Ash and maple

[MoDoug]

I have very little experience with ash and maple. I collected it because it was available and so many people on here talk them up. I thought this was ash because of the bark, then once I split it the center was dark and has a glaze on the cut end. I know maple has the dark middle and the ends get moist from the sap, which will cause a glazing. Does maple bark change as it matures? Is it very easy to get ash and maple mixed up?

 

[Gearhead660]

Ash can be dark in the heartwood. That looks like ash to me. Havent seen maple stringy like that.

 

[RockCastile]

I don't think ash could look more "ash" than that. My hat is wagered.

 

[peakbagger]

Ash gets dark when the tops are dead.

 

[gzecc]

That does look like ash, but could be Norway maple. Bark is similar. If you have more pics it would help.

 

[NickW]

+1 ash...

 

[MoDoug]

Sounds like the consensus is ash, which is what I originally thought, then started second guessing myself. Today I'm splitting under a metal roof, a light rain was blowing in, then it turned to snow, then my splitter ran out of gas with that piece. A miserable day to be doing this, but I'm heading back out. I think all we have in our neck of the woods is sugar maple, but I'll get a couple more pics.

 

[JimBear]

I have very little experience with ash and maple. I collected it because it was available and so many people on here talk them up. I thought this was ash because of the bark, then once I split it the center was dark and has a glaze on the cut end. I know maple has the dark middle and the ends get moist from the sap, which will cause a glazing. Does maple bark change as it matures? Is it very easy to get ash and maple mixed up?

View attachment 273655 View attachment 273656

That looks like Ash to me, a small pith hole in the center is usually a tell tale sign also. I asked a similar question about Ash last year & folks thought I was joking with them. Ash just isn’t something I ever messed with plus we have have poplar /swamp maple or whatever else it’s called that can have a similar bark to Ash.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

Ash can be confused with Norway maple. There's not much chance of confusing sugar maple or red maple with ash.

From the photos I'm guessing ash.

I've never seen Norway maple very deep in a woods, which doesn't mean it can't happen. As an ornamental tree, it's generally going to seed in near the edge.

 

[MoDoug]

As far as what maple it is, I found a crumpled up leaf under the rounds, in the bed of my truck. It took me a while to straighten it out for a good id, and fight the wind to get a good picture. LOL It's a sugar maple. One thing about maples, they don't like to give up their leaves.

 

[MoDoug]

For a better id between ash and maple, I laid the ash open on the bottom and placed a piece of maple on top of it, together like that, the difference is obvious. Plus maple has an orangeish inner bark, which can be seen in the other picture.

 

[Grizzerbear]

Today I'm splitting under a metal roof, a light rain was blowing in, then it turned to snow, then my splitter ran out of gas with that piece. A miserable day to be doing this, but I'm heading back out.

Sir.......you have an addiction lol.

 

[MoDoug]

Sir.......you have an addiction lol.

Seriously, I really do, I told my wife earlier today she needs to take my chain saw away from me, she just laughed but I was half serious... LOL

 

[gzecc]

As far as what maple it is, I found a crumpled up leaf under the rounds, in the bed of my truck. It took me a while to straighten it out for a good id, and fight the wind to get a good picture. LOL It's a sugar maple. One thing about maples, they don't like to give up their leaves.

I'm not a sugar maple expert but I don't think SM bark ever looks like your original pic.

 

[MoDoug]

I'm not a sugar maple expert but I don't think SM bark ever looks like your original pic.

The original pic was an id request between ash and maple, which everyone decided was ash. Then it was mentioned that Norway maple can be confused for ash, so the leaf pic was to rule out Norway. Now that I see ash and sugar maple side by side, I agree.

 

[Caw]

I use ash and maple as my primary woods here. We have oodles of standing dead ash and mostly red maples. Here are some pics from my recent logging.

Red Maple: cool natural 14 in the grain

Ash:

 

[MoDoug]

@Caw , that's some nice wood! The wood pattern in the red maple is interesting.

 

[Caw]

Yeah some pretty cool sap stains. Very common in the older maple trees around here.