# Tree identification



## AaronB (Aug 17, 2010)

There was a dead tree at my church and has been dead for about a year. Well this week some of the members cut it down and had heard about me doing chainsaw milling. They said it was walnut, and they are assuming that because almost every other tree there is walnut, but I went and looked at it at its a pure color inside, like a ash or white oak color.

Walnut doesn't turn this color when dead does it? I have cut up walnut before and this doesn't look anything like walnut, but I wanted to make sure.

I will post a pic when I can so you can see the tree, I am not very good at identifying some types of wood when its not a board. 

No matter what the wood should still be good in it since it was dead standing right? , but also wanted to see what you guys thought about it being walnut.

Thanks


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## qbilder (Aug 18, 2010)

Probably not walnut, but could be butternut. It looks a lot like walnut as a living tree. Otherwise, could be anything. Sometimes immature walnuts have huge sap:heart ratio so it could be walnut that simply hasn't darkened yet. Pics would help. And yeah, it should be fine for milling. I cut dead standing trees a lot, almost exclusively. If it's dry then it may be a little slower going & harder on your blade (chain in this case), but will still be fine.


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## Andrew96 (Aug 18, 2010)

Yup, I agree. I've been tricked before also. Walnut and Butternut sort of look the same to me when looking at the tree. Once opened up though...not dark. They don't call butternut 'white walnut' for nothing you know. I expect it's tricked people for years.


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## AaronB (Aug 18, 2010)

thanks for the information guys, I will go grab a picture tonight after work then post it and see what you think.


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## AaronB (Aug 18, 2010)

Here are the pics, tell me what you think.


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## betterbuilt (Aug 18, 2010)

Its not walnut and its not butternut. huh

the more I look the bark looks like butternut but I've only cut it When its fresh. The bark sure looks like butternut but the wood doesn't. I know I've seen it but can't place it.


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## madman39 (Aug 18, 2010)

Good luck, that bark looks like it could be a number of different types, your best bet would be make a list of tree's its not! And it ant walnut!


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## smokinj (Aug 18, 2010)

Split one open and take a pic my first impression is silver maple, or white oak.


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## Timberframed (Aug 19, 2010)

Cottonwood.


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## AaronB (Aug 19, 2010)

smokinj said:


> Split one open and take a pic my first impression is silver maple, or white oak.



Will go grab one of the logs tonight and split it and see if that helps decide.



Timberframed said:


> Cottonwood.



If it is cottonwood, is that worth milling?


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## qbilder (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm another for some type of maple. Smaller hackberry looks kinda like that, too. And as mentioned, could be cottonwood. You'll know if it's cottonwood because it'll be feather light if dry.


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## thepheniox (Aug 19, 2010)

looks like White Elm to me


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## VT_Tree_Wrecker (Aug 19, 2010)

My guess is Elm also.


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## betterbuilt (Aug 19, 2010)

The wood does look like Elm but that inner bark is more like Walnut. I just looked at the elm I have and it doesn't have that inner flesh. 

How about English Walnut.


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## AaronB (Aug 19, 2010)

Well here is the wood split, granted I split this with my sledge and wedge and man was it hard. I tried using a splitting maul but I was not making any progress, but I got it eventually. Hope these help maybe decide what it is, no matter what I will still mill it this fall, you guys might be able to really tell then.


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## betterbuilt (Aug 19, 2010)

well that says it all. Its elm


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## smokinj (Aug 19, 2010)

Sure makes things easy after its split...lol elm


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## betterbuilt (Aug 19, 2010)

Here is a picture of a slippery elm i cut a few years back.


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## Woodcutteranon (Aug 19, 2010)

Here is a picture of Butternut Walnut and American Elm . This walnut was positively id'ed by an arborist as butternut. 






What the heck I made a clock out of one of the cookies. The wood has not split since I made it.


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## betterbuilt (Aug 19, 2010)

This is what my butternut looked like. Before I cut into it I couldn't tell if it was walnut or butternut. It's definitely Butternut.


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## qbilder (Aug 19, 2010)

Certainly elm if it was tough to split. Nice pics by everybody


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## boostnut (Aug 20, 2010)

I cant decide, its either cottonwood or elm. Did it smell like horse$h!t when you split it open? If so its cottonwood. I'll never touch that stuff again, once was enough.


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## AaronB (Aug 20, 2010)

boostnut said:


> I cant decide, its either cottonwood or elm. Did it smell like horse$h!t when you split it open? If so its cottonwood. I'll never touch that stuff again, once was enough.




Well now that you mention it....it does have a distinct smell to it. I have never got to smell elm fresh cut either though so I wouldn't know the difference.

Either way I will probably just mill it and if I come to find out its cottonwood I can use it for some drawer sides or something.


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## betterbuilt (Aug 20, 2010)

cottonwood doesn't smell to much when its dry. its when its green or when it gets wet. It has a urine smell.


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## Timberframed (Aug 20, 2010)

I remember as a young lad in Colorado Springs the downed Cottonwood trunks on the eastern side of Pikes Peak Park El Paso county. Bark long since gone but the trunks themselves shining bleached silver white in the sun. This was back when Academy Blvd. was a dirt road.


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## classicfarmer (Aug 28, 2010)

*what kind of wood at the church*

Looks like Bavarian Elm"Chinese Elm" that grows here in ND. v good wood if not rotted.


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## Cstratton (Nov 8, 2010)

Is box elder more stringy than this elm? I just cut a tree and it worked the crap out of my 34 ton splitter. I know elm is stringy but this tree was a!!!!


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