# Chittum?



## Bigdrowdy1

My Dad had a tree down from the storms they had a few weeks back. He says it is Chittum but I don't know. I didn't take a picture of the leaves(duh). They are tear dropped shape about an 1 to 1 1/2 long. the tree is really bushy but does not have long out reaching branches. It has little twigs that sprout out from the trunk and limbs. It is a slow growing tree and really not much to look at. The wood is very wet and a very light yellow tint to it. There are a few places that actually have some blue tint going on in the wood. Here is a few pictures of some pieces I brought home to mess with.











 












Thanks for any help you can give me.
Rodney

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mike1950

Looks like wood to me....


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## Kevin

Rodney I have never seen a Chittum aka american smoke tree in person as far as I know. Here's what the leaves supposedly look like.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1608/

As I said I don't think it is chittum but @DRW will know for sure. If it isn't, @Mr. Peet can probably tell you what you have or if not probably have some good ideas.


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## phinds

Kevin said:


> Rodney I have never seen a Chittum aka american smoke tree


Kevin, although the names are often used with some interchangeability, chittam and smoketree are two completely different species, as you 'll see on my site.

I have no idea what this wood is. From the grain, it could be smoketree but I don't think it could be chittam (of course, as I said, the names get really confused)

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Informative 1


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## Kevin

I thought they were interchangeable for some reason. I know almost nothing about either species - except that I like the burl of the smoke tree. I mean I like the burl of the chittum tree. I mean I need to go to bed.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Mr. Peet

Kevin, you are correct in being incorrectly correct. American smoke bush is often called "Chittum" as well, however the "chittum" name changes the designated species as you swing across the American south east heading west. The _Cotinus_ genus tend to exhibit woods green like the _Rhus_ genus (sumac group). Smokebush is known as "Smoketree" in several areas because of attaining small tree size. I know of an area in Tennessee and one in Arkansas that this claim is made.

My first guess at Rodney's wood was "Carolina Silverbell", _Halesia carolina_. This plant is usually a small to medium (up to 40 feet) understory tree with few tree exceptions that reach 80 or more feet. In the northern extent, zone 4, most landscape plant stock fights to reach 20 feet in 30 years. I have not worked this wood and do not possess any in my collection for reference. Wish I had more to go on...."Sourwood", _Oxydendrum arboretum_ is the only other bark and light wood combination that comes to mind at this time, however the long leaves should dismiss this one....

Reactions: Informative 3


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## DRW

Definitely not Chittum


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## Kevin

Mark I don't know if this is relevant or if it will help but his dad pronounces it "Cheet-um". That is probably a regional common name for whatever wood that is, but I do not think it is in reference to chittum since we know that species does not grow anywhere near there. 

So with that tidbit, do you know of any species that is referred to as "cheet" um that is not chittum?


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## Mr. Peet

Got nothing Kevin, if we look again at his first picture, do we see little short buds like some of the fruit trees and also like "Katsura", _Cercidiphyllum japoncum_ & _magnificum_, but the bark does not match. The wood looked ring porous, I'd send a chunk to Paul hinds for a hands on, meanwhile look for leaves and old pictures the folks might have of the plant in both leaf on and off states as well as flowering and fruiting states if possible.


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