Hackberry and a Baby Shagbark Hickory...really? NEED ID HELP?????

[zogger]

Second tree is most definitely not a hickory, even if you allowed somebody to spray-paint it RED. C'mon.

Only trees with red bark I've ever seen, in the NE mind you, are pines. Those spiral ridges in the bark could be a give-away.

Hickory sparks because it's extremely dense and tough. How could it trap dirt in the bark deep in the woods? And ... freshly cut it smells GREAT. IMHO, of course.

Well, maybe you don't want to classify it as dirt, but insect droppings can contain, among other forms of "dirt", silica and so on. But yes, in the woods a little cleaner, as opposed to edge or in the fields and exposed to blowing dust tree specimens, but still is "dirty" under the bark. In addition, rain drops contain dust/dirt particles. So there ya go, older the tree and more cavities where dirt can collect, the more it collects.

I'll just have to pass on IDing trees by color, either the outside bark or cut wood ends, just doesn't register with me with any priority. I see some brilliant colors, that's it. And 2d pics suck for me as well for IDing. I have to see texture and depth and also the surrounding ground to look at fallen leaves and so on. And I am still learning.

 

[TreePointer]

This time of year, it's usually pretty easy to confirm shagbark hickory by twig with buds.

Carya ovata Fact Sheet