Swamp Oak?

[Randy Anderson]

I've only come across a few pieces of this over the years. The last time it was a tree already cut down and brush cleared so no leaves to examine. My friend more knowledgeable about trees calls it Swamp Oak. I made and sold a few items from it using that name. I came across two more pieces recently and again, no leaves to see. It was on a pile of logs from a cleared lot. I've looked online and I don't really see a lot of consistency in pictures of wood to be certain. The look is the same as before - pale sapwood and deep brown heartwood. I really like it and want to be on the lookout for more. I kow there are LOTS of different types of oak so hard to be sure sometimes. Some wood pictures of Pin Oak do look exactly like it, some don't.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Pin Oak is what I was going to guess, I planted one of those in MN years ago and the nursery also alternately called it ‘Swamp’ oak.

 

[Glenn Lefley]

Pin Oak is what I was going to guess, I planted one of those in MN years ago and the nursery also alternately called it ‘Swamp’ oak.

Pin oak and white swamp oak two dif trees. First leaf pin second one swamp.

 

[Randy Anderson]

First - I'm no tree expert. If you look online you find tree identification sites calling Pin Oak / Swamp Spanish Oak as the same tree. There's also a White Swamp Oak that is different from what I can tell. Wikipedia (not always the best of sources I know) has a good article on Pin Oak/Swamp Spanish Oak. At this point I'm calling it Swamp Oak and letting it ride.

 

[Tim Connell]

White swamp oak is in the white oak group and pin oak (swamp Spanish oak) is in the red oak group. You can easily differentiate the two groups by looking closely at the end grain.

Rather than explain it here, take a look at this link with pictures and descriptions.

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/distinguishing-red-oak-from-white-oak/

 

[Mark Jundanian]

So there's swamp oak, which is not to be confused with swamp oak.

What we need is a DNA company. I can see it now: AssessTree.com

 

[Randy Anderson]

23andtree.com, or ancestree.com - sorry, just had to do it.

 

[Dean Center]

Good one, Randy!

If you're going to sell these pieces, or have happy family recipients, I'd suggest you refer to it as "Spanish Oak", regardless what species it is. Swamp Oak just doesn't have curb appeal.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

So there's swamp oak, which is not to be confused with swamp oak.

What we need is a DNA company. I can see it now: AssessTree.com

When we had the wood ID problem from the Saint Father Damien tree, a few months ago, someone sent a piece of the wood to a University, they do wood ID. My memory is playing games with me right now.

 

[Tim Connell]

USDA Forest Products Lab in Madison WI will analyze wood samples.

https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/research/centers/woodanatomy/wood_idfactsheet.php

 

[Kirk Amidon]

Whatever it is called, the contrast between light and dark within the wood is wonderful.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

The wood ID-ing is usually just to the genus, Like ELM but not the species, with Oak they can probably will tell you it is Red Oak or White Oak but nothing more than that.

If you have leafs and buds bark etc than they will probably get you closer to the species.

 

[Dean]

Randy, I think you have red oak there. The hard defined heartwood in only in smaller/younger trees. Or in branch wood. The trunk wood would be close to void on the heartwood definition or should I say hard contrast. The smooth bark is another indicator. As previously mention this is in the red oak family and these trees grow readily in your area. The are capable of reaching very large size and grow well in the Ozark south of the Ohio river in Kentucky and Tennessee. That is what I think I know without a leaf that’s as close as I can get.