one.

N thanks for the compliment on the hinge. :msp_smile: Maybe one day I'll even get good at this!

 

[pennsywoodburnr]

I've also seen this myself in some trees that I cut on the side of the road. I thought the discoloration was in a maple, but I can't be sure.

 

[flashhole]

My guess is the tap root got into a disolved mineral deposit of some kind and the discoloration is the result of it being wicked up into the tree just like water is wicked up during the growing season.

It will be interesting to see if it burns with an odd color flame.

 

[buzz sawyer]

I wonder what it would look like if you noodled a slab of the one side - would you have long streaks or spots?

 

[old_soul]

No offense but that sure looks like red maple wood not black birch (also called swamp maple)

All the red maples around here are the same way when you cut them, don't know why.

The discolored wood does run up and down, you will see when you split

I always thought it was from frost cracking, but the bark in your pictures looks intact.

 

[RiverRocket]

I've seen this in Maple and ash, I always thought it was from moisture in the tree after it died, and the beginning of rot? as the tree dies the water,sap, or whatever runs down the core of the tree, than tries to seem outward. not saying that is what it is, just what I thought it was.

 

[Jredsjeep]

My guess is the tap root got into a disolved mineral deposit of some kind and the discoloration is the result of it being wicked up into the tree just like water is wicked up during the growing season.

It will be interesting to see if it burns with an odd color flame.

thats what i thought it was, i wonder if those lobes would line up with the roots pulling up the nutrients?

 

[Stlshrk]

Nice hinge dude!

The pattern looks like my kids were finger painting a sunshine.

The wood isn't dodey at all, is it?

 

[haveawoody]

I've cut a couple of maples that looked identical to those stains.
Both city trees and both turned out to be some idiot dumping old used motor oil near the tree over a few oil changes.

Not sure if this is what you have but looks similar to what i have seen in the ones i cut.
Is your tree close to the driveway or where macinery lived or a fuel oil tank?

 

[lone wolf]

Yesterday I went out and felled another Black Locust and today since it was so nice I decided to fell a few black locust saplings before going for this tree that I believe is a black birch. But the question I have is what causes the discoloration in it like this? The first picture is the stump base after I felled the tree where I used the Humbolt cut. Then I cut it off to the ground. The second picture is the top part of the same humbolt cut. You can also see from some of the pieces laying on the ground they have the same discoloration.

That sure looks like Swamp maple aka Red Maple to me.

 

[FLHX Storm]

My guess is the tap root got into a disolved mineral deposit of some kind and the discoloration is the result of it being wicked up into the tree just like water is wicked up during the growing season.

It will be interesting to see if it burns with an odd color flame.

That is a distinct possibility of wicking up something, kind of like adding blue food coloring to the water of a white flower. It'll have similar streaks before it turns blue completely.

Once the weather clears, I'll cut off a cookie and try to dry it in the oven or on top of the wood stove. Then I'll see how it burns. :msp_smile:

 

[FLHX Storm]

I wonder what it would look like if you noodled a slab of the one side - would you have long streaks or spots?

:msp_w00t: Another reason to noodle!

It may take a few days before I can get out n process all the wood I've collected the last couple of days, but I will noodle a piece or two just to see. :msp_smile:

 

[FLHX Storm]

No offense but that sure looks like red maple wood not black birch (also called swamp maple)

All the red maples around here are the same way when you cut them, don't know why.

The discolored wood does run up and down, you will see when you split

I always thought it was from frost cracking, but the bark in your pictures looks intact.

I can't say 100% for sure it is a black birch but from the smell when cutting it, it sure smelled that way. Or maybe it's a Black Birch growing inside a Red Maple. :msp_confused:

 

[FLHX Storm]

Nice hinge dude!

The pattern looks like my kids were finger painting a sunshine.

The wood isn't dodey at all, is it?

Thanks for the compliment on the hinge (btw, I'm a dudette :msp_smile: )

Some of the wood at the end of one of the large branches was all rotted out. I couldn't say how far it went down since I haven't processed the wood yet.

 

[FLHX Storm]

I've cut a couple of maples that looked identical to those stains.
Both city trees and both turned out to be some idiot dumping old used motor oil near the tree over a few oil changes.

Not sure if this is what you have but looks similar to what i have seen in the ones i cut.
Is your tree close to the driveway or where macinery lived or a fuel oil tank?

From where it was positoned, I have my doubts any foreign substance could have gotten into it. Here is a picture of the tree I took in January when I was deciding how to fell it since it was leaning towards the house and being on a steep slope. I did end up felling it in the direction where I was taking the picture btw.

The tree is the one to the left with the big sucker growing out of the bottom on the left side.

 

[Tree Feller]

That sure looks like Swamp maple aka Red Maple to me.

I have to agree. I usally see this in every maple I cut around here. Even the fibers in the hinge look like maple not birch? But I think this type of discoloration is normal IMO.