Tree smelled like Bengay when cut....some kind of Birch?

[Slick]

Cutting up some trees tonight that I felled last weekend...got to what I think is a Birch of some kind...real smooth bark, almost like paper, no real thickness to any of it's grain, grey in color, yellowish inside...as I'm carrying it to the trailer I keep smelling this Bengay or sportscream type smell....damn I think..some old guy with sore muscles was snatching some of my trees today...I can still smell his Bengay! After a half hour of it I sniffed the wood for some reason...damn it smells exactly like Bengay when cut, stuff I cut yesterday didn't smell anymore so it goes away fast.

Just curious, what kind of tree is this?

 

[fourfivefour]

Where's the pics?opcorn:

 

[Slick]

It's dark out

 

[yooper]

That would be yellow birch. warm and the sap is running

 

[willsaw4beer]

That would be yellow birch. warm and the sap is running

Is it just the yellow birch that smells like that, what about grey/ black birch?

 

[yooper]

Is it just the yellow birch that smells like that, what about grey/ black birch?

I am not sure, I do not think I have gray or black birch here...never seen them. When I did allot of logging it was always a common smell with the yellow birch, especially in the early spring. At least then it was stronger smelling. kinda smelt like wintergreen

 

[willsaw4beer]

I am not sure, I do not think I have gray or black birch here...never seen them. When I did allot of logging it was always a common smell with the yellow birch, especially in the early spring. At least then it was stronger smelling. kinda smelt like wintergreen

I see, I cut up tops from some kind of birch that I assumed to be black/ grey birch and it had the trademark wintergreen/ ben gay smell. Was just wondering if it actually was yellow birch. Maybe all birch trees smell like that?

 

[yooper]

White or paper birch doesnt...we have allot of that here too

 

[willsaw4beer]

White or paper birch doesnt...we have allot of that here too

The paper birches are at a higher elevation than me, I'm only at 1700 ft.

 

[Slick]

yellow would make sense, inside was certainly yellowish..and yes the sap was running...water was oozing out of the felling cuts on these.

 

[smokechase II]

A tree tries to heal itself

Shouldn't senescent creatures care for one another?

What are you putting on the tombstones?

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Did you use Icy Hot for bar lube?

 

[trimmmed]

Both black and yellow birch have the smell. Black is more powerful aromatically. It is my favorite firewood too.

 

[Slick]

yeah I'm looking forward to burning this stuff next year, got a pretty good pile of it and it was pretty hard stuff.

 

[Zodiac45]

Cutting up some trees tonight that I felled last weekend...got to what I think is a Birch of some kind...real smooth bark, almost like paper, no real thickness to any of it's grain, grey in color, yellowish inside...as I'm carrying it to the trailer I keep smelling this Bengay or sportscream type smell....damn I think..some old guy with sore muscles was snatching some of my trees today...I can still smell his Bengay! After a half hour of it I sniffed the wood for some reason...damn it smells exactly like Bengay when cut, stuff I cut yesterday didn't smell anymore so it goes away fast.

Just curious, what kind of tree is this?

Have too see pix too be sure. What you describe (bark) sounds like a beech tree. The smell could be black birch (or yellow) but the bark description is NOT yellow birch. Have too see pix.

 

[Slick]

Can really feel the moisture coming out of the ends already.

 

[david78]

Black birch.

 

[JONSEREDFAN6069]

ya thats definately birch. nice lookin score, birch burn's so nice and seasons pretty quick. split and stack it and it'll be ready for fall for sure.

 

[Windwalker7]

If you peel off some bark from some of the smaller branches and chew it, it tastes like wintergreen.

Indians use to chew it.


Ever heard of birch beer?

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Kinda like Heavenwood/Tree of Heaven we have here...grows like weeds.