Trees

Being into woodworking and tree identification simultaneously is super problematic. I want to use trees and save them at the same time.

Another frustration is that lumber folks and tree science folks do not agree. The most popular lumber tree in the Western United States is the Douglas-fir (the dash means "not really a", so it's not really a fir). The most popular in the Eastern US is southern yellow pine (any of five or so species). The most popular hardwood is oak, which is actually any of dozens of different species. After that is tulip-poplar (note the dash) which is not really a poplar. Cedar in the Americas is all related to juniper or cypress, none of it is actually true cedar (which comes from the middle east).

This week on my hikes at Chimney Rock State Park I identified:

• Pignut Hickory
• Black Walnut
• Red Oak
• Chinkapin Oak
• Chestnut Oak
• White Oak
• Sassafras (I love the smell of these, and that it has medicinal uses)
• Sumac (The flowers look like weed)
• American Elm
• Rhododendron (Tons of beautiful flowers)
• Magnolia Magniflora
• Magnolia Fraseri ("umbrella tree" - I didn't know these were a magnolia because the leaves are not "glossy")
• Pin Oak
• Black Locust (I'm super in love with pinnate and bipinnate leaves)
• Tulip-poplar (Some of these are stunningly huge)
• Mountain Laurel
• Probably more that I've forgotten
  
  Anyway, go touch trees.