Limerick Tree ID. Who Am I?

[doctorb]

I'm a tree often absent from the beauty list,
I stand out when others don't, and that's a twist,
In Spring bloom I'm a dud,
My Fall color's a dull thud,
But in Winter my appearance can't be missed.

[thecfarm]

evergreen? ,can't be,that would be too easy.

[doctorb]

I see where you are going and that's not what I had in mind.  I don't think evergreens have fall color!

[WDH]

Hmmmm....twist.  Must be spiral grain.  No showy flowers.  Not pretty.  Poor fall color.  Hmmmm.  Twist?  Something must be twisted.  Stands out in winter without any leaves? 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Witch Hazel

[doctorb]

Danny- you are right on target!   So give me some candidates!  BTW- you know too much, so don't over think it.

David- I wouldn't know a Witch Hazel if she flew into my kitchen.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

David- I wouldn't know a Witch Hazel if she flew into my kitchen.

:D :D :D Well it does bloom in the Winter.

[thecfarm]

Not in the Glacial North it don't.  :D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

What region does it grow in, Doc?

[WDH]

David is twisted. 

Elm is twisted.  Not showy in spring.  Leaves are small and just turn brown and fall off.  Wood is twisted.  Ranges from very hard to split up to unsplittable.  Need firewood in winter.  Trying to split firewood.  Twisted.  Back hurts, wedges don't help.  Winter, cold.  Elm a pain in the butt log.  Firewood.  Twisted. 

Stands out in winter.  Good heating value.  Twisted.

Elm. 

[thecfarm]

My book shows it in Maine,Hamamelis virginiana

[WDH]

Witch hazel is in the same family as sweetgum  .  Sweetgum is twisted.  However, the fall color of sweetgum, a deep purple is a bit showy  .

[doctorb]

Stands out in winter without any leaves?

I don't think a wintering elm is necessarily a notable tree in appearance. 

I may have barked up the wrong tree with this!

[WDH]

Nope, not notable.  Back to the drawing board....  :P.

[doctorb]

Widely distributed.  Maine to Iowa to Texas and n. Florida. A common and easily recognized tree.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Nope, not notable.  Back to the drawing board....  :P.

That's Rad !

[doctorb]

Sweetgum is really very pretty in the fall.  There are, however, some similarities with the tree in question.....

[Jeff]

I don't think I'm up to this. :D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I don't think I'm up to this. :D

Good 1.  :D

[WDH]

I don't think I'm up to this. :D

I know!  I know!  It is a monotype.  The bark is the key, right  ???.

[Texas Ranger]

dogwood

[doctorb]

Not dogwood.  Nice reddish color in early fall.  Doesn't stand out once the leaves have fallen.

I was wondering when Jeff would appear!  He has difficulty resisting limericks.

[doctorb]

  It is a monotype.  The bark is the key, right  ???.

Yes and yes.  So close, so very close.

[stumpjumper83]

Paper Birch?  One evergreen does have some nice fall colors, the Japanese Larch, They turn a pretty yellow in the fall.

[doctorb]

Paper birch is a tree with which I am not too familiar, but it certainly fits the description.  In my neck of the woods, this mystery tree is very, very common, unlike the paper birch.  Good guess, but not what I am looking for.