Can someone identify this wood please?

[Otto Syracuse]

This tree fell down on my property this spring. I started cutting it up this afternoon and then split a few of the chunks. I am not sure, but I think it is ash. Before I spend too much time and effort cutting and splitting I want to be sure it is worth my while to use it as a firewood. Ash is okay for me to burn, especially since the tree is down and it is close to where I store the wood, but if is anything else with lower BTU I may just chunk it up large and push it into the woods.
Thanks for any help!

 

[tnjind]

Just my 2 cents, but it looks like silver maple, junk wood. BUT don't base any decision on my input.

 

[MossRoad]

Looks like cottonwood to me. Any old leaves on the ground around there? Or a picture of the canopy of the tree?

 

[nybirdman]

Don't know what that one is.We just lost a old huge butternut in my wood lot,soft ground and high winds.Too bad it is hollow in the middle,would have been ok for boards but no good for fire wood.

 

[swines]

The bark on the standing trees looks like a box elder (ash-leaf maple). Here's a link to the Wood Database - read through the description and see what you think.

 

[Fossil Farm]

Are the buds on the twigs opposite or alternate? That can narrow it down. A bit hard to tell from those photos for me.

 

[MossRoad]

Well whatever it is, whats the silver pole sticking out of it? :laughing:

 

[AchingBack]

A true ash tree, (fraxinus) has branches which are opposite each other. I think I see that in one of the pictures. Also, the bark appears like ash. Ash leaves are ovate. If you have other ash in the area, it could be what you have. Ash is one of few species containing very little water compared to other deciduous trees. It becomes burnable much sooner than most hardwoods. Surprisingly, American ash trees are in the olive family. I love burning it. Despite its name, it leaves very little ash in my stove.

 

[s219]

That bark could go in a couple directions in my mental database, and I'd really need to look closer. My first reaction was ash though. Any idea what the leaves look like?

I cut down a storm-damaged box elder once, and remember that the wood stunk. So that could be a clue if it's indeed a box elder.

 

[Otto Syracuse]

I'll get a picture of a leaf tomorrow if I can and a better picture of the canopy. The wood seems very light compared to other wood I've cut so I was pretty suspicious while working on it.

The silver pipe is a piece of irrigation pipe that we used when we built the pond.

Thanks!