What is this awesome tree?

bandsons

While in the North Georgia mountains, I found a really straight branch/tree someone had recently cut down and left at this camping site.

I knew this branch was special, as it was very strong, somewhat light weight, and straight about 2 1/2 - 3 inches thick.

Upon further inspection of the camp site, I found there were several of the same trees growing around the nearby creek. All were VERY straight growing and around the same thickness. There were not many little branches growing from the body of these slender trees that i remember. I did not really look at a leaf if there were any.

I took the branch/trunk I found home with me and shaved the bark off, let it dry out, and sanded it. The wood is very pure white and can not really see any "grain". While camping this was the only wood that would not burn at all... it's like the fire didn't even faze it. When the tree/vine/branch was fresh, the wood shavings were clean cuts and shiny. Now it sands so good.

Very strong and I want to create a walking staff out of it but need to know what it is.

Any help? Thanks for your time and Happy New Year!

Paul Goodall

Did you happen to get any pics of the tree itself?

bandsons

I did not :-(

I shaved a piece off when it was fresh and it almost had a "waxy" texture to it.

I may have to go back to that spot to get images of the full tree etc...

bandsons

Also, I do remember somewhat what they looked like growing so even if you guys could give me some broad suggestions of what it could be, I can look it up to verify.

Thanks again.

Brent Ferris

It is likely a hardwood -- vs a conifer; if the wood is white, it is not a locust, a mulberry, an elm, prob not a walnut or an oak-- if it is hard, it is not a willow or a poplar or a basswood.

But unfortunately, there are a lot of other species it could be. Do you happen to have any of the bark left that you can post a pic of?

It may be that the wood was so wet, fire didn't faze it -- if so, a lowland species like Black Ash, Alder, maybe Black Gum.

Need more info to go on -- pic of tree, of leaves, fruit, bark - white wood is pretty vague,

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Done it

Just a wild guess but it sounds like a young Camphor Laurel, Cinnamomum camphora.

According to wiki they do grow in your area, and it doesn't burn. I could never get it to anyway.

bandsons

Great info guys.

At this point, I would like to go back to the same spot deep in the forest and document this tree better. I will create a new post here when I do. Thank you everyone Happy New Year!!!

Eden Keeper

I saw a population of snowbell (perhaps bigleaf snowbell, Styrax grandifolius Aiton) where all the plants were all about the same size just not at large as those described in this thread, and the habitat was consistent since the population I saw was in a relatively wet area around the base of a small ephemeral waterfall. A search showed bark more similar than any of the other suggested species (as far as I could tell) or alternates that I considered, (including persimmon, mountain camelia, as well as piratebush, Buckleya distichophylla (Nutt.) Torr., the last of which didn't match due to range and branching density), but I couldn't find anything about the appearance of the wood other than knowing that persimmon has dark heartwood and at least one species of snowbell has relatively low density wood.
If I was making a walking staff my preferred type of wood is princesstree, Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb.) Siebold & Zucc. ex Steud., since it is light, strong, and helps remove an invasive exotic species rather than a possibly rare or at least obscure native considering that the identification has not been verified. Year old suckers from a princesstree stump are usually about the right size for a walking staff.