What kind of wood?

[TheFlame]

I don't have a picture handy, but I am curious so I figured I'd take a shot at describing a type of wood I've been burning lately.

I've only seen the tree in log form, as it was delivered by a landscaping friend to my paren't house. The tree obviously can grow very large (almost 2' in diameter), has a bark somewhat like oak, and is rather pale in color (cross section once cut, not bark color).

The distinguishing feature is that the wood has bright red veins running through it. I cut some up in the spring, and it burns pretty well. I would say it burns about as good as the black walnut that was delivered along with it. When splitting it, I remember it was quite stringy, though not as bad as the load of sycamore somebody gave me a few years back.

Any guesses? I'll try to get a picture, but for now this is the best I can provide.

I am in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

 

[JMF1]

Red line in the middle? Tight bark? Fairly light once seasoned? I say Boxelder

 

[DavidV]

sounds like boxelder to me also.

 

[TheFlame]

Red line in the middle? Tight bark? Fairly light once seasoned? I say Boxelder

I managed to find a picture of a cross cut section of a boxelder tree, and it looks like the red is very prominent (at least in this picture). The wood is two-tone, alot like the way black walnut is. The wood in question does NOT have this prominent red middle. Instead, the red is more like a star shaped pattern that is mid way through the wood (from center to outside).

It may still be boxelder, if the red center is not necessarily prominent in all trees.

 

[wg_bent]

Red line in the middle? Tight bark? Fairly light once seasoned? I say Boxelder

I managed to find a picture of a cross cut section of a boxelder tree, and it looks like the red is very prominent (at least in this picture). The wood is two-tone, alot like the way black walnut is. The wood in question does NOT have this prominent red middle. Instead, the red is more like a star shaped pattern that is mid way through the wood (from center to outside).

It may still be boxelder, if the red center is not necessarily prominent in all trees.

I had some of the same stuff I scrounged last year. Once dry, the stuff I got was a pretty light low BTU wood that burned similar to maybe a pine soft maple cross.

 

[JMF1]

That looks different than the boxelder I have seen. The stuff I have is mostly uniform in color, almost a faint yellow and then a red section in the middle. Also very wet.....dried nice in 10 mos. but definately low BTU.

 

[Homefire]

Look guys its like I have always said;
it is always box elder.