#build6

White Ash

Fraxinus americana

Type: Deciduous Native Range: North America Zone: 4 to 9 Height: 50.00 to 80.00 feet Spread: 40.00 to 50.00 feet Bloom Time: April Bloom Description: green, purple non ornamental flowers Sun: Full sun Water: Any Maintenance: Low Leaf: Deciduous

This tree sadly had lost almost all of its leaves, so documenting the leaves of this tree was nearly impossible. I found myself often looking at the ground around trees trying to find their fallen leaves. I couldn’t find this one. online they looked rather non important anyways, earning a 1 out of 4. The bark looked the best on this tree, deeply ravined, yet also flattened on the top, almost plateau like it reminded me of a canyon landscape. The scoring for the bark went 3 for 3 and the landscape uniqueness came up short earning a 1 out of 3. This tree is pretty nondescript in a New England deciduous forest.

Bark: (1-3) 3

Leaves: (1-4) 1

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 1

Total: 5

I would be amiss if i didn’t mention the emerald ash borer once in my first ash tree entry, and this tree is not immune. The good news is that out of all the ash family, this one isn’t the preferred target, like the green ash and black ash. The wood must be tasty. The wood properties of this tree include  flooring, mill work, boxes/crates, baseball bats, and other turned objects such as tool handles.

This tree is similar to oak in its capabilities, where it CAN be used in construction, but other woods are preferred over it. The tree still scores well, and is reasonably priced in the market, earning a 6 out 10 for build. The MOE of this tree is 1,740,000 lbf/in2, which isn’t a bad rating, but still lacking behind other hardwoods.

Source: 

1. https://www.wood-database.com/white-ash/

2. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=1082

Red Oak

Quercus Rubra

Type: Tree Family: Fagaceae Native Range: Eastern North America Zone: 4 to 8 Height: 50.00 to 75.00 feet Spread: 50.00 to 75.00 feet Bloom Time: May Bloom Description: Yellowish-green Sun: Full sun Water: Dry to medium

BUILD/BEAUTY

The Red Oak is one of the most common oaks in this area of the world, and this example is quite a large/old specimen. The leaves of this tree are similar to that of most oaks, and most similarly is the pin oak, due to its pointed teeth. The bark on this tree is more deeply veined than other oaks that I have seen, and the northern face was home to much lichen as well. The bark earns a 2 out of 3, as its pretty good looking. The leaves are nothing too special, athough the fall color was nice to look at, earning a 2 out of 4. The landscape uniqueness fell flat at 1 out of 3, due to this tree being a common addition to New England forests. 

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 2

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 1

Total: 5

For build quality, the red oak has a janka hardness of 1,220 lbs of force. The wood its self, is similar to that of many other oaks, such as the pin oak, and black oak. Some of its most common uses are cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, and veneer. This wood is some of the most popular woods out there for cabinetry and flooring. Sometimes even fake imitation laminates copy the Red Oaks pattern to try to emulate it. Like many other oaks, this ones gets a 6 out of 10 for build quality.

Source: 

1. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=877

2. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=i760

Pin Oak

Quercus palustris

Tree or Plant Type: Tree

Foliage: Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves)

Native Locale: Chicago area, Illinois, North America

Landscape Uses: Shade tree, Specimen

Size Range: Large tree (more than 40 feet)

Mature Height: 60-70 feet

Mature Width: 40-50 feet

Light Exposure: Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily)

Hardiness Zones:  Zone 4-8

BUILD/BEAUTY

This pin oak I found near my parents home in the Boxford town forest. Its a long chain of connected woodlands with trails intertwining old fields and homes. This particular location was right next to a field that was cultivated for the last 200 years at least, and is still being cultivated today. I have a soft spot for Oaks when it comes to aesthetic properties. This example I would believe to be around 80-100 years old, and it is huge. The bark is nicely ravened and cracked, typical of a tree of this age, earning a 2 out of 3. The leaves are the most unique part of the tree, earning a 3 out of 4, as they share the typical oak shape, but are much sharper, having deep lobes and sharp edges. The landscape uniqueness in this context is also high, earning a 2 out of 3. This forest that I explored was mostly beech, so this oak was a welcome addition to the beech grove.

Bark: (1-3) 2

Leaves: (1-4) 3

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 2

Total: 7

For a building material, the pin oak has a janka hardness rating of 1,500lbs of force, a notably hard wood. The pin oak’s most common uses are cabinetry, interior trim, flooring, and veneer, but it is most commonly found in furniture building. The wood is strong, and does well holding weight. The usage of this wood in building  is that to its brother the Red Oak, where yes it can be used in dimensional lumber, but historically has not been, as the trunks often aren’t straight enough for enough distance to make them a viable option.

This tree earns a 6 out of 10 for build qualities

Source:

1. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=879

Gray Birch

Botanical name: Betula populifolia All Common Names: gray birch, white birch, poplar birch Family (English): Birch Family (Botanic): Betulaceae Planting Site: Residential and parks, Wide median Tree or Plant Type: Tree Foliage: Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves) Native Locale: North America Landscape Uses: Shade tree, Specimen Size Range: Medium tree (25-40 feet), Small tree (15-25 feet) Mature Height: 20-40 feet Mature Width: 10-20 feet Light Exposure: Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily) Hardiness Zones: Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5 (Chicago), Zone 6, Zone 7

BUILD/BEAUTY:

This gray birch is aesthetically pleasing due to its stark white bark. This characteristic is what makes birch so easy to identify in a dense woods. The leaves aren’t particularly unique, as they are simple, pointed, and roughly margined. The fall color observed was a nice yellow green form. As for this tree in a landscape, I would argue its one of the most identifiable trees of all time. I will award this tree a 8 out of 10 for aesthetics. 

Bark: (1-3) 3

Leaves: (1-4) 2

Landscape uniqueness: (1-3) 3

Total: 8

For a building material, gray birch isn’t particularly a great choice due to the relatively small diameter of the trunks, usually less than 1 foot across. This inhibits any type of dimensional lumber production, although the wood is actually quite good looking, having a nice marbled effect with multiple shades of wood.

The uses in practice of this tree include plywood, boxes, crates, as well as other small wooden ornamental pieces such as handles to tools and veneer for cabinetry. I will award this tree a 6 out of 10 for its build score.

Source:

https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/gray-birch