Tree ID help

[MSkiba]

Hi chaps.

Im struggling to ID some tree's that have been felled in the recent metro link expansion.

All i got to go on at this current moment, is the bark as they lay chopped up in bits.

Im getting confused between ash, oak, and sycamore. the bark to me looks very similar (unless ash shows the diamond shape, but it dosnt always show this pattern)

Can anyone give me some tips how to distinguish the different between these three trees only going off the lower bark of the tree's ?

 

[Shewie]

Bark's the trickiest to ID I found unless it's really obvious, a picture might help us ?

 

[MSkiba]

Yup will try and take some piccies. After more reading, I think i can exclude sycamore from the confusion. Its mainly ash and oak bark that is tricky for me.

I will try and get some photo's and get back to you.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Between Ash, Oak & Sycamore, the Oak bark should stand out as being fissured - though not on immature trees. Ash & Sycamore would look somewhat similar but the Ash should be greyer in colour. Ash might smell like "old wood" if it is recently cut, but they'd all smell similar if they've been down a while.

You've got a job on your hands there - likewise a photo might help.

Ogri the trog

 

[MSkiba]

On another note, I got a nice chunky bit of sycamore, its probably 30cm in diamiter, and half a meter long, to use as a chopping block. I got it as soon as it was cut, and this one peice has so far drained a full cup of water!

Within an hour of putting it on the ground, a puddle has formed. Ive never seen water spew out of a tree before in such a manner!

Anyway, will get some photo's

 

[robin wood]

Bark varies hugely with location and age. Whilst these trees start with fairly similar smooth back once over 8" the characteristics become more apparent. Sycamore stays smooth longer maybe to 12=14" then breaks up into plates like a plane tree (pseudoplatanus)

Oak is browner and ash greyer and the bark just looks different. The fissures are smaller and more regular on ash and a glance at the cut ends will show brown heartwood on the oak and creamy all the way through on ash, these two are very easy to distinguish by smell too.