Amazing!! But what is it?

[Jeremy Hite]

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I took a side job for an existing customer which was to remove a couple small old trees just below ground level. One was dead the other lived it's life and was almost through. After cutting into the smaller of the two (different species of trees) it was abundantly clear that I'd either never cut this kind of tree down and didnt know it existed in central USA or something funky happened to this one. The bright yellow and oranges are awesome and after being in sunlight for a little while it all goes to burnt orange. U can see some of the orange in photo. 1st 2 pics are sanded and a light wipe with mineral spirits. 3rd pic is a large burl from the same tree trunk. Gorgeous stuff but I'm stumped. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas?

[Mike Cutler]

Osage Orange Bois 'd arc ??

[Danny Hamsley]

Could be osage orange, but I am leaning to redbud, Cercis canadensis.

[Bradley Gray]

The color is right for osage. I have never seen burl - very nice.

The dye in osage is water soluble - maybe a clue

[Justin Ludwig]

I've worked with a lot of Osage Orange (hedge apple, bois d'arc, maclura pomifera, horse apple). Sure looks like it to me.

[John K Jordan]

I took a side job for an existing customer which was to remove a couple small old trees just below ground level. One was dead the other lived it's life and was almost through. After cutting into the smaller of the two (different species of trees) it was abundantly clear that I'd either never cut this kind of tree down and didnt know it existed in central USA or something funky happened to this one. The bright yellow and oranges are awesome and after being in sunlight for a little while it all goes to burnt orange. U can see some of the orange in photo. 1st 2 pics are sanded and a light wipe with mineral spirits. 3rd pic is a large burl from the same tree trunk. Gorgeous stuff but I'm stumped. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas?

Beautiful wood. If there were leaves I hope you saved one. If there was bark perhaps you took a photo. A tree person can also work from twigs and buds.

As mentioned before, wood from different species can look so much alike that IDing from a photo is hit or miss. You have a far better chance of getting it right if you use the techniques to examine the rings and pores in the end grain. Also, pay attention to things like the smell, hardness, weight, etc.

If you are not aware, the US gov forest products laboratory will analyze a sample of your wood for free. Look at the bottom of the wood ID page on the on-line Wood Database.

On second thought, I may know what it is and it's very dangerous to work with. Ship it to me immediately.

JKJ

[Steve Demuth]

I'd agree with the others based on the cross section the most likely bet is Osage Orange. That's certainly a likely bet in Missouri.

[Eric Anderson]

I grew up on a farm in Bois D'Arc, MO and went to then SMSU, now Missouri University and pretty sure you have the old hedge apple tree. We had tons of the Bois D'Arc trees trees on the farm, and the wood is beautiful, but hard as iron. We used it for fence posts, and would last a hundred years (and would eat a chain saw for lunch). It is a very hard brittle fibrous wood, and is hard to work with for wood working, other than using small pieces for accents. The yellow will fade with time if left out in the sun. Growing up, there were thousands of the trees, but a lot got cut down for grazing land (we cut out over 20 acres of trees on our farm (early 60's).

[Jeremy Hite]

I grew up on a farm in Bois D'Arc, MO and went to then SMSU, now Missouri University and pretty sure you have the old hedge apple tree. We had tons of the Bois D'Arc trees trees on the farm, and the wood is beautiful, but hard as iron. We used it for fence posts, and would last a hundred years (and would eat a chain saw for lunch). It is a very hard brittle fibrous wood, and is hard to work with for wood working, other than using small pieces for accents. The yellow will fade with time if left out in the sun. Growing up, there were thousands of the trees, but a lot got cut down for grazing land (we cut out over 20 acres of trees on our farm (early 60's).

Well, I initially thought it was osage orange/hedge apple as well as did several friends of mine. I asked a neighbor who lived a couple houses down for MANY years and she said there wasn't ever a hedge apple on that tree. The tree was smaller than Osage orange and I know it lived several times longer than what they do. It lived around 90 years. Personally every time I picture the tree in my mind I quickly start to think Redbud tree but it would have been on the smaller side from the ones cut out of my own yard growing up and the more recent ones from the '07-'08 ice storms. I am almost certain it's not osage orange unless this one didn't have apples ever, live much longer, grew smaller etc.

Also, this wood doesn't smell like osage. The texture is fine not fibrous. It easily sands smooth with 100grit and like glass with 180grit. Cuts very nicely and smooth as well. Not like any experience I ever had with Osage

[John K Jordan]

...Also, this wood doesn't smell like osage. The texture is fine not fibrous. It easily sands smooth with 100grit and like glass with 180grit. Cuts very nicely and smooth as well. Not like any experience I ever had with Osage

That first picture appears to have far more chatoyance than I've ever seen in osage.

JKJ

[Jeremy Hite]

That first picture appears to have far more chatoyance than I've ever seen in osage.

JKJ

Yes, the reflective properties are astounding in several parts of this wood. I cut a few more pieces off of it and also compared some none burl pieces with samples of osage and am new even more certain that it's something else.

[Jim Andrew]

Osage orange has thorns, so that might be a clue. In Kansas, we have a tree called Mullberry, seems to be related to Osage, but has no thorns. When first cut, it is yellow, after it gets sunlight for some time, it turns orange, and then red after that. Think it eventually turns brown.

[Eric D Matson]

I think it is either mulberry or redbud.

[Danny Hamsley]

The latewood pores in osage are arranged in wavy bands and the pores are totally occluded with tyloses. The pic is not close-up enough to distinguish the pore arrangement in the latewood or to see if the pores are filled with tyloses.

[Jeremy Hite]

The latewood pores in osage are arranged in wavy bands and the pores are totally occluded with tyloses. The pic is not close-up enough to distinguish the pore arrangement in the latewood or to see if the pores are filled with tyloses.

burl4creek1.jpgburl4creek2.jpgburl4creek3.jpgnatgift.jpgAre any of these first 3 pics decent enough for you to better determine the species? Do you think that it is possible for a hedge apple to never grow any of the actual "apples" from which it gets the name? This tree never had any and it looked way more like a small redbud or an ornamental tree of some sort than a hedge. This does have several characteristics of hedge apple tree but also several that aren't the same. Also, this area that was cut from roots up to about 3.5 ft was all very yellow while the upper branches and trunk were of a more usual color than this. I'd really be happy to know one way or another. I do have a digital microscope I can use tomorrow and take very high resolution pics but then I will not be able to post them as they are without drastically shrinking them. I thank you for any and all info you have shared and hope to know more from you.
Thanks