What kind of Tree (Wood) is this ?

[Andy Korfin]

There are crews in my local area clearing trees the pose a risk to the power lines. I noticed these down yesterdy and wondered what they were.

I have visions of making my own lumber out of them and wanted to see if
you could help me determine what they are.

Thanks,

Andy

[alex grams]

I am from Texas, so not familiar with NJ tree types, though the bark and wood color look like cherry to me.

[Andy Korfin]

That's what I'm hoping !

[Conrad Fiore]

Could be black cherry, the butt end is already oxidizing to brown. The leaves should tell if it's cherry or not.

[alex grams]

yeah conrad, the picture is of black cherry. But farbeit for me to know enough to differentiate cherry species. I know a dozen types of oaks, but not much about cherry trees.

[David Woodruff]

I vote for cherry, probably black. Yummy

[Joe Spear]

A photo of the leaves would be very helpful.

[Frank Drew]

I've never seen cherry with white heartwood; is that spalting?

[Andy Korfin]

Thanks,

Andy

[Craig Hemsath]

Black cherry will have an orange fuzzy/hair looking stuff on the BOTTOM side of the leaf blade along the mid-vein. Key tell tale sign of it.

[Pete Hay]

Craig,
Thanks so much for the photo showing that fuzzy stuff. That's my proof. I'm in central Florida and have been told by several folks that we have no black cherry. However, that's incorrect -- it's a very common tree here, and apparently native. I've been using it for Veteran's flag cases flag cases [72 so far] from trees cut on our church property. Beautiful wood.

[Andy Korfin]

I was able to find what I think are leaves from that tree and the pix are attached. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

Andy

[Joe Spear]

I thought the leaves looked more like sweet birch leaves than cherry leaves (not as long and thin as cherry), so I looked up sweet birch and yellow birch. It said that the two are difficult to tell apart after cutting, but that the heartwood is white, surrounded by reddish brown wood. That's what your pictures show. Also, the bark is a lot rougher than most of the cherry trees that size that I have seen. Birch inner bark should also have that wintergreen, root-beerish smell, if the tree has not been down for very long. In addition, sweet birch is also called cherry birch. If the tree is birch, you still have some good lumber if you can get it processed.

[Fred Belknap]

After seeing the leaves my vote is for birch of some type. I love the smell.

[Craig Hemsath]

I was able to find what I think are leaves from that tree and the pix are attached. Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,

Andy

It's definitely a birch of some kind. The middle picture shows two clear IDing marks of any Betulaceae (birch family). Leaves are coming off in pairs and you can see the lateral lenticles on the bark (it's what eventually leads to the peeling nature of birch trees).