Hard Hack/Ironwood

[thewoodlands]

Ran around cutting up some of the Hard Hack/Ironwood, looks like some of this will be dry for this year. The first picture is three hard hack bucked up, should have some nice btu's along with some nice burn times on this load.


http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/trees/hophorn_am/tabid/5377/Default.aspx


zap

 

[smokinj]

I thought ironwood was smooth bark?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Kinda shaggy, like a wimpy shagbark hickory. It also goes by Hop-Hornbeam.

(broken link removed to http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/3/6/0/2/1/4/i/5/4/8/o/Hop_Hornbeam_tree_aug_1.jpg)

Matt

 

[smokinj]

Nice pick, my under standing of ironwood, is different than out east. What we call iron wood around here is a very smooth bark with thorns.


closest pic I could fine.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I wish I could take credit for the pic. I found it on google and tried to only post the link but it did the pic anyway.

Matt

 

[smokinj]

Whats the reason for the name?

 

[rwh442]

I have quite a few of those hophornbeams under the cover of the hickories in the woods here. Didn't know much about them at first - thought they were a "weed" tree. Then I had to cut one down - around 10" or so at the base and the tree was either 60 or 80 years old - can't recall which but it surprised me. Slow growing, small tree.

I can maybe see how it gets the name ironwood. The woods had quite a few of them laying down dead. I was picking them up and cutting them up for firewood - no rot - hard as a rock. I have no idea how long they were laying on the ground either.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Deer don't eat them either... unless they have to. We see a lot of them here where there are too many deer browsing an area in the winter. All of the oak, maple and such get gnawed down and die.

Matt

 

[Cluttermagnet]

There are two similar trees. What's getting cut in this thread is Hophornbeam, the shaggy bark kind.
But there is also American Hornbeam, aka musclewood or Blue Beech. That is the smooth, blue-gray
one whose trunk looks like flexed muscles. The leaves of both are very similar. I have some
musclewood on my lot. The biggest one is maybe 6-7 inches in diameter and I know for a fact it's been
growing here over 50 years, probably more like 70-80+ years now. It's a real slow grower. Probably
up near the top of the BTU charts. Strong, dense, heavy. They used to make wagon axles out of the
stuff, also makes dandy tool handles. Deer, squirrels, and some birds get food from this type of tree.
BTW both types, which are related, sometimes get called ironwood- so that does cause some
confusion.

I wouldn't have the heart to cut mine down. Not much firewood in them anyway. I've developed a
certain fondness for them as I have for Dogwood, to a lesser degree. If found dead, I'd cut them and
burn them in a heartbeat. Both are excellent firewood.

 

[FLINT]

There are two similar trees. What's getting cut in this thread is Hophornbeam, the shaggy bark kind.
But there is also American Hornbeam, aka musclewood or Blue Beech. That is the smooth, blue-gray
one whose trunk looks like flexed muscles. The leaves of both are very similar. I have some
musclewood on my lot. The biggest one is maybe 6-7 inches in diameter and I know for a fact it's been
growing here over 50 years, probably more like 70-80+ years now. It's a real slow grower. Probably
up near the top of the BTU charts. Strong, dense, heavy. They used to make wagon axles out of the
stuff, also makes dandy tool handles. Deer, squirrels, and some birds get food from this type of tree.
BTW both types, which are related, sometimes get called ironwood- so that does cause some
confusion.

I wouldn't have the heart to cut mine down. Not much firewood in them anyway. I've developed a
certain fondness for them as I have for Dogwood, to a lesser degree. If found dead, I'd cut them and
burn them in a heartbeat. Both are excellent firewood.

yep, you nailed it.

I'm most familiar with the smooth barked muscley looking hornbeam - I use it for hiking sticks - its really hard and strong - but if it sits on the ground it will rot super quick.

 

[thewoodlands]

What I call hard hack can be on the ground for years and not rot, most of the stuff I cut had been down at least two years.

zap

 

[Backwoods Savage]

White ash is the same way Zap. It rots very slowly.

 

[thewoodlands]

We have some Ash (not sure what type, seven leaves) most are still healthy.


zap