help identifying trees?

[OlympicPeninsula]

i was walking through an area full of alders and saw the differnt bark on this tree... what is it?

also  i live in western washington.. where can i find black locust and how do i identify it?

[HickoryBill]

Wow that pic really screws with my eyes!!! I can't concentrate on it!

[Sparrow]

Black locust is thorny on the twigs,it will have zillions of flat seed pods on it right now.They are 2 or 3 inches long and dry.All the leaves should be off right now and easy to see the pods. 
  '  Frank

[OlympicPeninsula]

Black locust is thorny on the twigs,it will have zillions of flat seed pods on it right now.They are 2 or 3 inches long and dry.All the leaves should be off right now and easy to see the pods. 
  '  Frank

ok thanks..still wondering if anyone can identify the pic of the tree i posted

[Strongbow]

Another identifier besides the pods and thorny twigs is that black locust will be covered in white flowers in early spring.  I live in eastern PA so that and up being April/May and makes them easy to spot in the hedgerows between farms out here. 

[Pat B]

It is very difficult to ID a tree just from one pic of the bark. The bark of trees changes as the tree matures. Better ID materials woulf be twigs, branching and the overall shape of the tree.

[ErictheViking]

OP, that looks like a big leaf maple. the bark starts to get those furrows in it as it gets bigger. Black locust is everywhere over here and as Strong bow said it has what looks like pea pods hanging from the branches. I am 30miles ne of Seattle. How I learned to identify trees here is to read a lot of tree i.d. books and look them up online  then in summer when they have leafs and are blooming you can tell what they are. then in the winter you dont need the leafs or blooms.

[vinemaplebows]

Yep, Bigleaf. You will not find Locust in the woods, it is not native here. There is some around the towns, but good luck with that. You need to get a good field guide for western Wa. there are tons of usable woods...Yew, Cascara, Vinemaple, Ocean spray, Ash, Hawthorn, Bigleaf maple, Dogwood, (pacific flowering) Plum. ect.....

Brian

[OlympicPeninsula]

Yep, Bigleaf. You will not find Locust in the woods, it is not native here. There is some around the towns, but good luck with that. You need to get a good field guide for western Wa. there are tons of usable woods...Yew, Cascara, Vinemaple, Ocean spray, Ash, Hawthorn, Bigleaf maple, Dogwood, (pacific flowering) Plum. ect.....

Brian

i have been using vinemaple so far because it is really easy to find.  i've seen cascara but didn't know it would be of any use. i think i would have to look in high elevation for yew,yes? and where can i find ash?? i hear it makes great bows and arrows too

[zdogk9]

Cascara is supposed to be an excellent bow wood, I've some drying at the moment and will find out about this in about a month. Most of the ash I've seen is at lower elevations close to the rivers.

[vinemaplebows]

Burnish that Cascara well, or back it with silk your first time..

[randman]

Here are some examples of 100 year old Black locust trees (and 1 young one) in a Seattle park. If you want to find BL on the peninsula, don't look in the forest, look in populated areas (peoples yards, city parks). Lots of it in Eastern WA where farmers planted it for windbreaks and such because it grows tall very fast and is really dryland tolerant.

[zdogk9]

Burnish that Cascara well, or back it with silk your first time..

I've got a couple of ties from the early 60s that should work just fine for that.

[crooketarrow]

  I don't know if you have elm but slippy elm around here has simular bark.

[sadiejane]

this is the best book i have found for pnw tree id.
and it has lots of other plants as well.
might pick up a copy. you can usually find em used and relatively cheap
http://www.amazon.com/Plants-Pacific-Northwest-Coast-Washington/dp/1551055309/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330440505&sr=1-1