# Tree ID Quiz



## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

What tree is this? It grows in N. WI, heavy wet soil. It has a greasy brownish leave, but otherwise looks like a poplar leave. It's bark is like poplar but darker and rougher, and its wood has much dark wood in its core so pulp mills usually refuse it. The wood is poor for firewood as it is very wet and once dry has little mass. It is a weak, fast growing tree that is also short lived. Now I can find the answer online, but for the first 10 years around here, no local could give me the accurate name that I could verify. One more hint: Despite its shortcomings, it is a tree of some value.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

Looks like a Bradford pear.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

dizzy said:


> Looks like a Bradford pear.


No, sorry. That is not it.


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

MichaelZ said:


> What tree is this? It grows in N. WI, heavy wet soil. It has a greasy brownish leave, but otherwise looks like a poplar leave. It's bark is like poplar but darker and rougher, and its wood has much dark wood in its core so pulp mills usually refuse it. The wood is poor for firewood as it is very wet and once dry has little mass. It is a weak, fast growing tree that is also short lived. Now I can find the answer online, but for the first 10 years around here, no local could give me the accurate name that I could verify. One more hint: Despite its shortcomings, it is a tree of some value.


A quiz? Whether it's a quiz or a sincere request for ID I think you haven't provided enough information. Those leaves don't look greasy brownish to me. They look glossy lime green and they look to me like black cottonwood, which does fit the description you provided and is a member of the poplar family.

How big do the trees get? What color is the underside of the leaves? Are the undersides glossy or matte? How big in width and length are the mature leaves? What do the flowers/fruits/seed pods look like, and how big do they get? Do you have any better pictures that show the full tree and it's formation, a close up of the bark, flowers, seeds, etc.?


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

Paumon said:


> A quiz? Whether it's a quiz or a sincere request for ID I think you haven't provided enough information. Those leaves don't look greasy brownish to me. They look glossy lime green and they look to me like black cottonwood, which does fit the description you provided and is a member of the poplar family.
> 
> How big do the trees get? What color is the underside of the leaves? Are the undersides glossy or matte? How big in width and length are the mature leaves? What do the flowers/fruits/seed pods look like, and how big do they get? Do you have any better pictures that show the full tree and it's formation, a close up of the bark, flowers, seeds, etc.?


You are very close! The leaves on the trees by us are 2-3" wide and 2-4" long. The underside is light colored. Don't remember if glossy or matte. The trees will grow almost as high as poplars. Here is another big hint: the new leave buds are sticky with a strong essence. Another pic of the leave is below. Sorry I can not get any actual leaves but they are buried in ice and snow.


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

The new leaf buds on Black Cottonwood are also sticky and resinous. I harvest the fresh sticky buds every year to make Balm of Gilead healing ointment and for use in aromatherapy. The scent is heavenly, very sharp. Here because of our climate and so much water the trees grow very fast into giants that tower over other trees.

Here is Black Cottonwood, very similar to your leaves.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

The leaves you show are not quite what I have but the tree I have is a cross of Balsam Poplar and your Eastern Cottonwood, and is known as the "Balm of Gilead" tree. Locals called it the "Bombigalian" which I could not verify anywhere! This name, as I concluded, came from "Balm of Gilead" via a few mispronunciations. Frustrated me for over 10 years! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_balsamifera The buds we have are very sticky and could be harvested for balms.


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## Paumon (Jul 12, 2007)

Funny, eh? They are almost identical in form and purpose with similar utilitarian uses and medicinal uses. Except eastern cottonwood doesn't grow here, we have western black cottonwood here which is the tallest poplar in all the Americas. A 300 year old black cottonwood is a magnificent giant to see. I love them, they're one of my most favourite trees. There are pictures here of the bark and it shows their range where they grow in the west.

Western Black Cottonwood
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_trichocarpa


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

It is interesting that your western black cottonwood is a close relative of the tree we have and bears the same type of balm. Our tree is anything but magnificent - it is short lived and weak. It's leaves are brown-green and ugly and I thought at first the trees were dying. Unlike our poplar, deer will not touch this tree and grouse will not eat the buds so it has little value for our local wildlife. Other than the balm (which I have not harvested yet), this is a tree that I have always tried to eradicate, cutting them for firewood. The wood is so wet it must be split well and dried for a year - then it is as light as pine. The fuel value is poor, but it still burns. I have also used the trees to make large poles by cutting and debarking - I wouldn't cut my regular poplars for this.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

It's not something we have around here. We have big tooth aspen, and very few quaking aspen. I've seen one cottonwood in my life, and don't recall now where it was. It was one that my dendrology professor showed the class.


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