# I can't identify this wood to save my life; can anyone help?



## pyrex (May 4, 2021)

I picked this wood up from a neighbor in north Texas.  Unfortunately, the arborist he hired cut down the wrong tree (lol).  I have a google maps image of what the tree looked like, and some pictures of the wood after I split it.  No leaves.  Initially I was suspicious it was some sort of elm, but after splitting I ruled it out.  Splitting the round is extremely difficult, but after the round is cleaved, it isn't difficult to split.  relatively straight grain.  The heartwood is dark, the sapwood is quite light colored.  It has a sweet odor when split.  It's heavier than hell (still green, though) and very hard.  The diamond pattern to the bark and star pattern of the heartwood makes me think it's possibly a bitternut or mockernut hickory.


----------



## mike243 (May 4, 2021)

The dark wood sez Walnut to me but not familiar with tree's from down there, bet it would make a beautiful stock for a rifle though


----------



## pyrex (May 4, 2021)

mike243 said:


> The dark wood sez Walnut to me but not familiar with tree's from down there, bet it would make a beautiful stock for a rifle though


Haha, I'm actually a gunsmith ironically enough, and I've spent many hours working with walnut.  It does not smell like walnut to me, but I've never smelled walnut when it was green, so maybe it could be?


----------



## TNJAKE (May 4, 2021)

Could be ash


----------



## bradger (May 4, 2021)

best way to identify a tree is through the leaf.


----------



## Fueling Around (May 4, 2021)

Box elder is my initial guess based on the coloration.


pyrex said:


> I picked this wood up from a neighbor in north Texas.  Unfortunately, the arborist he hired cut down the wrong tree (lol).
> ...


Sounds as though the arborist is a hack?


----------



## pyrex (May 4, 2021)

Fueling Around said:


> Box elder is my initial guess based on the coloration.
> Sounds as though the arborist is a hack?


Yes, I would agree, that's a pretty hilarious screw up.


----------



## DanMcG (May 5, 2021)

The pinnate leaf structure in the one pic looks like walnut or a similar nut tree.


----------



## pyrex (May 5, 2021)

DanMcG said:


> The pinnate leaf structure in the one pic looks like walnut or a similar nut tree.


I agree, I'm 80% sure I have mockernut hickory here.  The contrast of the heartwood and sapwood combined with the bark and my location all makes sense.  Thanks for the insight everyone.


----------

