Help with Tree ID

[stanwelch]

Is the attached picture of an American Beech?  The tree is growing in southern Michigan. Picture was taken in mid January 2013.  Brown leaves in foreground are attached to the tree.

 
What do you think?

[JohnW]

Yes, that's a beach.  Beach has a smooth bark that scars like that, and golden brown leaves, that shape, that would still be on the tree this time of year.

[thecfarm]

Most of my Beech looks the same way. I was walking on some of my land that I don't get to all that often. I came to a Beech that had nice and smooth bark on it. I had to look up at the leaves to see it was a Beech tree.  :  Just want to identify it or looking for firewood or sawlogs?

[WDH]

You will notice that it has a brown, cigar shaped, bud about 1/2" long with distinctly overlapping scales.  Most of the big ones down here are hollow.

[thecfarm]

WDH,mine too are hollow,well the big,old ones are. I was cutting a good size one,probably more than 2½ feet across. I was making the back cut and all at once liquid is coming out from my chainsaw. I stopped thinking it was gas, :. It kept flowing. Than I came to,it was water coming from the center of the tree. I just cut into the middle and there must of been a rotten limb that was letting water into the tree. Really made me wonder at first. I was cutting firewood. Those things split hard in 4 foot lengths.

[stanwelch]

theCfarm,  This tree is an oddity I noticed when I was felling some red oak at my woodlot.  I'm thinking about trying to get some saw logs from this tree next spring.  I might to get some interesting lumber.
Thanks everyone for helping me ID this tree.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, to American Beech. It often makes for a good den, snag, or cavity tree for wildlife as well as a den tree. They are also a choice tree upon which previous forest users have carved their initials.

[thecfarm]

stan,just so you know,beech is kinda like white birch,it will go bad fast out in the weather.

[stanwelch]

Thanks cfarm.   Good to know.  I'll drop the tree this summer and mill it up right away.  I'll store the lumber under cover to air dry and give it a good spray of Timbor.