Solved: Loblolly Bay

[Tom]

Well I guess we shouldn't rest on our LAURELS :D
here's one to get us through the 4th of July.

It's a Tree that like's the swamp and has a rough bark.

[Gordon]

Boy Tom you go from one extreme to another. This one is so easy I'm not even going to put my guess down in writing. I'm just going to say it outloud. ;D

But if no one guesses it correctly by tomorrow night I'll post what I believe to be the correct answer. Now remember the last one I thought that I had the correct answer on so don't be afraid to guess. :

Gordon

[Don P]

Since they're both guesses and likely not good ones I'll stick em both in one post. M,guessed Stewartia. I chose Sweet Bay Magnolia. Have a safe and happy holiday all!

[Gordon]

Ok here is my guess, lets see if I'm going to eat my words from the earlier post. Loblolly-Bay thats may guess and I'm stickin to it.

Gordon

[Tom]

Gordon,
You did good.......it is Loblolly Bay. The woods and roadsides are full of it here and now that they are in bloom they have turned the place into a flowering garden.  It would be hard to appreciate it unless you could see it first hand.

Loblolly Bay is one of those trees that the general population has considered a trash tree for many years.  Some can be sold to Paper companies for pulp but most goes to chips for the boiler.  I have made an effort to reintroduce it as a lumber tree with some moderate success.  Those who have tried it love it.  It is fast growing and makes pretty cabinet wood.

Way to go Gordon.....you pulled the fat out of the fire.  :D

Don,
That was the reason I put the "rough" bark hint in the question because there are a lot of similarities between this tree and Loblolly Bay. Sweetbay's leaves are larger, which you can't tell very well from a picture, and the flower is not as symmetrical.  If you are in the woods with both trees then a whiff of a crushed leaf of sweet bay would be a dead giveaway.  It really is sweet.  The wood is creamy white and magnolia looking while the Loblolly bay is a reddish brown and looks a little bit like mahogany.

Stewartia's leaves are short and fat compared to Loblolly bay and the flower is larger with a purple center whereas Loblolly bay has a yellow center.

I like it when two come so close.

It's more fun when I know what it is too. :D

[Gordon]

The law of averages had to nail on sooner or later and this was later. But better later than never. ;D

Now I must take my 15 seconds of fame and do a happy dance. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Gordon

[Don P]

Good job Gordon, I'm down to the point of just guessing but its cheaper than the lotto :D. I don't even have a guess for Paul.

Tom,Do you have any pictures of the wood,sounds nice. How does it dry?(OK my stability hang up again) ;D

[Tom]

Don,
I don't have any pictures handy at the moment but I cut some Loblolly Bay for a neighbor a couple of years ago and I think he still has some.  I'll check with him and if he does I'll make some photos available.  As for drying, we have had no problems with it.  It seems to be as stable or more so than the Laurel oak we cut and definitely more stable than black gum.  

I cut some Red Bay and Sweet Bay for a logger last weekend and tried to get him to cut a loblolly Bay he had down.  He must have sold it.