Author Topic: What kind of tree is this?  (Read 1897 times)

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Offline coaster500

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What kind of tree is this?
« on: September 27, 2011, 11:20:59 pm »
The wind blew this over the fence at work. We have to clean it up and I just wondered what it was and if it might make a bow...

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/what%20kind%20of%20tree/?albumview=slideshow
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Offline WolfPupTee

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Re: What kind of tree is this?
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2011, 11:41:43 pm »
a type of poplar?
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Offline Pat B

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Re: What kind of tree is this?
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2011, 12:59:01 am »
It looks like a Bradford pear or one of the Callery pears. They are ornamental trees but are true Pyrus sp.  Folks think that the wood of these trees is weak but the wood is strong like any pear tree but the structure is weak. You can see from the break that there was very little solid wood in that scar. About half of it is included bark. Once these trees get to a certain size the slightest wing in the right direction can cause these kinds of breaks.
  The wood should make good  bows. It is nice and straight with few knots. I'd say cut anything 2" in diameter or bigger. Try to get them as long as possible but cut shorter pieces for billets.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline coaster500

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Re: What kind of tree is this?
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2011, 02:20:42 am »
Well that's what we'll do Pat B .....  It's laying there so we'll give some of it a shot. Can't beat the price.... 

Thank you
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Offline HoBow

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Re: What kind of tree is this?
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2011, 09:49:18 am »
I'm with Pat- it loolks to be some type of ornamental pear.  He's also right that the wood is no different than a fruit bearing tree.  They tend to split because of how they grow (limbs grow parallel to the ground and cris-cross putting stress on the main trunk) not because the wood is weak.
Jeff Utley- Atlanta GA

Offline coaster500

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Re: What kind of tree is this?
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2011, 04:09:22 pm »
Well I cut a couple of good size limbs brought them home and went to splitting...  Well they had so much twist that they look like a pig’s tail. These are way beyond my realm of possibilities....   It was worth a shot though. Now they are firewood :)
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Offline johnston

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Re: What kind of tree is this?
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2011, 06:34:36 pm »
coaster you might want to try again. I cut 5 good size limbs out of my Bradford pear and like you I had 2 that for no good reason went all twistificated on me . The other 3 will get a shot at glory.

Lane