Sycamore leaves basically look like HUGE Maple leaves. For example, you can see a piece of Pignut Hickory in the photo below. Some of the easiest types of wood to identify using leaves are Maple and Oak. The easiest way to identify Black Locust firewood is using it’s bright yellow/brown color. However, many types of wood are light brown in color, and the color of wood does change as it dries and is exposed to sunshine. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, AdvantageLumber.com: Hardwood Lumber Identifier, Cofrin Center for Biodiversity: Trees of Wisconsin. So you’ve got a lot of options to confirm if you’re dealing with Sycamore . How to Identify Hickory Wood Hickory trees are harvested for both their nuts and wood. The shagbark hickory tree grows naturally in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 through 8A. As an additional distinguishing characteristic, most types of Ash trees have 7-11 leaflets (the one in the image above has 7). The moral of the story, is if you find a piece of wood with thorns like in the image above, then you probably have a piece of Black Locust. eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'burlybeaver_com-leader-4','ezslot_20',117,'0','0'])); Below is an image of a few Elm leaves. All Rights Reserved. In the forest, hickory will grow to 140' tall and a diameter of 30", frequently with no branches for 50-60'. This is called the sapwood. Maple leaves are the #1 most recognizable leaves in the world. The tips of the leaves of the shagbark hickory tree have dense groupings of hairs that are individually quite thin. Fortunately, compared to other kinds of woods, hickory wood has some distinguishing features, which makes it easy to identify. The sapwood is light in color and sold as "White Hickory". Plus, the other species’ should have different types of thorns. Nowadays, hickory wood is also used to smoke, cure and barbeque meats giving them that distinct hickory flavor. Also, Oaks are the trees that produce acorns, so if you see any acorns, then you’re likely looking at an Oak tree. Not all types of Hickory have bark that hangs as freely as Shagbark does, but most still have bark that grows in flaky “sheets”. However, overall bark is a great approach for identifying firewood. The tricky thing about using leaves is that you may not have any available when you’re at a firewood pile.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'burlybeaver_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_12',107,'0','0'])); But, if you do have leaves available, it can be a great tool for identifying the type of wood you’re looking at. If you don’t want to use a tool, you can also use the weight, sound, and cracks on the wood to tell if it’s dry. Look at the tree’s distinctive buds. It looks kind of like tiny parallel mountain ranges. a chain) of leaves, instead of one single leaf (called a “simple” leaf). In the image above, you’ll see the bark of a Shagbark hickory tree, which gives a great example of this. Look at the color of the aged wood that was on the inner side of the hickory tree trunk. Hickory sapwood is a cream or white color. You can use the jump links below to skip to the types of wood you’re interested in identifying:eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'burlybeaver_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_6',104,'0','0'])); Before we look at tips for identifying individual species’ of firewood, let’s begin with a quick overview of the primary methods you can use to identify firewood. In appearance, they are somewhat similar to Ash leaves, but if you look at a branch with leaves on it you can see a difference. Some questions to immediately ask yourself: Is the color of the wood natural, or is … This makes it very easy to pick out from a pile of other wood. As a back-up to using the bark (which is the easiest method) you can also use the leaves to identify Hickory firewood. Sycamore has a very distinctive bark that is easy to identify as firewood or when looking at a tree.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'burlybeaver_com-leader-2','ezslot_18',115,'0','0'])); If you look at the photo above, you’ll see that Sycamore has flaky bark, and underneath the bark is an interesting whitish-green color. Each twig also has another set of leaves that grow across from one another. I'm also the son of a forester, and in the last few years, I've developed a newfound appreciation for the old-fashioned knowledge trapped in the heads of guys like Dad. For most types of wood, the lines of the annual rings are relatively uniform. The reason for using the end grain to identify Elm is that it has a characteristic that no other type of firewood has: the annual rings are wavy. The easiest way to identify Hickory firewood, is using it’s very distinctive flaky bark. If the bark is still on, you can also use that as an indicator. As a result, the easiest way to identify Maple firewood is using the leaves. Look at the leaves. Hickory wood is a durable wood used to make floors, cabinets, furniture and even handles for tools. Now that we’ve walked through some of the most common approaches for identifying firewood, we’ll jump into our favorite identification tricks for 10 of the most common firewood species here in the Midwest USA: Pine is one of the easiest types of firewood to identify. In Black Locust, these thorns often grow near the point from which it’s leaves sprout. But Mulberry has red-colored heartwood (the center of the wood), and a white/brown colored sapwood (the outer ring of the wood). You can identify Oak firewood very easily using the end grain of the wood. Nowadays, hickory wood is also used to smoke, cure and barbeque meats giving them that distinct hickory flavor. Look at the color of the young wood that was on the outside of the tree trunk. You should be able to see the normal annual rings that indicate how old the tree was. Look at the color of the young wood that was on the outside of the tree trunk. For example, Ash has big parallel ridges in its bark that almost looks like small wooden mountain ranges. This information can be found on the information stamp on the chainsaw bar, through the numbers on the chain, or through... Hi there - I'm Jon Yarde, the guy behind BurlyBeaver. You can use the end-grain, or even just the sides of the wood, to check for sticky sap. Wholesome Gear, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'burlybeaver_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_16',109,'0','0'])); In addition to the rings, Oak has clearly visible lines that run perpendicular to the rings, going straight outward from the center of the wood. This is different than Hickory, for example, which grows bark in a thin plated-pattern. Open the fruit with a knife. Feel the texture. However, 9 times out of 10, you should be able to identify Cherry firewood by the color alone. The bark of a young shagbark hickory tree is brown, but it will turn gray as the tree ages. The most accurate way to tell if wood is dry enough to burn is to use a moisture meter.