# help identifying this wood



## Rustburger (Nov 22, 2017)

Can anyone identify this wood? I think it might be Kentucky Coffeewood but I am not sure. It is spalted which might make it a little more difficult to identify. I do know it was cut in central Virginia area.

Reactions: Like 1


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## phinds (Nov 22, 2017)

Certainly could be but there are other things it could be as well. I'd say it's likely but I'd need to see a really good end grain shot to be sure. Maybe @Mr. Peet or one of the other sawyers can tell from the bark.

I've never learned anything about bark because in my experience that just leads to more questions. Next they want to know what kind of leaves it had. Then what kind of berries. Then they want to know what kind of forest it was in and the elevation at which it grew. Then whether it was favored by gray squirrels or red squirrels. It just never ends.

I just ask for clean end grain pics and don't bother you after that.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Funny 1


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## Bowlguy_in_PA (Dec 15, 2017)

This is Kentucky Coffeetree. I have lots of it. Thick bark, reddish inside bark. Cream sapwood, orange/yellow heartwood with prominent ring lines.

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## Mr. Peet (Dec 15, 2017)

phinds said:


> Certainly could be but there are other things it could be as well. I'd say it's likely but I'd need to see a really good end grain shot to be sure. Maybe @Mr. Peet or one of the other sawyers can tell from the bark.
> 
> I've never learned anything about bark because in my experience that just leads to more questions. Next they want to know what kind of leaves it had. Then what kind of berries. Then they want to know what kind of forest it was in and the elevation at which it grew. Then whether it was favored by gray squirrels or red squirrels. It just never ends.
> 
> I just ask for clean end grain pics and don't bother you after that.



Paul is correct, all those items sure help. James, I saw your post a bit back and laughed. I planned on posting pictures of spalted 'White ash' that is a good match to your wood, but failed to do so. How big is your piece? The diameter would help as bark goes through many stages per any given tree over the tree's life time.

My first guess was 'Tree of heaven'.


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## phinds (Dec 15, 2017)

Mr. Peet said:


> My first guess was 'Tree of heaven'.


Yeah, the end grain and side grain do look like ailanthus but the face grain not so much


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## Mr. Peet (Dec 16, 2017)

Poor man's math shows roughly 25 years growth for the spalted dowel pictured, based on the endgrain picture. The face grain shot is harder to see growth rings, and has counts at least in the mid to upper twenties. As for smooth bark, ring porous knocks out the 'Prickly ash' group, 'Magnolias' and 'Yellowwood'. By 10 years, most 'Ash' trees have bark fissures. The hickories, likewise. _Aralia spinosa_, 'Devils walking stick' can have smooth bark for many years, but by 20, some fissuring should be present._ Phellodendron_, 'Cork tree' is the only other tree that comes to mind that is ring porous and has smooth bark for the first 3-15 years, but as an ornamental I have doubt. It can be invasive, but far less than the 'Tree of heaven'.


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## Rustburger (Dec 17, 2017)

Mr. Peet said:


> Paul is correct, all those items sure help. James, I saw your post a bit back and laughed. I planned on posting pictures of spalted 'White ash' that is a good match to your wood, but failed to do so. How big is your piece? The diameter would help as bark goes through many stages per any given tree over the tree's life time.
> 
> My first guess was 'Tree of heaven'.


 
The diameter is 12 inches and the bark was still relatively smooth. I live in central Virginia and these trees are plentiful in my area. I did find some pics of spalted ash and some of them were very similar to mine.


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## Rustburger (Dec 17, 2017)

Rustburger said:


> The diameter is 12 inches and the bark was still relatively smooth. I live in central Virginia and these trees are plentiful in my area. I did find some pics of spalted ash and some of them were very similar to mine.



The physical appearance of the adult tree looks like a sumac only larger and taller


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## Mr. Peet (Dec 17, 2017)

Rustburger said:


> The physical appearance of the adult tree looks like a sumac only larger and taller



'Tree of heaven', _Ailanthus altissima..._


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## Rustburger (Dec 17, 2017)

Mr. Peet said:


> 'Tree of heaven', _Ailanthus altissima..._


Wow, I checked pics of the _Ailanthus altissima and it sure looks to be exactly what we have around here. Thanks for your help._

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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