# what kind of wood is this



## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

i found this tree on my land while cutting wood and thought the bark looked like a young cherry tree the ice storm last year knocked it over but the root ball was still in the ground some people have told me its pine but i dont thinkl that is right no needles does anyone know before i waste time splitting it to burn next year?http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z237/kentucktslavemaster-inc/?action=view&current=Picture403.jpg http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z237/kentucktslavemaster-inc/?action=view&current=Picture404.jpg


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## PA Plumber (Dec 25, 2009)

The bark pic is a little skinny. 

The grain color doesn't look like anything we have around here.

Coffee tree?


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## rms61moparman (Dec 25, 2009)

That right there is a Hedge/Osage orange.
Hard as a brickbat, stringy to split, and quite possibly the worlds greatest firewood.


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## Uncle John (Dec 25, 2009)

It'll eat yo chain up!


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## PA Plumber (Dec 25, 2009)

rms61moparman said:


> That right there is a Hedge/Osage orange.
> Hard as a brickbat, stringy to split, and quite possibly the worlds greatest firewood.



Well then, maybe we do have that around here. I've haven't gotten into any. 

Did build a treestand in one once. Man, it was tough nailing. The landowner helped me and just laughed when I told him were I'd like to build a stand.

Yep, he went with me and chuckled the whole time. Got that thing in the tree though!


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

Hedge/Osage orange.? i have one of them in the front yard was wondering what it was do the trees looks change because the one i know for sure now is a Hedge/Osage orange. doesnt look the same i will get a better pic of the bark i hope you are right be cause i have a few trees just like the one in the pic on the ground already thanks for looking 



mike 


:newbie:


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## rms61moparman (Dec 25, 2009)

The bark changes as the tree matures.
Cut into a limb and you will see that same beautiful golden yellow sawdust.
Locust has the same color sawdust, but their bark is usually real rough by the time they get as big as the one in your pic.
They are great to burn also but don't split as easily as hedge. (usually)


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## buzz sawyer (Dec 25, 2009)

How hard was the wood? Kind of looks like a sumac, possibly Chinese, aka Ailanthus/Tree of Heaven. This is fairly hard but no where near Osage orange. If it's osage orange the saw dust would be bright yellow. Can we get a bigger area of bark in a photo?


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

i know for a fact this this a osage because i shot the green balls with my boom stick http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z237/kentucktslavemaster-inc/Picture414.jpg this is a better pic of the bark http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z237/kentucktslavemaster-inc/Picture415.jpg this is a pic of the seed pod that was on the tree http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z237/kentucktslavemaster-inc/Picture415.jpg i am not saying you are wrong just want to be sure before i go at it
the saw dust was bright green it did to me my wife said yellow


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## rms61moparman (Dec 25, 2009)

Awful dark bark for Mulberry, and coarse grained.


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

its a sumac the fruit tells the tail now can i burn it?



thanks for the help


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

Staghorn Sumac that is what i came up with from the looks of the fruit on http://oplin.org/tree/fact pages/sumac_staghorn/sumac_staghorn.html it looks just like the fruit on my tree the live tree standing alone is a osage orange i know that for a fact like i said i shot the fruit with my shotgun


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## RVALUE (Dec 25, 2009)

PA Plumber said:


> Well then, maybe we do have that around here. I've haven't gotten into any.
> 
> Did build a treestand in one once. Man, it was tough nailing. The landowner helped me and just laughed when I told him were I'd like to build a stand.
> 
> Yep, he went with me and chuckled the whole time. Got that thing in the tree though!



don't they have lots of stickers? dedication


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## ROOTSXROCKS (Dec 25, 2009)

I didn't know they got so big, the wood looks like it would make some pretty veneer, zebra striped an all.


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## PA Plumber (Dec 25, 2009)

RVALUE said:


> don't they have lots of stickers? dedication



The Hedge/Osage Orange trees I have seen didn't have any stickers.

The one I put the tree stand in was incredibly hard. I think I bent two nails for every one I actually got into the tree. These were extra wide barn spikes. Not flimsy 16d framers.


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## RVALUE (Dec 25, 2009)

PA Plumber said:


> The Hedge/Osage Orange trees I have seen didn't have any stickers.
> 
> The one I put the tree stand in was incredibly hard. I think I bent two nails for every one I actually got into the tree. These were extra wide barn spikes. Not flimsy 16d framers.



Do they have stickers when they are young saplings? Yellow wood/bark?


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

the sumac is a real nice looking wood i thought sumac was like a poison ivy plant not a tree wonder if it will burn good?


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## PA Plumber (Dec 25, 2009)

RVALUE said:


> Do they have stickers when they are young saplings? Yellow wood/bark?



I just figured those types of trees were Honey Locust saplings. They are nasty.


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

they were planted as living fences - or hedges - along the boundaries of farms, and have spread widely from these restricted, linear beginnings. The trees are easily recognized by their glossy, lance-shaped leaves (see illustration), and their short, stout thorns. good call


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

]they were planted as living fences - or hedges - along the boundaries of farms, and have spread widely from these restricted, linear beginnings. The trees are easily recognized by their glossy, lance-shaped leaves (see illustration), and their short, stout thorns. good call[/QUOTE]


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## ROOTSXROCKS (Dec 25, 2009)

kentuckyblue said:


> the sumac is a real nice looking wood i thought sumac was like a poison ivy plant not a tree wonder if it will burn good?



if it was poison Sumac the smoke would be an irritant and major respiratory distress if inhaled. Just like Oleander, and poison sumac (swamp sumac), poison dogwood, poison elderberry, poison elder, poison oak.


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

it is a staghorn sumac ill burn it in the fire pit out side and see what happens


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## NCTREE (Dec 25, 2009)

I'm gonna say mulberry, it's kind of hard to see with all those stupid pop-up adds.


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## oxbow (Dec 25, 2009)

ROOTSXROCKS said:


> I didn't know they got so big, the wood looks like it would make some pretty veneer, zebra striped an all.



If you have a UV or black light, look at a piece of the sumac under it. 

Sumac wood fluoresces (sp?) under black light.


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 25, 2009)

if you look at this pic http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z237/kentucktslavemaster-inc/?action=view&current=Picture416.jpg then look up staghorn sumac it is the same tree so thanks for all the help


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## NCTREE (Dec 25, 2009)

oxbow said:


> If you have a UV or black light, look at a piece of the sumac under it.
> 
> Sumac wood fluoresces (sp?) under black light.



I heard you can smoke the buds and they'll get you high as a kite.


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## ROOTSXROCKS (Dec 25, 2009)

NCTREE said:


> I heard you can smoke the buds and they'll get you high as a kite.



only if you dip them in embalming fluid first !


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## buzz sawyer (Dec 25, 2009)

kentuckyblue said:


> it is a staghorn sumac ill burn it in the fire pit out side and see what happens



I've burned some of the Chinese Sumac and found it close to Yellow Poplar but can't say about the Staghorn.
See how heavy a dry piece is and compare to the same size piece of other firewood you have. Pound for pound, all wood has about the same BTU value. The more dense the wood, the better is is for firewood, generally.


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## buzz sawyer (Dec 25, 2009)

ROOTSXROCKS said:


> only if you dip them in embalming fluid first !



HAHA - I'm not going to ask how you know.


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## Rftreeman (Dec 26, 2009)

mulberry for sure......


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## Treecutr (Dec 26, 2009)

Black Locust has a tighter ring pattern, and IS the best firewood. As far as heat output ( BTU's ) It only has about 15-17% moisture contenet, and is only surpassed by ash and I think beech for green burning. That is nice looking grain, looks like it has been finished and stained already


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## kentuckyblue (Dec 26, 2009)

it splits easy the grain was like cherry or any other wood when i split it i put that disc under my stove and it was dry in no time and it burnt good i will split it and put it up for next year


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## mj04 (Jan 5, 2010)

I have just puchased a property with some mature trees and would love to know of a website that shows good information on identifying different types of timber.

Dymark


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## utilityman (Jan 5, 2010)

No if, ands, or buts about it....this is staghorn sumac. You can make a nice tea from the flowers of this tree. Very nice to work with on the lathe also.
Usually don't find any bigger than 4" in diameter.


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