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Author Topic: tree id?  (Read 3230 times)

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Offline Josh B

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tree id?
« on: August 15, 2012, 10:36:03 pm »
I cut this along a small river in the Montpelier area of southeast Idaho.  It was growing in a nasty, dense, and thorny thicket.  Most of it was gnarled and twisted.  Any ideas as to what it is? Josh
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Offline Carson (CMB)

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2012, 10:39:32 pm »
Looks like hawthorne. Supposed to be pretty decent bow wood. 
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Offline vinemaplebows

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2012, 10:54:53 pm »
I would agree...
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Offline Badly Bent

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2012, 11:34:59 pm »
Want to say crabapple cause the leaves and fruit look just like the one in my front yard here in the midwest but now looking back at your pictures I think thats a thorn I see in there so good chance I'm wrong.
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Offline lostarrow

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2012, 11:46:20 pm »
Hawthorne . Hard ,dense wood.Crooked as hell. I cut one last winter ,roughed it out to dry quicker ,without checking which worked great except it twisted well over 90 deg. from one end to the other. I heard you can tie them to a board while the dry to try to keep them straight. I have far too many agreeable wood species available to me that want to be bows, to be bothered with the revenge it wreaks for cutting it down. The ripe berries make a lovely jelly however!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Offline Pat B

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2012, 11:51:40 pm »
Sorta looks like a downy hawthorn (Crataegus mollis scheele).  South Quebec and Nova Scotia, south toWest Virginia and Alabama, west to South Central Texasand north to South East South Dakota
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Offline Jodocus

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2012, 01:52:51 am »
Hawthorns hybridize like crazy, there are all forms of leaves on them. Bark also varies, but the fruit look all right.
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Offline dmenzies1950

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2012, 02:23:50 am »
She's a wild crabapple alright.
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Offline anasazi

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2012, 12:52:42 pm »
It looks a little like a thorn apple i saw once near oakley idaho but its been a while so im not sure
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blackhawk

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2012, 02:13:52 pm »
The hawthorne I've cut warped n twisted even when I made it same width and thickness full length. Reduce it down to near bow dimensions,seal ALL surfaces with shellac and strap it down to a board. Then set in a cool damper place for a couple months and slowly let the moisture out.
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Offline randman

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2012, 05:34:23 pm »
Bark resembles Hawthorn but the leaves look nothing like any Hawthorne I've ever seen (especially here in the NW). My vote goes to wild Crabapple. The leaves look appley ;) (as well as the little flares on the botom of the fruit).  Having grown up in an apple orchard, I'm very familiar with apple leaves.
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Offline turtle

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2012, 09:00:31 pm »
Leaves and fruit look alot like crab apple,but the bark doesnt look like any crab apple i have seen. Also the wild crab apples around my neck of the woods are covered in thorns.
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Offline Pat B

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2012, 09:16:05 pm »
They are both closely related and both crab apple and hawthorn make good bows if you can find a piece straight enought to build a bow with.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Josh B

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #13 on: August 19, 2012, 03:27:33 am »
Thanks for the replies everyone.  I've spent the last couple days looking at hundreds of pictures trying to figure out for sure what it is. I gave up and decided to go with Pat's line of thought, call it bow wood and try to make a bow from it.  Thanks again,  Josh
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Offline anasazi

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Re: tree id?
« Reply #14 on: September 02, 2012, 01:56:28 am »
You could talk to a local arborist either at a college or power company
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