Tree identification

Rob Keeble

Member
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Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Last weekend we had thanksgiving in Canada. While out camping (a traddition my friends and i have adopted) I thought for once i would kill some time and get pictures of the trees for identification along with their leaves.

I was going to post this as a little contest but on further investigation i am concerned about the tree decription. So i thought best just clear up what you guys think these are called.

Here are the pairs as i matched them from directly under the tree

leaf a.jpg bark a.jpg I thought this was Beech.

Yea or ney

leaf b.jpg Bark b.jpg This one i was told was aspen?

leaf c.jpg bark c.jpg Oak but which one?

leaf d.jpg bark d.jpg Birch but not according to Canadian ministry of natural resources.:dunno: Check out the leaf.

leaf e.jpg bark e.jpg Maple now is it hard or soft maple :dunno: i know its sugar maple that helps my pancakes it does not help my woodworking.

I also have a pic of polar and red maple but need to reduce and post again will do later this weekend.

I would be very intereste to hear your replys and please offer sources for identification. I was a little dissapointed with our natural resources gov site given we a lumber country with so many trees.
 
Last weekend we had thanksgiving in Canada. While out camping (a traddition my friends and i have adopted) I thought for once i would kill some time and get pictures of the trees for identification along with their leaves.

I was going to post this as a little contest but on further investigation i am concerned about the tree decription. So i thought best just clear up what you guys think these are called.

Here are the pairs as i matched them from directly under the tree

View attachment 50045 View attachment 50047 I thought this was Beech.

Yea or ney

I would be very intereste to hear your replys and please offer sources for identification. I was a little dissapointed with our natural resources gov site given we a lumber country with so many trees.

Okay, I'll take the first one:

No doubt it's Fagus grandifolia = American Beech
Photo ID here (scroll down)

:thumb:

I don't think the 2nd is an Aspen. Wrong leaf shape and wrong bark. IMHO.
 
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If I am not mistaken broad leaf bearing trees are hard wood and evergreen (needles) are soft wood. So maple, oak, chestnut, arbutus.... hard woods, Fir, pine, spruce, cedar, .... soft woods. The density of the wood has nothing to do with it.

Are there any fruits or berry's / flowers with the trees?
 
Drew, you're absolutely right. The deciduous trees are called "hard" and the conifers are called "soft", and it has nothing to do with their density. However, in the case of Maples, Genus Acer, there are some varieties which are called "hard" and others that are called "soft" and there is a significant difference in the density of the wood. 45 lbs/cu ft versus 35 lbs/cu ft. So it's basically "harder" vs. "softer". And in general terms, the sugar maple is hard and the red and silver maples are soft. How to tell the difference? Can you stick your fingernail in the wood or not, and the softer varieties tend to be grey-er. Below are some articles if you want to read further about it (or don't believe me) :) .

Here (this is a thread from the University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens Forum) and here and here.
 
Number 4 is definitely a white birch.

This thread should go in the "You know you are a Woodworker" thread.

When You go camping with the guys and instead of drinking beer around the camp fire you take pictures of leaves.:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Thanks Roger and Bob. Bob this was a family weekend not boys camping.:) Educating kids to me is important if they gonna look after our wood pile for when we much older and need more oxygen.:D
 
Tree ID

The second one looks like Hop Hornbeam to me. I would not be a very large diameter trunk-probably less than a foot. Also known as ironwood.

The Birch may not be specifically White Birch, but it is definitely a Birch.

There are 2 Hard Maples in N. America-Black and Sugar Maples. Sugar is common, Black is less so. The leaves you show could be Sugar Maple. Your national symbol !:wave:

Learning about trees can be a lot of fun.:thumb:
 
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