box elder

turningfool · December 13, 2006, 07:20:22 PM

box elder in michigan isnt worth much for building,burning,or anything else..i am looking for timber cutters that will allow me to traverse their piles of this stuff..i am a woodturner and i cant get enough of it..any takers? ;D

Mike_Barcaskey · December 13, 2006, 07:48:13 PM

I'd think you'd get some, too bad you ain't closer to western PA

Furby · December 13, 2006, 08:03:57 PM

Nice to meet ya Turningfool!
I got some red cants stashed that I'm hanging onto, but I got a tree that needs to come down.
I can let ya know if or when it does.
I think it's around 38" DBH so it sould have some nice color in it.

TexasTimbers · December 13, 2006, 10:59:21 PM

Hi there turning fool. Let's make a deal. I will show you some of my Box Elder and show us some of your turnings. We love pictures here at FF! 8)

I've been playing around with some of it lately . . . .

Jeff · December 13, 2006, 11:29:21 PM

Kevjay, looking at that stuff makes me wish I had a lathe! Pretty awesome looking.

TexasTimbers · December 14, 2006, 12:11:40 AM

Maybe we could get Santa to work a deal for us. ;)

Jeff · December 14, 2006, 12:20:03 AM

I been trying to get Santa to work a deal for a muzzle loader but Tammy says that Santa may have to give me a promissory note instead. :-\ Or Coal. :D

Furby · December 14, 2006, 12:21:15 AM

Tell Tammy I have some coal laying around here. ;)

TexasTimbers · December 14, 2006, 12:36:00 AM

Coal is sounding pretty good to this cold weather wimp, this time of year!

Furby · December 14, 2006, 12:41:19 AM

Cool, I'll trade ya some coal for some of that nice wood! :D :D

turningfool · December 14, 2006, 05:13:47 PM

kevjay..that is some mighty pretty box elder..do they all grow like that down in texas?

turningfool · December 14, 2006, 05:16:14 PM

kevjay..the hat i am wearing is black cherry made a few years ago..new to this site..as soon as figure out how to post more pictures i will..ty for sharing yours

Kevin · December 14, 2006, 05:27:09 PM

Isn't that the same weed they call Manitoba Maple?

Mike_Barcaskey · December 14, 2006, 05:36:26 PM

I heard it called "ash-leaf maple"

It is a member of the Acer family, same as maples

Kevin · December 14, 2006, 11:36:02 PM

Here it is Mike ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_negundo

Left Coast Chris · December 15, 2006, 01:45:20 AM

The pics of the box elder are very impressive. Do they have seeds and can anyone send some? ??? If they grow in texas they should grow in Calif eh? :P

Burlkraft · December 15, 2006, 06:54:47 AM

Be very careful.....Boxelder grows like weeds. They are weeds to a lot of people. Once they get started they are very hard to get rid of. They over populate the farmer's fence rows here. They all do not look like Kevin's do. Here if they get over 12" in diameter they rot and fall over and start growing from there. Besides...if you start growing it like Kevin's then how is he going to sell you some ??? ??? ??? :D :D :D

ohsoloco · December 15, 2006, 11:33:42 AM

I cut down the boxelder in my parents' back yard a few years ago because the house was getting covered with boxelder bugs. They don't hurt anything, but are very annoying, and they're good at leaving little red pooh stains on all of the curtains and window sills :(

Furby · December 15, 2006, 12:52:51 PM

Don't get me started on boxelder and boxelder bugs! >:(
I'm slowly trying to remove every boxelder from the area I can, but it's a losing battle. :-\
Please DON'T plant any out there.... really.

WDH · December 15, 2006, 01:30:00 PM

Looks like there is a love-hate relationship with Box Elder.

turningfool · December 15, 2006, 06:47:32 PM

like i said before..its now worth much around michigan other for turning most do not have anywhere near as much color as kevjays but still ate a pleasure to turn..very little checking and relatively stable when a few precautions are taken..i have seen willow fall and sprout new stuff all over the place..but i have personally never seen this in box elder ;D

SwampDonkey · December 15, 2006, 06:50:02 PM

It's not even native here, and it's taken over the river banks, and people's neglected back yards. Thank goodness our natural forest kills it out. I do like them as shade trees until limbs get broken off, then down they come with the chain saw.

TexasTimbers · December 16, 2006, 12:04:15 AM

tf,

No i don't think it grows like that all over Texas. I have been told that stress causesit, and I've also been told that the same ambrosia beetle that makes it turn brown, also makes it turn red.
i don't really know why it is so striking. I have not had the chance to go looking around for more of the stuff in other places in the county, to see if it is just this one patch or if it exists like this elswhere.
Furby is right about it growing all over the place once it gets started. Ya either love it or hate it.
Whatever the case, I'm glad I stumbled onto it!

Coon · December 16, 2006, 11:25:17 AM

We have a pile of that box elder on our farm. It isn't quite that big though. However there may even be some of that big of stuff further into the bush.

Box elder IS NOT the same as our Manitoba Maple. If I had a vehicle to go out to our farm with I would show you the difference. The same bugs do hit both species though as I have seen it.

box elder grows in wet areas around here. They often grow in amongst the willows here but take the areas where there is more sun. If someone wants some seeds I can get some and send them.

SwampDonkey · December 16, 2006, 11:56:33 AM

twig picture please. ;D Check out the Tree ID board (Overwintering). According to 'Natives Trees of Canada' it follows the river valley out your way Coon, in the southern part of Man. and Sask, it was more common where it is now cleared farmland and wasn't confined to river valleys. I have a PDF document with latin and 3 common names including those mentioned. File is too large to post or upload to my site (2.3 megs) Maybe your confusing it with some kind of willow? They get pretty big here, but not really tall, they tend to lean and spread with long limbs.