The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Tree, Plant and Wood I.D. => Topic started by: Ews on August 25, 2023, 12:39:48 PM

Title: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: Ews on August 25, 2023, 12:39:48 PM
 There are clearly a bunch of poplar logs in here, but are any of the darker ones walnut?  This is far south central/western Georgia; walnut are present but uncommon except outside of intentional plantings.  I know poplar heartwood can exhibit a range of colors, but never personally seen any this dark brown and uniformly so; color seems to persist on cut ends and split insides even after several weeks in direct sun.  I know walnuts by leaf and nut, but am really not familiar with walnut logs.  I know the scents of both woods pretty well, but I have a cold and am not picking up much scent from them in any case.  Have not cut any yet.

Bark on the darker heart logs looks similar to poplar except perhaps a little rougher (though the logs have been beat up a bit) - and the one log with some oak leaves in the picture (the second picture, if I've got the ordering right) had significantly deeper bark fissures than typical of poplar.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/70497/PXL_20230825_145356436.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1692979660)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/70497/PXL_20230825_150440262.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1692979742)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/70497/PXL_20230825_150208648.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1692979711)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/70497/PXL_20230825_145728361.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1692979729)
 
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/70497/PXL_20230825_150158753.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1692979737)
 
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: Don P on August 25, 2023, 01:09:41 PM
With that pine I suspect you are south of me, everything else I see is tulip poplar basking in the hot sun.
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: Ron Scott on August 25, 2023, 05:52:35 PM
Tulip poplar.
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: SwampDonkey on August 26, 2023, 04:49:41 AM
Funny about the tulip tree wood, even balm of gilead (balsam poplar) will go dark brown in the heart. I've seen it confused with red oak, but can't understand why.
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: customsawyer on August 26, 2023, 06:08:40 AM
Yup all poplar. Some loggers sure are rough on the logs down here in GA. aren't they?
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: Ews on September 08, 2023, 12:56:55 AM
Thanks for all the responses. This was at a debris pile and destined for the grinder.  Most tree services do abuse their logs, unfortunately - a lot of good wood goes to waste.
Got over that cold and with my nose back can confirm that those that responded all poplar were mostly correct  - except that they overlooked the second picture, which on closer inspection I believe is a cottonwood.
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: Magicman on September 08, 2023, 09:08:59 AM
If you are referring to the tall picture with the "half" log, no that is also Poplar.  Cottonwood generally does not show any heartwood and if it does it will be yellowish.
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: Ews on September 09, 2023, 11:38:34 PM
It's definitely cottonwood - still had a branch with leaves. 
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: SwampDonkey on September 10, 2023, 03:43:16 AM
I've not dealt with cottonwood here, out of it's range. But the 3 other populous species we have can get a dark heart, balsam is most always dark, the other two are generally off white unless they have disease in the trunk like shelf conks which show themselves on old branch knots. A lot of times they are not fully grown into shelves, but a grey rounded mass with a 'cut' line that will become a shelf.
Title: Re: Walnut or all poplar?
Post by: Magicman on September 10, 2023, 08:07:08 AM
Quote from: Ews on August 25, 2023, 12:39:48 PM(the second picture, if I've got the ordering right) had significantly deeper bark fissures than typical of poplar.
You did not mention the leaves. :)

Quote from: Ews on September 08, 2023, 12:56:55 AMexcept that they overlooked the second picture, which on closer inspection I believe is a cottonwood.
You still did not mention the leaves.  :)

Quote from: Ews on September 09, 2023, 11:38:34 PMIt's definitely cottonwood - still had a branch with leaves.
Yea !!!  Cottonwood will have heart shaped leaves whereas Poplar will have Poplar shaped leaves. ;D