Firewood Identification: How To Find The Best Trees For Firewood
By: Matt Galambos
When you are looking at trees to cut down identification is obviously key. There are several things to look at when trying to identify a specific species when doing tree identification. The easiest and most fundamental way to ID, a tree is to look at the trees leaves and build.
The build of a tree is the overall size and shape of it, this is the first way to shorten the possibilities of what tree it is. For instance, maple trees as a rule have an oval shape that is upright. On the other hand, a spruce will have a triangular shape more along the lines of a Christmas tree. The overall shape of a tree is the best starting point for identification.
When you are looking at the foliage, you will probably notice that some trees will have leaves while others have needles. A deciduous tree is one that sheds their foliage and they have leaves. Trees with needles however keep their foliage all year. That is one reason trees that have needles are commonly called evergreens. The best of the firewood trees will be found in the deciduous category.
Hopefully none of that was insulting to your intelligence, but there needed to be some foundational information before the more technical details of firewood ID.
Four Distinguishing Characteristics
There are four important aspects to look at when trying to identify specific trees, they are bark, limbs, foliage, and forest conditions.
Bark is a great place to start, however as you will soon find many tree species have bark that are quite similar. Of course, we are still in the process of narrowing things down a little so…. Beginners will find tree bark a key component to identifying a particular species. For instance, the shagbark hickory looks like it is shedding skin. Moreover, sycamores are spotted very distinctly, you will not readily miss identify it. These are the types of trees that you will be able to simply identify by their bark.
The limbs of the tree are another good identification tool. When I refer to limbs or branching, I am talking about whether the branches are opposite or alternate. A tree that is opposite limbed will have symmetrical limbs. You are probably wondering why in the world that is important. This is important because there are precious few trees that are opposite limbed and noticing that one is will narrow the field even further.
Leaves are probably the number way most people identify a tree, and it is a great method. Most people can instantly tell you what a maple tree leaf looks like, nevertheless can they tell you the difference between a sugar maple and a red maple? Knowing the difference between the two will give you the better species for firewood. Along with leaves are the fruit or flowers a tree may product, these can also be a distinguishing sign.
There will never be a replacement for common sense when it comes to identifying trees. Look at the land where the tree is growing, is it wet, are there other vegetation around and what kind? Knowing how these conditions relate to tree ID will be a massive help when you want to determine a species.
When you have mastered these four characteristics, you will be a professional firewood identifier!
ID A Tree Without Leaves
Unbelievably identifying a tree without leaves is not that difficult. Often time’s people come to rely on leaves as the only way to indentify a tree. The truth is sometimes identification is easier without the foliage.
The same tips from above apply when looking at a bare tree, bark, branching and form.
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You have probably already guessed the answer, the buds. These are the tiny little nubs on the limbs. When spring is sprung these buds will unfold to display the leaves or flowers that appear. Shape, size and color will all vary from tree to tree. Learning the differing bud traits will be your guide in cold winter months.
How can I tell when the tree has been cut?
This is the time where knowing your firewood gets a bit more deceptive. This can be a big issue you will run into when purchasing firewood that is already cut. Under these circumstances, you will only have bark, wood color and wood grain to guide you and help identify the firewood.
Once wood becomes seasoned, the wood color is not a great indicator. This will of course depend on the length of time it has been seasoning, but you will likely find it grey in color. The best advice I can give is to know your firewood provider and only deal with a reputable dealer. That will take all the worry out of getting shoddy firewood.
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