What Kind of Tree is it?

[Threejs]

I believe that is Charlotte's weed tree (aka sweet gum). Two things I have learned about these trees since living here.

1. If they die, cut them down quickly. Duke power cut one of our back, and the next year we had them come back out to bring it down because it died. They didn't cut it down, and much as they pulled it down. Once they die, the trees will get grubs in them that bore them out, and make them a hazard.

2. If you plan to split that for firewood, rent a log splitter. An axe won't do, and a wedge will be buried up to the hilt, before the log breaks (they really dont split evenly)

[welldigger]

Might be a Black Gum tree

[McRabbet]

Hope no one minds, but I moved this thread to the correct forum -- it didn't belong in General Woodworking.

[walnutjerry]

Originally Posted by jeff...

We have a sourwood ID discrepancy
http://www.forestryimages.org/browse...b=3312&start=1
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/trees/sourwood.shtml

What gives?

Now I am confused. Really, Jeff, the first pic you posted in response to my first post looked more like some specie of spruce pine to me. But I have been wrong many, many times.

Jerry

[jmauldin]

Bark looks almost identical to a tree I have in my back yard - green ash.
That should add to the confusion.
Jim in Mayberry

[Gofor]

Red Oak?

Go

[Mike Davis]

Originally Posted by jmauldin

Bark looks almost identical to a tree I have in my back yard - green ash.
That should add to the confusion.
Jim in Mayberry

Jim, can you post a picture of that green ash?

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by walnutjerry

Now I am confused. Really, Jeff, the first pic you posted in response to my first post looked more like some specie of spruce pine to me. But I have been wrong many, many times.

Jerry

I know right and straight off the Virginia Department of Forestry website - what gives??? Adding to the confusion is "common names" what the government calls sourwood and what the public calls sourwood could be two completely different species. Who you gonna believe? I "think" the only correct way to technically identify a tree is by scientific name. Example - the scientific name for wild black cherry is Prunus serotina, but who calls a wild black cherry tree Prunus serotina? Not me... Wild Black Cherry also goes by many common names not to mention all the different varieties and hybrids thanks to our genetic engineers. I don't know, I don't speak scientific'ies very well - I can barley speak english

Anyways I still think the tree is an ash but I could be wrong...

DaveO - where's that book boss ?

[jmauldin]

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by jmauldin

Bucket tree - not good for lumber - bleeds red and turns black and blue - very unstable and subject to "wind throw" at the slightest hint of being off balance.

[DaveO]

I'm doubtful that is is Green Ash, as the bark isn't as fissured as it is in the original pictures.

A very good and reliable site I use for plant information is - http://plants.usda.gov/index.html

The reason that Latin is used to identify biological entities is that is is a dead language. It will not change. Once a plant is dubbed whatever Latin name it is given, that will always refer to that plant specifically. Common names are just that, common. For example Mahogany, as recently exposed in another thread. That is a common name and anybody can call their wood Mahogany if they want to. But if it isn't from the Genus Swietinia, specifically species mahogani or macrophylla it really isn't Mahogany. Now there are many other tree genus in the family Meliacaea that are called Mahogany like Shorea, Khaya, and Afzelia. Those are not "true" Mahogany but are often given the name Mahogany in order to sell the wood better.
The reason us plant-geeks use the Latin names is that is the only way to unequivocally identify a plant no matter who you are talking to. Swietinia is the same in every country and in every language. But Mahogany varies greatly depending on where it's from and who is calling it that.

I think that I just wrote that book


Dave

[WoodWrangler]

Sorry, no leaves on this tree (it's either dead, or hasn't come in yet). If tomorrow is dry, I'll go back into the woods to find another I think I know of to see if it has any leaves to help out here.

[Kyle]

Looks like an ash or persimmon.. both medium to thick bark .. hard to tell without leaves

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by DaveO

I'm doubtful that is is Green Ash, as the bark isn't as fissured as it is in the original pictures.

A very good and reliable site I use for plant information is - http://plants.usda.gov/index.html

The reason that Latin is used to identify biological entities is that is is a dead language. It will not change. Once a plant is dubbed whatever Latin name it is given, that will always refer to that plant specifically. Common names are just that, common. For example Mahogany, as recently exposed in another thread. That is a common name and anybody can call their wood Mahogany if they want to. But if it isn't from the Genus Swietinia, specifically species mahogani or macrophylla it really isn't Mahogany. Now there are many other tree genus in the family Meliacaea that are called Mahogany like Shorea, Khaya, and Afzelia. Those are not "true" Mahogany but are often given the name Mahogany in order to sell the wood better.
The reason us plant-geeks use the Latin names is that is the only way to unequivocally identify a plant no matter who you are talking to. Swietinia is the same in every country and in every language. But Mahogany varies greatly depending on where it's from and who is calling it that.

I think that I just wrote that book


Dave

Dave - ok you got a few paragraphs going now - keep it up man Take a look at how red maple is classified.

Kingdom - Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom - racheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision - Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division - Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class - Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass - Rosidae
Order - Sapindales
Family -Aceraceae – Maple family
Genus -Acer L. – maple
Species - Acer rubrum L. – red maple

C R A Z Y

[Mike Davis]

I'm sure it's not persimmon, I have a lot of persimmon trees here. Their bark is more like squares than long fissures and it is darker, almost black.