Mystery Wood

[webby3650]

I'm almost positive it's blk. gum. There is an interesting story about black gum here in KY. While at ft. Boonesborough in the early/mid 1700's the folks found themselves under attack by the locals(indians). Some genius remembered the gum log that no one in the FT. could spilt. They hollowed out the log with red hot iron then wrapped it with a couple of wagon wheel bands for good measure, set it on a pivot, loaded it with black powder, rocks, nails and iron scrap. They got a brave soul to fire it at a clump of trees where some of the locals had been firng from and let it rip. Several of the attackers were killed or wounded. It worked so well they tried it again with great success. On the third shot the gum log cannon exploded killing the poor soul who fired it. Just goes to show how tough gum can be to split.

That sounds like the wood I have here. It would have been impossible without a splitter or (ripper) in this case.

 

[johnsopi]

That sounds like the wood I have here. It would have been impossible without a splitter or (ripper) in this case

That sounds like Black Gum I hit with a maul and it bounced back.

 

[FLINT]

Hey guys, I don't know if you are still trying to ID this tree, but I can clear up a couple things.

sour gum/black gum/tupelo and sourwood are not related at all.

sourwood is usually a short limby twisted tree, the leaves are very finely serrated and if you chew on one it tastes kind of like a sweet-tart. The bark is usually deep furrowed ridges.

black gum/sour gum/tupelo usually grows tall and straight and can be a big tree. The bark is usually kind of chunky looking like that and can also look a little like white oak. Black gum leaves are never serrated and usually come to a point abruptly and if you chew on a leaf it doesnt taste good at all

I would guess that your tree is not sourwood, it just looks too big and the bark isnt quite right.

could be black gum. doesn't look like sweet gum - which is also not related at all to black gum - sweet gum is a real bugger to split.

someone mentioned cottonwood - maybe - but cottonwood bark is usually deeper ridges.

its not ash.

sorry, i thought i could think through it, but i think black gum is a good guess.

 

[FLINT]

ooops, sorry, i hadn't read the second page of posts before I made my reply - I think you are right with black gum.

 

[trek5900]

+1 for blackgum

(broken link removed to http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact) pages/blackgum/blackgum.html

 

[Cedrusdeodara]

I'm a newby burner, but a nurseryman. Sourwood is generally a name given to Oxydendron arboreum. That is a beautiful tree that is closely related to Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel (Ericacea family). It is native to the SE United States. It gets bunches of little white flowers, kinda like Pieris andromeda. The fall color is an amazing blend of yellow, orange, purple, and red on the same tree. Tends to retain winter leaves like others in the Ericacea family.

Sour Gum, is another name for Nyssa sylvatica, or Tupela/Sour Gum. It too is a native tree too. Also a beautiful native tree prized for its fall colors from purple to red and orange. Nyssa is also native to the eastern US, and it is more cold hardy than Oxydendron. More widely spread geographically than Oxydendron.

Cant tell from photos which you have. Gotta run.......

 

[JerseyWreckDiver]

I don't think I've ever run into black gum but to me your pictures look just like Hickory. I'm practically swimming in it here. Hard as hell, a lot heavier then a piece of Oak the same size, tears apart all stringy just like that.

Was the tree green when you cut it? They normally carry a lot of water. Leave the logs lay around for a week and they shrink right out of their bark.

 

[JMF1]

It's firewood......

 

[mikepinto65]

Pagey,
Might not have been the wood he has.... but, thats exactly what I have! I was trying to figure out what it was so thanks!

 

[webby3650]

I don't think I've ever run into black gum but to me your pictures look just like Hickory. I'm practically swimming in it here. Hard as hell, a lot heavier then a piece of Oak the same size, tears apart all stringy just like that.

Was the tree green when you cut it? They normally carry a lot of water. Leave the logs lay around for a week and they shrink right out of their bark.

No, This is not Hickory. I am very familiar with Hickory. This wood has been split since this spring and it is quite lite compared to Hickory or Oak. The limb sections look like white Oak but the wood is very white.It doesn't split any easier now than it did when was wet and the bark doesn't fall off easily. Thanks for all the help!