Sorry this is all I've got, may be able to get other pics later.

Helping a friend clear a wooded site in central Missouri last weekend, a lot of these trees there but mostly oak. Tall thin trees, 6"-8" mostly, very straight. He's hoping to use this stuff for support posts for a structure. A thin and light papery bark, pale gray-tan, very easy to strip with a draw knife. The first several feet up from the ground is a standard, close set sort of bark. Not as hard as an oak for sure.

He didn't jump right on getting a pic of the leaves, obviously wilting. Looked kinda like a maple. I see there's a paperbark maple, I don't think that's what this is.

Any ideas what we have here?

Sycamore or Norway maple? Hard to tell with the rolled up leaves.

Very timely. I cleaned up some trees in my back yard a few months back. Had 3 of those that seemed to grow so quick. They were getting close to where my drain field is so I took them down so they wouldn’t mess anything g up with that. I know it’s a maple of some kind, just done know what specifically. I do think I’m allergic to them. Took 5 other trees down and cut them up, no issues. Took these down and couldn’t stop coughing and sneezing. Not fun when you’re running a saw.

Looks and sounds from the description like a sycamore to me.

I believe what you have there is an example of what we call silver maple.

I would not recommend them for any structural use in building. They are not very stout. If you want to use an indigenous tree in central MO, the Hickory would make a much better lumber tree.

Was the bark smooth with sheet like scales over smooth white base? Or was it typical rough looking bark with channels? Also, something for scale in the pic (tape measure) would help.

From your description, I would also guess sycamore. Plenty of uses for it, mostly after they get really big. Small ones I’m not so sure.

https://www.woodworkingnetwork...amore_127689238.html

I downloaded and used an app called PlantNet to help identify a couple volunteer trees which I originally thought were just weeds. Turns out they were box elder trees.
You can upload pictures through the app, and based on your location, and your answers to a few questions about leaf shape, color and texture of bark, it suggests potential results, showing pictures of each.

Sycamore

The Larch.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
Was the bark smooth with sheet like scales over smooth white base?

I would say this is the best description. Just a thin, slightly papery bark starting a few feet up from the ground. Easily removed with the draw knife and yes, a smooth whitish base underneath.

This woods was primarily big oaks (white oak?) and these trees. The mystery trees wouldn't start to leaf out til I dunno, 15'-25'. Despite the heavier, higher oak cover, these trees leafed out considerably up to 50-60' guessing. Below that they had exceptionally straight trunks, as mentioned 6,8, 10" in diameter.

The weather was too nasty and the work too hard to dwell on taking pics, hopefully my friend can supply some he took before work started. I'll post if I get something that helps. I hope for his sake these will work for what he's intending.

Thanks all and any other suggestions welcome for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
The Larch.

Of course! Now I just feel stupid.




Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0zVsxUbbjM

If it looks like this, sycamore for sure.

harvest bank near me

quote:

The Larch

This made me LOL. Larch/Tamarack aren't even close. This had to be posted in jest!! (I HOPE)

London Plane tree.

Hope these help --

Bark looks like a sycamore. Check the how the twigs grow out the branches. If they are opposite each other then you have a maple, ash, dogwood, horse chestnut, or one of a few hundred species in the Caprifoliacae shrub family. If they alternate left right left right then its not a maple. Sycamores have a leaf like a maple but are alternate twig arrangement.

Definitely sycamore logs in that last pic you posted.

One thing I learned real quick back when I started out as a climber is that you don't want to be climbing around in one of those when it's wet. That smooth bark gets as slick as ice when it's wet.

Sycamore is not really a good wood for structural purposes. It breaks pretty easily.

quote:

Originally posted by odin:

quote:

The Larch

This made me LOL. Larch/Tamarack aren't even close. This had to be posted in jest!! (I HOPE)

Check out Ripley's post above. It's an old (like me) Monty Python bit.