Hackberry?

[Michael Weber]

In the back yard. Hackberry or something else? Whatever it is it is VERY mature.

[Mark Bolton]

Looks like it could be Hackberry though much of what we have cut/sawn the ribs on the bark are a bit more dense than those but I cant say I have cut any trees that mature. I would guess the biggest may have been 18-24" at the butt. When it leaf's out you will have another indicator.

Here is an image of what I am used to as being Hackberry:
http://www.forestry.umn.edu/extensio...rry%20bark.JPG

Another tree that has ribbed bark like that is Cedar Elm though I am not sure about your area. Also the habit of your tree doesnt seem to match Cedar Elm. It is a very common tree in texas but has been known to travel to many other parts of the country in bark mulch.

[Brad Moser]

Your tree is a hackberry or a sugarberry, or a cross between the two. In fact, you will often hear them refered to together as sugarberry/hackberry. The berries from the tree don't have alot of flesh on them, there's just a thin layer over the seed. I always thought they tasted like sweet tea. Not too bad on a crisp autumn day, when you're out hunting and get really thirsty. Or maybe that's just me.

[Gary Click]

Hackberry!

[Michael Weber]

Thanks Mark and Brad and Gary. I don't recall there being any berries or fruit on the tree last fall but it might be because the tree is so old. The tree is 130 inches in circumference 5 feet up from the ground. Couldn't measure at ground level because of other stuff growing around the base but I tried to measure the diameter and it was around 46 to 48 inches at ground level. Kind of hard to tell exactly. Does hackberry have much value as hardwood lumber? Not planning on cutting it down, it provides nice shade to the back of the house. But, it's leaning a little. Not even sure you could mill a tree that large with a portable mill.

[Cody Colston]

Break off one of those bark ribs and touch the inside to your tongue. It will "tingle" if it's Hackberry. Growing up, they were also known as tingle-tongue trees around here.

I think it's Hackberry.

[Stephen Edwards]

Some folks around here call hackberry...bumpy trees! The bark has irregular "bumps" on it.

[Corey Wilcox]

Mike,

I had access to a large hackberry tree a few years ago and had it cut up as lumber. Not sure I'd bother with it again. Think of elm, only more twisty and more stringy. Plus you get the added bonus of the worst sticker stain you can ever imagine and the wood will oxidize to a gray color within days if you leave it in the sun. I asked around and was told that if you want to avoid the sticker stain and oxidization you have to put the lumber into the kiln immediately after cutting. When I had my tree cut up I asked the mill operator to cut me a 4X4 to use for bench legs. The second the mill finished it's pass the 4X4 literally popped off the log and curved into a boat keel even though it was in line with the grain of the tree.

[Michael Weber]

Looks like the consensus is hackberry. Can't wait to get home after work and give it a quick taste

[Mark Bolton]

Does hackberry have much value as hardwood lumber? Not planning on cutting it down, it provides nice shade to the back of the house. But, it's leaning a little. Not even sure you could mill a tree that large with a portable mill.

It would of course depend on your area but I would say the value would likely be $0.00. As has been stated here, it can be really nasty wood to saw and dry. If you did ever cut it down it may be worth taking a single log to be sawn but I wouldnt worry about the entire tree. You could likely get some material out of the smaller upper sections of the tree that would be easier to saw.

The tree would have to be quartered to fit on most portable mills.

Mark

[Dewayne Reding]

I bought some on sale this winter for 1.25 BF. Appears to have decent grain, but doesn't machine too well and turns an ugly gray when you try to stain it. Far inferior to elm in my opinion.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Can't wait to get home after work and give it a quick taste..."

Oooo, I'd be careful there. That tree could also be a "deathberry" which looks just like hackberry but the sap of which is instantly fatal....

[Randy Johnson]

I guess I am the lone dissenting voice here.

One of the features of hackberry is little clusters of twigs at the end of branches. I don't see them in the picture. The bark doesn't look quite right either - it's close - but not quite right.

[Russ Sears]

Bear in mind that my dendrology class was 30 years ago and concentrated on species native to the Northeast. I'm not real familiar with hackberry. We have it around here but I've only seen it as a relatively small shrub.
Having said that, this looks a lot like the slippery elms in my small patch of woods. They have that knobby bark which is in layers as you can see in your close-up.
We should be able to tell for certain when the leaves are out. Can you post a picture when that time comes?

[Michael Weber]

Bear in mind that my dendrology class was 30 years ago and concentrated on species native to the Northeast. I'm not real familiar with hackberry. We have it around here but I've only seen it as a relatively small shrub.
Having said that, this looks a lot like the slippery elms in my small patch of woods. They have that knobby bark which is in layers as you can see in your close-up.
We should be able to tell for certain when the leaves are out. Can you post a picture when that time comes?

I certainly will. They're starting to leaf out now so it won't be long.