Tree ID

[Johnny Yooper]

I am spending the week near Albany NY. Was cutting here yesterday.

Ahhh......this can change things then, 'cause as Gypo Logger mentioned, the same species from area to area can appear different; I'd need a few more pics of the first tree to say with confidence what it is; nonetheless, soft maple is the only species that makes sense to me for the second pic with the moss on the bark. This weekend I can take a few pics of the bitternut hickory and soft maple in the woodlot and throw 'em on here so you can see the basis for my comments. What's sometimes tough in identifying soft maple is that it can really vary in appearance from totally smooth to semi rough bark....I see that in my woodlot; I'll be tapping about 100+ maples hopefully within 3 or 4 weeks and when they get over 18" or 20" DBH sometimes I walk around the tree looking up and asking myself "soft maple or hard maple?" I pray for hard 'cause they tend to run better, but very few of those in this woodlot, only 10% of those tapped last year were hard. Take what Mother Nature gives you .

 

[svk]

Ahhh......this can change things then, 'cause as Gypo Logger mentioned, the same species from area to area can appear different; I'd need a few more pics of the first tree to say with confidence what it is; nonetheless, soft maple is the only species that makes sense to me for the second pic with the moss on the bark. This weekend I can take a few pics of the bitternut hickory and soft maple in the woodlot and throw 'em on here so you can see the basis for my comments. What's sometimes tough in identifying soft maple is that it can really vary in appearance from totally smooth to semi rough bark....I see that in my woodlot; I'll be tapping about 100+ maples hopefully within 3 or 4 weeks and when they get over 18" or 20" DBH sometimes I walk around the tree looking up and asking myself "soft maple or hard maple?" I pray for hard 'cause they tend to run better, but very few of those in this woodlot, only 10% of those tapped last year were hard. Take what Mother Nature gives you .

I hear you on the soft maple. Some look more like a shagbark hickory and some are perfectly smooth. And they can be growing ten feet away from each other so it's not due to living conditions.

 

[Oldmaple]

No to maple. Twig isn't right. Buds would be opposite (directly across from each other) on maple. The twig shown is alternate.

 

[fireman33]

Like the previous post said this is not maple, all maple have opposite buds and they are never pointy like the buds in the picture, sugar maple will be pointy but nothing like these picture and red maple are a little rounded.

In my opinion, since this was taken in eastern forest...and looking at the buds, I am 99% positive this is a beech tree.