Is this Sassafras or not??? Tree I.D. Please..

[gzecc]

Based on that article, Sassafras is classified as a Hardwood. Do you think it would be best used as kindling or for regular burning? Thanks

Kindling, shoulder season or mix with your primary higher quality hardwoods. Its a lower BTU rated hardwood.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Bark kind of looks like Sassy but that one picture of the grain shows almost pure white grain, not orangish-brown like Sass has. I don't know what it is....

 

[nrford]

Looks like Cottonwood to me!

 

[NordicSplitter]

Looks like Cottonwood to me!

The base of the tree was too big for me to wrap my arms around. Awfully big cottonwood. That would explain the difficulty in splitting it.

 

[nrford]

The base of the tree was too big for me to wrap my arms around. Awfully big cottonwood. That would explain the difficulty in splitting it.

I have seen cottonwood 5' DBH. never have I seen a Sass over about 24"DBH, not saying it is not possible for Sass to get large, but I have seen lots of large Cottonwood. Besides it looks like every cottonwood I've ever sawn or seen sawn.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Looks like Cottonwood to me!

That thought crossed my mind too....

 

[Hickorynut]

I agree with the cottonwood, I have lived on three acres for 20 years with lots of black locust and sassafras and your wood is not either of those.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

You should see some of the cottonwoods growing along my creek bottom land. Giants they are. Yeah, they get big, really big.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That last big piece with the deep furrows has the tell tale ash pin hole in the middle. Looking closely, it looks like ash.
Without a rootbeer smell when cutting or splitting it's not sassafras.

There is no way that is an ash.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Based on that article, Sassafras is classified as a Hardwood. Do you think it would be best used as kindling or for regular burning? Thanks

Not regarding that article at all, but any tree that will drop its leaf is technically a hardwood.

 

[Paulywalnut]

There is no way that is an ash.

Yikes! I believe you Dennis. You're the ash guru.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

This beast is a cottonwood. And I agree, what you have could possibly be cottonwood. If so, it will be super heavy when cut and super light in a year.

 

[Woody Stover]

does it smell like root beer?

Hard to tell......

The smell of Sass would be unmistakeable, like Hall's Mentho-Lyptus cough drops....easy to tell.

Black locust? I've had only a very little BL

I guess so. Hey, I have my share of misses too.

Looks like Cottonwood to me!

I've not cut it, but based on other posts that is the bark....

 

[JoeyD]

I've seen chestnut oak with bark like that but the grain in that one split does not look like oak. Here is a link.

(broken link removed to http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/qupr2.htm)

 

[BobUrban]

I am on board w Cotton wood based on bark and size but I have never cut any so take that w a grain o salt. Sass would definitely smell good and you can always taste it seriously. Sass will taste minty and good - cotton wood will likely be bitter or almost tasteless.

 

[Woody Stover]

I am on board w Cotton wood based on bark and size but I have never cut any so take that w a grain o salt.

Yep, I've seen the bark but it never goes any further than that.

 

[gzecc]

Never saw cottonwood. Is it in your area?

 

[bigbarf48]

I think thats definitely cottonwood

Theres some BIG cottonwoods around here

 

[Kool_hand_Looke]

Sassafras has like a cork in the heartwood.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think it is Cottonwood. It is not Black Locust, Honey Locust, or Chestnut Oak. I don't think Sassafras either.

 

[weatherguy]

Unfortunately you have cottonwood and not BL or any other hardwood for that matter. I burn pine so I'd burn the cottonwood if I got it free.