Tree what kind?

[jeff...]

No it's not a contest with a prize or anything like that :lol:. I need help identifying this tree. People around here call it iron wood, I'm not sure that's right, its bark is rough and gray it also has a very little amount little green fruit almost shaped like WBC but I know it's not WBC either. Looks like leaf eaters like it though.

Thanks

 

[DaveO]

Well that's a tough one. From you pictures my first guess was Celtic laevigata or Sugarberry (similar to Hackberrry), but the bark is very distinctive and you probably would have mentioned it's appearance.
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/cela.html

But from your description of it being called Ironwood, it could be either Ostrya virginiana, or Carpius betulus - Hop Hornbeam and European Hornbeam respectfully, but the picture really doesn't confirm that thought.

The last guess that I can make is Ulmus pumila - Siberian Elm
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=134

So basically with what you've offered I am stumped on a positive ID :icon_scra :dontknow: :dontknow:

Dave

 

[gator]

This is the only ironwood I know. I have seen it in Florida.

Hophornbeam & Ironwood

Hophornbeam and Ironwood, also called Musclewood, are two understory members of the Birch family whose thick, tough wood, is so sturdy, they are fashioned into tool handles. Fruit of these trees are eaten by grouse, wild turkeys, pheasant & squirrels. mature hophornbeam features gray, shreddy bark, while musclewood trunk and limbs looks just that, sinewy like muscles. Almost counterintuitively, their woods break down quickly when on the forest floor.

George

 

[jeff...]

Dave, by george you nailed it again - it's a sugar berry the bark is a dead give away "warty".

George sorry that's not it thanks for taking the time to reply, Dave nailed it...

Thanks man

 

[DaveO]

Cool, I love stuff like that. I am really surprised that you didn't mention the bark as that is the most distinctive ID feature.

Are you going to mill it? It makes good lumber, boring in color and grain, but good lumber. It is prone to gray stain while air-drying , and will have a fair amount of shrinkage, but stay pretty flat in the kiln.
Dave

 

[jeff...]

Cool, I love stuff like that. I am really surprised that you didn't mention the bark as that is the most distinctive ID feature.

Are you going to mill it? It makes good lumber, boring in color and grain, but good lumber. It is prone to gray stain while air-drying , and will have a fair amount of shrinkage, but stay pretty flat in the kiln.
Dave

There's about 1/2 a dozen or so in the back corner of the yard, not very big, maybe about 12" in dia - I think I'll leave them alone, being a yard tree theres a pretty good chance there will be some trash in them, yes even from my yard :-(. Anyways, I kinda like the way they look and they provide all kinds of shade because if the massive amount of leaves. I do know where there is a herd of bigger ones in a friends woodlot though. Might be something different to try on the mill one of these days but not high on the wish list. I was going to say the bark was knotty but that wasn't the right word, so I just said rough. One thing you don't want to do is brush up against the trunk of one of these with bare skin, it'll scratch you up quick.

However there are two tree's I've really been wanting to get on the mill, that's Osage Orange and Box Elder. I've been searching for some good quality saw logs for a long while now. I went and looked at a Box Elder recently a guy wanted to give me, he said on the phone it was at least 36" diameter. Funny when I measured it was more like 10" diameter. I don't think a lot of folks around here know the difference between circumference and diameter. "Yep just wrap the ole tape measure around the trunk there, look it reads 36", it's 36" diameter alright" :lol: Plus it was a right nice little yard tree and in a good location. I think I was successful in talking the guy into leaving it standing, I drove by it the other day and he has not cut it down yet. :-D