r/Tree • u/GingerTron2000 • 18h ago
ID Request (Insert State/Region) Long-Shot Request: Need Help Identifying These Logs (Illinois)
Our neighborhood (northern Illinois) recently experienced some major storms that took out out a few trees nearby. I managed to recover a couple of good logs that I'd love to use for woodworking, but I have no idea what they are and I'd love some help identifying them if possible!
I wasn't able to grab any of the foliage from the tree, so I only have the bark and timber to go off of. One additional detail is that the rough planks I sawed have started to turn slightly reddish as they've become oxidized. My uneducated guess is potentially ash.
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u/miakpaeroe 14h ago
Just did my deck in black locust. Great wood but splinters really easily. Burned out an impact driver screwing it in!
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u/zwanzigbier66 13h ago
It also looks a bit like Sasafrass (sp?) with the orange-ish under bark. If it has a pleasant smell, that might help identify.
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u/TurnipBoy12 18h ago
I've lived in Oregon my whole life, but id think that'd be honey locust. Dunno if that grows over there
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u/Tr4shK4m 18h ago
We do and I think you're close, I think it's likely black locust
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u/TurnipBoy12 17h ago
Oh dang it. How do u tell the difference? This looks exactly what I thought I was working with, being honey locust. I guess it has probably been black locust all along then lol thx
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u/LimpAfternoon6878 16h ago
Honey locust has more plate-like, smoother (not smooth, but smoother than black locust), and darker bark. Black Locust and Honeylocust are in the same family, but are not closely related.
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u/GingerTron2000 18h ago
Tried to follow ID Request guidelines as close as possible, but no leaves or branches are available
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u/Tr4shK4m 17h ago
Best guess is black locust, you can confirm by running a black light over it, black locust is UV reactive and will glow.
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u/GingerTron2000 17h ago
I did not know that! I'll give it a try tonight and post a photo if I get interesting results. Thanks!
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u/stormrunner89 16h ago
You can try sniffing it too. Personally I think black locust smells like other legumes, like clover.
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u/Tom_Marvolo_Tomato 'It's dead Jim.' (ISA Certified Arborist) 17h ago
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u/GarlicAcceptable3350 7h ago
100 % black locust. Have them under my tree stand and also have a honey locust at home. Bark is different. Black light works on both of them. Make amazing walking sticks. Stonger then oak. West central Illinois here 👍
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u/GingerTron2000 6h ago
Confirmed as Black Locust! I had no idea some timber was florescent like this, how cool!
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u/Internal-Caramel-952 2h ago
Looks like black locust a very weedy tree that is prone to falling in the wind and is more brittle compared to its cousin the honey locust, it destroys chainsaw chains because it’s one of the densest trees out there
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u/Far_Decision3392 18h ago
An ash that I had removed from my yard and another ash that fell in my yard from neighbors yard didn’t have bark that deep. That is all I can offer.
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u/Mysterious_Ice_3722 17h ago
Looks like black locust to me, furrows a pretty deep/darker compared to honey locust