Tree ID Help 2.0

[NPurdy1112]

Hello again,

Back with another ID help request. I have been told by multiple people, including here, that this tree is a black locust. Recently I was told that it could be a red elm. The twigs seem to match what comes up on google images for red elm, but the grain and color inside of the bark looks of black locust. The reason I would like an ID is so I can have the tree milled into fence and deck materials if it is in fact locust.









Thank you,
Nick

 

[/pine]

If you had not mentioned black locust I would have first thought black walnut based on both the wood and the bark...but the bark does look a bit more like locust

Most of the large black locust I've cut are more greenish inside than that dark...

 

[6thgpSF]

Black Locust has small thorns.From what I see of your photos no thorns. Looks like red elm..russ

 

[LD1]

What have the leaves looked like in the past?

Elm and Locust leaves are VERY different.

Elm leaves are ~2-4" long.....shaped like a football.....saw-tooth edges....and very rough texture...not smooth/slippery like a maple leaf would be. Where as Locust leaves are compound leaves. Each "leaf" will look like its made up of a bunch of tiny leaves.

IMO, it doesnt look like locust to me. But cannot say for certain if its red elm or not either because just not enough info.

And it could also be walnut as another suggested.....but look on the ground around the tree......the absence of walnuts on the ground everywhere would rule that out.

 

[RalphVa]

At the extension office, I tell people to observed trees and shrubs over the 4 seasons and note what they see and then come back to us. I've misidentified my own trees in the past before I observed them over 4 seasons.

With it cut down, you cannot do that unless you can report back what you saw in the last year.

Ralph

 

[forgeblast]

I have a feeling that its elm. The bark is very similar to what I have on my property. Best way might be to try to split it elm is nasty at trying to split. It was often used as chair seats for that reason.

 

[MossRoad]

This may help a little. Its a tree bark ID site with a lot of pictures.
TreeBarkID.com - Tree Bark ID

The bark looks a lot like my black locust. Black locust doesn't have the large thorns that the other locust has, but it usually has some small ones in the branches. Never having seen red elm in person, I can't tell.

 

[MossRoad]

Also, from that site....

Push on the bark, is slightly soft and spongy?
Probably looking at an elm. Often have “feet” or "buttresses" at base of tree. Crown often curved off to one side.
Break off one of the bark segments.

Is the interior of the segment alternating white and dark red?
American Elm

Is the interior of the bark alternating red/red segments?
Red Elm (Slippery Elm)

 

[MossRoad]

http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/slipperyelm

 

[MossRoad]

Also, look around on the ground. If its locust, there should be leaves like this, or twigs of leaves like this under it. If you don't find any, its probably not locust....

 

[oosik]

There are locust trees around and about this area. None are native - all planted by homesteaders in the 1880's. I thought they were black locust but the leaf pattern Moss posted isn't quite like what's around here. Here the "leaflets" all angle towards the tip of the branch and are more slender - not so rounded.

For sure - none of the ones around here - even though some are over 100 years old - are as big as that one pictured by the OP.

 

[NPurdy1112]

Thank you everyone. I would go look today, but it is just too wet and swampy to get to the tree. Hopefully it dries up some. Not holding my breath with rain forecast today and Saturday.

We have only been on the property since July and the tree came down bc it was leaning into the pasture. Didn't want to wait on it to fall.

I will report back this weekend hopefully.

Thanks again!


EDIT:

From what I saw in the trips to gather the pictures, I did not see any of the small thorns. With that and the picture of the twigs leads me to think Red Elm now, like others.