Willow or Sweet chestnut?

[Scottishwanderer]

Went out today, to find some willow. Found a bunch so coppiced a wee bit out for carving a try stick.

Now what i think was willow i now think was actually sweet chestnut but i'm not sure and need to find out.

Don't have pics but i'll describe it's properties, It is easy to remove the inner and outer bark, the inner bark should make great cordage, the wood smelled and felt like wet potatoe and it carves like one too.

The leaves look like willow but are more jaggedy edged.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

There is quite a difference between willow & sweet chestnut !......have you tried googling images ?

 

[Shewie]

Sweet chestnut should have big catkins or even fruit on by now, the leaves are usually much bigger too. I think even on young coppiced growth the leaves are quite big. The top of the leaf should be smooth and hairless on chestnut, on willow is silvery haired on both sides

There are similarities so it's hard to call without seeing any piccies

 

[Scottishwanderer]

Damn lol

I used this to identify the leaves a while ago i must not have taken into account scale.

I've got a bit of inner bark, can it just be soaked and made into cord?

 

[Ian S]

I'd be rather surprised (though pleasantly so) if you found sweet chestnut as far north as Fife. I understood it only really grew in fairly southern England.

Cheers

 

[greensurfingbear]

We have some sweet chest nut here in Newcastle although its not very common so there may be some in fife. Without a pic I'd be hard pressed to I.D it on your description. Some Willow species are easy to de-bark

 

[Shewie]

I'd be rather surprised (though pleasantly so) if you found sweet chestnut as far north as Fife. I understood it only really grew in fairly southern England.

Cheers

Plenty here in Yorkshire Ian, the fruit has been very poor for the last few years though.

I think there's a sweet chestnut up at Loch Sween, could've been a horse chestnut though thinking about it.

 

[Scottishwanderer]

I know what i have done.

I hand draw trees when in the woods then id them when i get home. I forget to put a heading in my notes and got lost in the process.

The wood is willow.

Is it just me or is it prone to splitting when green?

I was carving a few round reductions for a trap and the kept splitting perfectly square.

 

[Bigfoot]

I know of Sweet Chestnut in the Glasgow area, I am looking forward to my foraging 'cos they make a great topping for a bramble and apple crumble

 

[lannyman8]

sounds like willow to me, what colour was it?????

 

[Callum]

Sweet Chestnut grows throughout the UK including north of Scotland.