Tree id help

[kid bow]

Looks like Hop Hornbeam to me. A lot like it.

What are some characteristics of hop horn beam

[PEARL DRUMS]

Asymmetrical leaves, very similar to elm or beech with jagged edges.  Even dead and brown leaves on the ground will show you their shape. Bark just like you see. The limbs have a tendency to grow horizontally off the trunk to.

[wapiti1997]

I agree, it's sycamore.

[Drewster]

Well, this little mystery has gotten my curiosity aroused.  After doing a bit of research, I found this image of an American Smoke Tree......which is native to Kentucky.  It's a smallish tree reaching 30'.



Kid bow, can you find out a bit more for us about this tree.  More info would be a big help.

The environment this tree appears to be growing in looks like an upland woodland.  Sycamore would typically be growing in a moist environment, often along creeks, rivers and areas with very moist ground.

This Smoke Tree looks very close and I found images of a northern pecan which had a very similar bark.  The northern pecan can vary a great deal in appearance, so that's a possibility.

Pearly, I have never identified hop hornbeam growing in NW North Carolina, but images I've seen of the bark looks like the platelets are more squarish than the bark in the image here.  BUT, bark can certainly vary considerably on different age trees of the same species.

Maybe someone will give us a firm ID before long.

[kid bow]

Well when i harvest some staves of it tomorrow ill let you know. Hopefully this stuff holds up to the stres and strain of a bow

[wapiti1997]

Look for the large leaves on the ground.  It's growing near water too...  The leaf buds will be conical and alternate.  I'm 99.9 percent sure that's sycamore..  I see them every day. 

Trees growing off site can have weird appearances sometimes..  The upper branches will be smooth and have a greenish or white appearance.  That tree looks young, and does have a hophornbeam flake to it, but it looks like a 10-12" dbh sycamore to me.  They grow straight but have somewhat spiral grain.

[DavidV]

Just realized you were in Kentucky, after looking through your native trees I think american hophornbeam is most likely like PD said. No way is it american sycamore.
http://www.uky.edu/hort/?q=American-Hophornbeam


If not, go through this list http://www.uky.edu/hort/Native-Trees-of-Kentucky but it looks a hell of a lot like the hop hornbeam we get here in missouri.

[okie64]

Its sycamore, 99.999999% sure. If you peel some of those flakes off it will reveal the white bark underneath.

[kid bow]

Ill let yu know in a couple hours

[blackhawk]

I wouldn't personally cut sycamore for bows....you have dozens of better options in Kentucky kid. And it ain't gonna be a forgiving wood for a novice.

[Pappy]

How big is that tree ? looks just like the bottom of Sycamore we have, looked at one just yesterday, is it more white and slicker at the top ?

[kid bow]

Wouldnt know pappy. My buddy sent that picture to me from his phone. If i cut it and it doesn't work its fire wood lol 

[wapiti1997]

I would expect it to be like silver maple for bow wood.. not good firewood other than kindling..

[mikekeswick]

If you guys think that is sycamore from the picture then your sycamore must be very different to ours 
Keef is 100% right. Get a good tree id book. Leaves,bark,twigs and buds are what you need for proper id. Otherwise just looking at one picture of the bark...we are just guessing and bark varies massively even in the same area.

[Pappy]

I will take a picture of ours this weekend ,looks just like the lower section of the  big Sycamore
we have.
   Pappy