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Need help identifying a tree that was cut down

2023 Views 35 Replies 12 Participants Last post by PCDub, 8 mo ago

Tony1212

Discussion Starter · Oct 21, 2021 (Edited by Moderator)

6

A tree died between the sidewalk and street and the township crew came out this morning to cut it down. They were nice enough to cut the trunk up into 3 pieces and leave them for me.

The tree had a few leaves last year, but none this year. This pic was taken back in June (we also had to cut down the evergreen tree that is leaning over my house). It's the bare tree along the left side of the pic.

Cloud Fire hydrant Sky Plant Leaf

I never got around to identifying it when it was alive figuring it would probably outlast me. But alas…

From what I remember of the leaves, it is either:
- ash,
- hickory
- (possibly) a shademaster honey locust.

It had that type of compound leaves similar to all of these trees. I seem to remember a lot of "helicopter" seeds in the area (which would indicate an ash tree), but we have some maple trees around as well. I do not remember any type of nut or fruit (which would indicate NOT a hickory).

I'm hoping someone can tell by the bark and the color of the sap and heart wood.

Plant Wood Trunk Tree Natural material

Wood Bedrock Trunk Groundcover Grass

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1 - 20 of 36 Posts

therealSteveN

· #2 · Oct 21, 2021

I'd say the Emerald Ash Borer strikes again. I'm just saying that based on likelyhood of why a healthy tree suddenly wasn't. Ash have so many varietals, and most have different barks, leaves, and outward appearance it's often hard to tell. Pics are way to far away to tell anything about end grain. The butt end looks ash like, but that is also a look several other species share.

I'm in Ohio, and with the exception of folks using a systemic annually around the drip line of their Ash, they are all gone. Healthy looking, suddenly dead looking. Those little beetles mess up the works.

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SMP

· #3 · Oct 21, 2021

Pretty sure his name was Bob.

ibewjon

· #4 · Oct 21, 2021

It definitely isn't an ash tree. The bark looks like river birch. Not locust or hickory. If you have a piece, ask at Woodcraft. Carl may have an idea. Are you sure it had compound leaves?

Tony1212

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 22, 2021

Pretty sure his name was Bob.

- SMP

Ah. Well, that narrows it down.

Reactions: 1

Tony1212

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 22, 2021

It definitely isn t an ash tree. The bark looks like river birch. Not locust or hickory. If you have a piece, ask at Woodcraft. Carl may have an idea. Are you sure it had compound leaves?

- ibewjon

I'm positive that it had compound leaves.

Not a river birch. While the bark does look a little curly, it's not nearly as papery and thin as a birch.

The guy that cut down the tree was exclaiming to his coworkers how difficult it was to cut down. They first chopped off all of the upper limbs then attached a winch cable to the top of the trunk and pulled as the guy cut at the bottom. He cut the wedge out from the side facing the winch and went around the other side to do the final cut. He had to keep cutting from the back until there was about 1/2" of wood between the back cut and wedge before the winch could pull the tree over.

It looks like it's some pretty hard wood.

Ocelot

· #7 · Oct 22, 2021

Locust has thorns at least all I have known.

HokieKen

· #8 · Oct 22, 2021

Looks like Pecan to me. And if it wasn't near another pecan tree, it wouldn't produce fruit.

Tony1212

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 22, 2021

Locust has thorns at least all I have known.

- Ocelot

The Shademaster Locust that I linked to above does not have thorns nor the huge seed pods.

Tony1212

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 22, 2021

Looks like Pecan to me. And if it wasn t near another pecan tree, it wouldn t produce fruit.

- HokieKen

Hrmmm. Could be. I seem to remember the leaves being smaller than the pictures of pecan show.

Will it still flower if no other pecans are around? I don't remember anything what I've seen online.

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ibewjon

· #11 · Oct 22, 2021

Not many pecans growing in our part of Illinois. They are not cold hardy for our zone.

ibewjon

· #12 · Oct 22, 2021 (Edited by Moderator)

Do you have the logs? Maybe his saw was dull.

HokieKen

· #13 · Oct 22, 2021

Pecans will still flower but won't usually bare fruit if there are no other trees to cross-pollinate with. It is possible for them to self-pollinate but it results in little yield and low-quality nuts usually.

It is possible that it's a Hickory of some sort (Pecan is technically a Hickory I believe). While all Hickory trees produce nuts, they won't start producing until they're about 40 years old. So it's possible that's just a juvenille Hickory. But the bark and color of the heart and sap wood screams Pecan to me.

bndawgs

· #14 · Oct 22, 2021 (Edited by Moderator)

What did the helicopter seedlings look like?

I thought only maples had the helicopter seedlings.

I'm going to guess silver maple

HokieKen

· #15 · Oct 22, 2021

8

We have two old, gigantic Pecans here on the property at work. I took a walk and snapped a few pics of them to see if it helps any.

Plant Sky Branch Tree Cloud

Leaf Twig Terrestrial plant Trunk Tree

Plant Sky Tree Branch Wood

Plant Terrestrial plant Tree Flowering plant Twig

I missed the bit about helicopter seedlings though. That would limit it to Maple, Ash or Elm as far as I know.

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bndawgs

· #16 · Oct 22, 2021

Kenny, you should "accidentally" back into that tree with your truck and take home the trunk.

ibewjon

· #17 · Oct 22, 2021

Elm seeds are round, not really helicopter like

Tony1212

Discussion Starter · #18 · Oct 22, 2021

Do you have the logs? Maybe his saw was dull.

- ibewjon

While watching I started wondering if his saw needed to be sharpened.

I still have the logs. I just moved them close to the garage so they're less likely to disappear.

Tony1212

Discussion Starter · #19 · Oct 22, 2021

Pecans will still flower but won t usually bare fruit if there are no other trees to cross-pollinate with. It is possible for them to self-pollinate but it results in little yield and low-quality nuts usually.

It is possible that it s a Hickory of some sort (Pecan is technically a Hickory I believe). While all Hickory trees produce nuts, they won t start producing until they re about 40 years old. So it s possible that s just a juvenille Hickory. But the bark and color of the heart and sap wood screams Pecan to me.

- HokieKen

I've only lived here for 15 years, so it could be a young hickory tree. The bark looks right.

But the leaves look bigger than what I remember the tree having. But I'm not sure how much I really trust my memory for things like that.

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ibewjon

· #20 · Oct 22, 2021

I don't think it's hickory.

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