Is this a beech?

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BurningOhio

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About 22 inches, grey elephant like bark, but most of these have this distinctive reddish streak in them.
 

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Kind of Looks like it but could also be Ailanthus. Can you get a better photo of the bark? Where exactly are the reddish streaks? Any leaves?
Hopefully this gives a better view
 

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Hopefully this gives a better view
The red is the whole stretch of the trunk. No leaves on it, but this is around the base. Tons of varied tree types around here though.
 

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The first picture looks like it at first, and the leaf in the last pic definitely looks like that of a beech, but the close up pic of the bark does look a little off. Maybe black birch? Similar leaves, and bark looks more right to me.
 
Presence of lenticels on bark is a pretty good indicator its not a beech. Plus darn near all the beech trees here in mi have signs of beech bark disease.
 
I don't know what it is but I'm pretty sure it's not beach.
Hmm. I was convinced it was American beech but after these replies now I am back to not knowing. Would seeing what a split looks like on the inside help? Didn't cut this one but cut one that was smaller and the same type.
 
Looks exactly like American Beech to me, but I'd need to see the leaf (preferably a green one) and the fruit would be the identifying final.
If you look in a Peterson field guide and compare Beech to Birch you will see the differences in the leaves(not just overall shape, but size and compare widths and tooth size and point structure etc), but more importantly, in the flower and fruit of each tree.
That will make the ID easy.
 
What are your smooth grey bark alternatives?
Carpinus, Cladrastis, .... AWFULLY big to be either of those. It's likely a beech if you're in Ohio/Midwest.
 

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