Black Gum Question

[Noah]

My brother has a big old Black Gum tree in his yard that has brown leaves. He said that his search showed a blight in the south that is killing off all of them. He lives in WV and wants me to take it for firewood, etc. My questions are, 1. Should it be cut down, or wait to see if it recovers? It was healthy last year, and only has a healed opening on the bottom. I'm guessing its over 70' high.
2. If he insists on me hauling it out, do you think that a logging company would find it worth to harvest it from his yard, and (split?) the value of sale, or is it firewood.

Thanks,

eq

ps: I'm having a hard time finding any good pics of finished product. Thought it might make a couple good knife handles. :sword: Anybody know?

 

[climber1423]

Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) has interlocking wood grain making it very hard to split.

 

[arboralliance]

Whats this...?

Being from "down under" and not familiar with all the common names sometimes given for different woods I would be keen to know what wood this is?

Is climber 1423 correct in his post?


Noah do you have a pic of the tree or similar trees?

Thanks...

 

[trimmmed]

Yes, he is correct

http://www.iswonline.com/wwp/wom/tupelo.cfm

 

[arboralliance]

Thank you...

Much appreciated...

 

[Ekka]

Not a euc

 

[Noah]

That's a sweet 'tang! Sorry it took a little while to get back, but I am pretty certain that it's Sylvatica. The bark is pretty unique in an old tree like this. I don't know why, but it does remind me of my alligator. BTW, my brother was going to get me pics of it but said there's no use since he's decided to forget about saving it and have it downed ASAP. He wants me to take it for firewood if I want it, but its sounding like lumber is highest/best use for this. The key, I guess, is trying to find someone to haul it out for a fair $. Other option would be for me to pay someone w/a portable mill to go out there and rough cut it, and haul it to my place, then build a porch out of it. Any suggestions.?

I'll be out there next week and will try to get pics then and take them to wall mart or somewhere to scan them to net. Still use 35mm.

 

[woodshop]

I don't know why, but it does remind me of my alligator.

The key, I guess, is trying to find someone to haul it out for a fair $.

Old gum trees do get that blocky alligator skin like bark. The only other tree that also has that alligator like bark in this area (eastern PA) is persimmon. As for getting somebody to come in and pay for the tree, around here most lumber company sawyers won't touch a yard tree for fear of tramp metal etc. Also, its generally not worth their time to come in for just one tree unless it is VERY valuable. The other posts are very correct when they say gum is hard to slit, it basically won't. You end up just tearing it apart on a hydraulic splitter as Treeco says. Sycamore is the same way, and in the old days they used to make butcher blocks out of those two woods, because they would not split.