Wood identification

[Penllysbach]

Afternoon all
I picked up this just chopped wood a couple of weeks ago but have no idea what it is. It was on a rural lane, could have been hedging of some sort ....
Thanks

 

[peterw3035]

Could be ash, a lot of ash trees have been taken down due to ash die back. Does it have an open grain?

 

[heronviewer]

I agree - ash.

 

[Tanglefoot20]

I do think that is Ash...very distinct grain.

 

[Adam W.]

That bone white colour reminds me of the Ashen tree.

And I like your turnings. Did you do them on a pole lathe ?

 

[Robbo3]

Looks very much like holly. White wood & smooth mottled bark.

 

[Penllysbach]

Thanks all, I have some both holly and ash so can check against them. It was quite a small piece and I think part of a hedgerow .....
Re pole lathe, no but like to try working on one.

 

[gregmcateer]

I would have guessed holly as the grain is so pale.
But interestingly, I've just split some holly I was given, but it has the most amazing grain I've ever seen:
(NOT trying to hijack your thread, just coincidence I got this holly yesterday)

 

[KimG]

It's Ash, holly bark has small blister like bits on it a bit like Cherry and the grain doesn't have the open vessels the way Ash does, it's a much denser tighter grained wood that Ash.

 

[Penllysbach]

Thanks, but doesn't ash turn link when cut?

 

[Adam W.]

Holly is used for white ornamental inlay.

 

[Tris]

Thanks, but doesn't ash turn link when cut?

Not always, I think it has something to do with the soil it is grown on, used to see it a lot on chalky soils but not on the cotswold brash.
The pinkness fades out fairly rapidly on most ash in my experience.
Regards
Tris

 

[KimG]

Thanks, but doesn't ash turn link when cut?

You mean Pink, yes it can do, but I think it may also depend on how wet the wood is as well as the the reason Tris gives, Holly to though goes through some very odd coloyur changes when wet, sort of a greyish blue green and quite pronounced. The bark though is the clearest indicator in these images, on a decent sized log like this the bark of the two species is noticibly different. Ill see if I can gig out a lump of holly and post it up for comparison.

 

[Linus]

Here's some recently cut holly

 

[Penllysbach]

Ah, ok, thank you .. and yes, I did mean pink!!

 

[KimG]

Great pictures Linus, the tall log really shows clearly the small horizontal blister like marks characteristic of Holly, the slice through also shows the much closer grain structure too. Thanks!

 

[Linus]

De nada!

 

[Woody2Shoes]

It looks extremely holly-like - with the pale wood and the green cambium layer under the thin bark. If you scratch that bark/green bit you get a very distinctive "holly smell" (almost smells like a salad vegetable - holly leaves used to be used for animal fodder). Ash is different in several ways (it smells very different too!).