How to identify tree by leaf

K

Kevin the grey

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Aug 26, 2005
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I typed that into a search engine and I came up with a good website . It is fairly comprehensive . Unfortunately I was doing it from memory . I will grab a couple of leaves off the tree .

The site came up with American Basswood . The leaf is certainly very similar if not identical . Unfortunately without the leaf in front of me there is a chance I am wrong . The book says Basswood is light and this is on the heavy side . Does anyone know of a tree with a similar leaf .?
 
Red Mulberry can have a leaf similar to Basswood, but it also has some that are "Catcher's Mitt" shaped too. Look up mulberry and compare:thumbup:
 
I,ll do that Hollowdweller . I have never heard of mullberry around here . Then again I never heard of kentucky coffee trees and we have a few of those .

I have to say all leaves are uniform except as to size . The most outstanding characteristics are the forward facing serrations which are not that common here . The site I used also relies upon texture which might help me to single out the tree .

Actually mullberry might make a good bow so I can always hope .
 
Hey Kevin,

The trees in this area, that are somewhat similar to Basswood (Tilia americana), alternate leaves; are Catalpa (Catalpa spp.),introduced, mostly smooth margined (no teeth) and opposite leaves; Red Bud (Cercis canadensis), most likely not in your area unless introduced, smooth margined and alternate leaves; and Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), introduced, weakly toothed, opposite leaves; so the only one in this area, that I'm familiar with, that has alternate leaves is Red Bud, and it has a smooth margin (no teeth) on the leaves.

If it is Basswood, that's a lucky find because it is a premium wood for friction fire making, both for drill and hearth, the wood is excellent for carving (bowls, dishes, spoons, decoys, etc.), the inner bark makes excellent cordage, probably one of the two best sources in this area (Indian Hemp, Apocynum cannibinum being the other), both inner and outer bark can be used for basket making, the flowers make an excellent herbal tea and the winter buds are edible, but, alas, not a good bow wood.
 
Doc , Its the perfect size for a walking stick . This is a land fill and so its hard to say where it came from . I do have to say the teeth are not that large but very distinct and forward pointing .

I am fairly certain there is lots and lots and yes lots of ash . The challenge is finding one that is straight and not too tall . Supposedly an eight inch diameter is the most economical in that you can get 4 staves out of that diameter with little waste . The eight inch diameter trees here are very tall . When I am more practiced I will take one down . It would be very embarrassing if I didn,t make it home at night . All those nasty forms to fill out . Well at least someone would have to fill them out . L:O:L

I will look for a much smaller ash and put the waste down to a learning experience . I may look at making smaller items from the unuseable portions .

I,ll let you guys know what the tree in question ends up being .
 
Well guys I,m just not sure . The site says it might be an elm . I went to the foliage I had cut off and it was quite shrivelled up due to the heat . I rehydrated it fairly well though you can imagines its not perfect .

Some Elms are good excepting the slippery one . I may not have the same site as the other one was more exacting and even got down to the texture of the leaf . Anybody have any ideas as to how to single it out as an elm feel free . I will try in the morning when I am not so tired . I had a great day out at the range lotsa shooting and I made an Indian drawknife out of an old butcher knife . See ya tomorrow .
 
I have twice come up with elm though I am less sure than the site . The site can only work with info provided .
There are some ambiguities mostly to do with leaf size .Also one of the leaves has an irregular lobe which does not jibe . Any idea as to the one leaf with a non regular lobe ?

For now I will treat the tree as an Elm which is good news for bow building .
I will try to make a broad long bow . This may make up for a lack of experience , tree type ambiguity and my being new to the hatchet method . As Lee Trevino said " Never up , Never in " . I,m going to scare up the best suited tool I have for the task . I hope I don,t have to re-edge something .

Thanks for the Tim Baker method . When I do a lumber bow again it will be the method I choose .
 
I have tons of elm and basswood.

Would you like me to go out this evening (if I remember) and take some side by side pics of the leaves?

A basswood leaf IS similar to an elm but about 10 times larger, about as big around as your hand. Also Basswood tends to grow in clumps. If I remember I'll take a pic of this huge clump up by my spring.
 
Hollowdweller , That would be great . Could you see if there is the odd leaf with a lobe on the Elm ? It is hard to say if this odd lobe is true to form . It may be a damage caused by an insect or other outside influence . My buddy started a scrapbook of leaves under waxed paper of trees he was interested in . In this age of high quality graphics available in books and on the net I respect his endeavor . There is something to be said for the hands on approach . A little practice cements the theory in the old noggin . I may look into starting a similar book . I just hope it doesn,t become another dsty tome in my library . You should see my complete works of Shakespeare . I am afraid old Willy would not be amused . L:O:L
 
I took this one off the net but here's a red mulberry lobed leaf.
leaf.jpg
 
Thanks Hollowdweller . The lobe is certainly interestingly similar . The teeth don,t seem to point forward as much and the point seems more elongated .

I,m going to wait until its not so stinking hot out and do some proper harvesting . I,ll take some leaves from some promising trees and identify them before I cut it . There may even be some Beech on the back of this property .
I will proabably harvest a small Ash next and be set for the winter . Lots of stuff to learn .
 
If what you have is Mulberry it'll make a nice bow. It is in the osage family:thumbup:
 
mewolf1 said:
If what you have is Mulberry it'll make a nice bow. It is in the osage family:thumbup:
Click to expand...

You know when I relied upon someone else telling me what was whar all the trees looked the same as they did to him . Now There may be Elm , mullberry or basswood , Ash and beech . There is also some thornwood that is very heavy . It just proves "Ya snooze , Ya lose "
 
hollowdweller said:
I took this one off the net but here's a red mulberry lobed leaf.
leaf.jpg
Click to expand...

there's some that look like that but are paper mulberry...

then there's the mulberry that looks like basswood exceptthat basswood has these extra little "sails" on the seeds/stems, and there's a bit of difference in that mulberry is "shiny" and the basswood dull/dark/matte.

mulberries are ripe in my area now and are "teh yum" :)

bladite
 
Bladite said:
there's some that look like that but are paper mulberry...

then there's the mulberry that looks like basswood exceptthat basswood has these extra little "sails" on the seeds/stems, and there's a bit of difference in that mulberry is "shiny" and the basswood dull/dark/matte.

mulberries are ripe in my area now and are "teh yum" :)

bladite
Click to expand...

As Mewolf1 said .Once you get some experience with a board bow it will apparently give you a nice bow as well .
 
i love eating mullberrys they are "teh yum" as it was stated and i think that mullberry and basswood look the same cept when you get close and see the bark there are differences look and see!!
 
ajcz said:
i love eating mullberrys they are "teh yum" as it was stated and i think that mullberry and basswood look the same cept when you get close and see the bark there are differences look and see!!
Click to expand...

The e-book I was reading on it didn,t cross reference like that . You are right it would be very good if it said "if the leaf looks like that and the bark is like this"
 
I have a pic of basswood and elm leaves side by side I took last evening will try to post it this eve.:thumbup:
 
Thanks hollowdweller . When you can . I hope its mulberry if its from the osage family . I have a buddy who likes to make osage bows . He has one that is truly snaky in profile and shoots like a dream .
 
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