Could it be ... an American Chestnut?

[Digger Don]

Well, more accurately, what's left of one. This tree has been dead for a long time, decades maybe?, and leaning against the tree that I just took down. I'm guessing Chestnut simply because it is supposed to be resistant to rot. I don't expect much, but I'm hoping to get a few boards out of it.

Extra points if you can identify the tree it's laying on. Thanks.



 



 




 



 

The last picture just shows two more that are still leaning against other trees.

[Don P]

Appears to be and I've gotten a few that way. polish the end grain, there should be no visible, oak, rays. On teardown work you learn to segregate the chestnut by weight, it is a good bit lighter than oak. Or chestnut oak 

[Digger Don]

I haven't weighed it, but it certainly seems lighter than oak. Much lighter. Would a Chestnut Oak still be as solid as this is, after who knows how many years? I've owned the property close to 40 years and I suspect it been leaning against the other tree that whole time. Of course, I can't guarantee that.

[SwampDonkey]

Could be a dead ash to by the look of the grain. If it stood for awhile and just recently fell down. If it were on the ground awhile then probably not ash. I've seen flooded ash stand dead for 10 years. Some places built with ash, but more common was chestnut or oak for sure. Around these parts ash is by the millions, oak is by the 10's and chestnut is 0. :D Red oak doesn't have much chance on my woodlot between the hares and the black bears. White oak doesn't exist except a rare patch or two of burr oak in southern NB low lands and perhaps a tree here and there of no significance. Of course a 40 year old white oak on the lawn that don't count because it's from NH. :D

[Digger Don]

I was under the impression that once an ash tree died, it would get brittle and snap off rather quickly. Five years, or less. I even had one guy tell me that they would last longer on the ground, than standing dead. This one has been dead for decades. The only reason it's on the ground now, is that the tree it was leaning against died and I cut it for logs. The bottom six feet or so were hollow, but other than the splits, it seems to be solid.

[Southside]

We had a lot of Ash get killed here by the EAB and every single dead standing tree has been brittle and either snapped off on it's own or would break as you were felling it by 4 or 5 years.

[SwampDonkey]

Different climate up here to. But, if it was dead for over a decade it ain't ash. I have some ash on my ground dead almost 20 years, but most of the tops are down and there might be 14 foot stubs left at most there. Beaver flooded. At 10 years like I said before, 50 foot tall stubs still standing. All the branches are gone or broke and top by then. All depends on where you live. Dead white birch will rot and fall down a lot faster than ash. White birch garden stakes are good for a year, ash lasts probably 5 years here. Still have some I'm using for the 4th year, so I'll know for sure if I can get more than 5 years. That's just a stick compared to a log. ;D