Can anyone identify the wood?

benn25

Member
Sep 30, 2015
22
1
london
I believe what you have is a Spaeth Alder. A hybrid of japanese and caucasian alder. The bark oxidizes orange/red when cut. When the leaves are just out of bud they are a reddish brown colour. By all accounts as per my Collins tree guide, pretty rare.

Im no expert, infact Ive only just started winter tree ID but my research points to this. Hope that helps. :)
 

humdrum_hostage

Full Member
Jul 19, 2014
771
2
Stradishall, Suffolk
Fine for burning. Willow tends to dry quite quickly, despite being very wet. It burns hot & quick, though.

Burning! They only way this wood is keeping me warm is by me carving. I have struggled for weeks to get hold of some decent size pieces of wood. The family can go cold for now! (Until I have a sooon that has gone wrong to chuck on ;) )

I believe what you have is a Spaeth Alder. A hybrid of japanese and caucasian alder. The bark oxidizes orange/red when cut. When the leaves are just out of bud they are a reddish brown colour. By all accounts as per my Collins tree guide, pretty rare.

Im no expert, infact Ive only just started winter tree ID but my research points to this. Hope that helps. :)

Thanks for the input, am pretty sure its not that as the catkins and buds are different and the chance of a hybrid in the middle of an old private woodland in the countryside is probably pretty slim.
 

benn25

Member
Sep 30, 2015
22
1
london
Thanks for the input, am pretty sure its not that as the catkins and buds are different and the chance of a hybrid in the middle of an old private woodland in the countryside is probably pretty slim.

Haha!! Thats what you get for not reading the whole thread....i dont know what im talking about :lmao:
 

awarner

Nomad
Apr 14, 2012
487
4
Southampton, Hampshire
Looks like goat willow to me, the bark of ages willow gets really gnarly.
Back to one comment on hornbeam for the leaves, from what I have seen hornbeam leaves are similar shape and size to beech but have a serrated edge (more so than the image above) where the beech is smooth and when green hairy.
I was showing a friends son who is studying forestry at college, around the woods I look after today and was showing him the difference between beech and hornbeam which at first glace can look similar until they blossom and seed. I know when I first started out with tree id I mixed the two up when in mid season.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
I was showing a friends son who is studying forestry at college, around the woods I look after today and was showing him the difference between beech and hornbeam which at first glace can look similar until they blossom and seed. I know when I first started out with tree id I mixed the two up when in mid season.

folks often confuse hornbeam with beech, the bark of hornbeam often has a twisted appearance whereas beech does not, so one can tell the difference even when there are no leaves on the trees in winter.
 

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