River bottom tree?

Magicman · June 23, 2018, 08:41:54 AM

I saw these trees at a city park campground yesterday at Pine Bluff, AR. They were among Cottonwoods and Box Elders.

The bark was relatively soft and the edges were easily broken off by hand. It's not a Hickory, Elm, Ash, or Basswood.

I took my knife point and dug through the outer bark. The cambium had a powerful and very pleasant odor. This is not a quiz, I want to know. ???

bluthum · June 23, 2018, 09:49:14 AM

Looks like Sassafras albidum. Can't see the leaf pics well but if they have anywhere from 1-3 lobes than it's probably sassafras. Great wood to work with.

Texas Ranger · June 23, 2018, 09:57:36 AM

My first thought was Sassafras, but, MM, you (should) know that smell.

pineywoods · June 23, 2018, 09:59:11 AM

sassafras, makins for root beer..

bwstout · June 23, 2018, 10:02:32 AM

when I was a kid mama would have us dig up the roots of a sassafras tree and scrap them like taters and she would boil them and we would have Sassafras Tea for supper. "the good old days"

Magicman · June 23, 2018, 01:59:46 PM

Oh no, surely I did not overlook and make that mistake. :

The bark is right and I do see a lobe on a couple of the leaves. I did tell you that it had a very pleasant odor, it did, and TR you are right, I should have known.

One of the trees was easily over 30" dbh.

WDH · June 23, 2018, 08:28:02 PM

Sassafras, by golly!

Yellowhammer is gonna wanna go cut it down and saw it. He saws a good bit of it. For, me, I have never sawn any. They don't typically grow to log size in this area.

Lawg Dawg · June 23, 2018, 08:56:21 PM

They only get about 4" round here, but makes good tea

Don P · June 23, 2018, 09:46:03 PM

"poor man's oak" is one name I came across, it also makes a good chestnut substitute and is rot resistant as well. I've only sawn a few, they rarely get to good size here, usually on sweeter soils. We also get a sasafrass borer followed by ants when they get to be of any size so most big ones are hollow.

Magicman · June 23, 2018, 10:33:53 PM

I doubt that I have ever sawn over ½ dozen and it's not something that I regularly see although when I see one on my property I know what it is.

I let this one bamboozle me. smiley_dizzy

WDH · June 24, 2018, 07:31:52 AM

I hate it when I get bamboozled

.

Texas Ranger · June 24, 2018, 08:10:01 AM

Gentlemen, if being bamboozled is the worse that happens to you this month, you are blessed. Just don't let the bamboozle take up residence! MM, identity of some of this stuff is interesting and can reach up a grab all of us, except Danny, the man is uncanny. ;D

Magicman · June 24, 2018, 08:22:01 AM

I would say that this got my goat but I don't want to Butt in on some other Goat's territory. :D

firefighter ontheside · June 24, 2018, 07:18:48 PM

I would never have recognized the bark, because like others our sassafras here doesn't get very big. Can't mistake the leaves though and the smell of the leaves when crushed. I've been camping in a river bottom this week. Lots of hackberry, ash, walnut and box elder. I wanted it all.

timberking · June 28, 2018, 12:57:28 PM

The question is what got you to Pine Bluff? Usually people are trying to leave. Kin folk lived there and I grew up 40 miles away.

Magicman · June 28, 2018, 01:44:14 PM

Driving home from Branson MO, Pine Bluff is about ¾ of the way and is an easy/convenient stopover for us. They have a "municipal" campground on the East side out on the river past the ball parks and golf course. Nothing fancy but for $18, it works for us. We have stayed there many times.

That is a ~20" Box Elder with Cottonwood, Box Elder, and Sassafras as well as the river in the background.

Funny but I was talking with a fellow camper at Musicland Campground in Branson who grew up in Pinebluff. He was surprised at where we were planning to stop because he had no idea that the campground was there.

SwampDonkey · June 28, 2018, 05:48:21 PM

Back in the 70's and early 80's there were a lot of little camp grounds and picnic sites here run by the provincial government, but successive governments since have closed them up. Mostly because among the public where people whose mission in life is to break up and destroy stuff. People get tired of fixing. Every lake or brook was signed on public land where a road crossed or went by. Where as in Quebec, NS and PEI their governments maintain them.

thecfarm · June 28, 2018, 08:39:56 PM

Swampdonkey,that's odd, Same thing here. Some even had a hand pump. Some had grill too. These was all maintained by the state. Some was quite big,some only had 2 tables. Some had a roof over the tables too. There was a big one in Pittsfield,I think I have the right town. Was about 500 feet off the road. All closed now.