Need Mystery Wood Identification

[William Young]

A neighbor called me to look at a tree that blew down last night in a wind storm. Below are a couple pictures of the leaves and some kind of fruit developing. I know this is not much to go on yet but I didn't go prepared because I didn't know he was going to give it all to me. I will go back tomorrow (weather permitting) with my chainsaw and get all of it.
He said it is the heaviest , wood he has lifted in this area when he moved it out of his way with his front end loader and that the annual rings are very close together. A couple more clues is that the bark is fairly smooth and that the tree propagates from sucker shoots coming up all around the base. The base looks like it might be about 12 to 14 " diameter but I will have a better idea when I cut it up.
It will be firewood as well as hopefully some good lathe turning wood. .
I will follow up with pictures of what the trunk and limb woods look like when I get that part home.
W.Y.

[Plaquerd]

William
I could be wrong.....but it looks like Choke Cherry to me. Does it have a strong acrid smell?

[GrayBeard Phil]

W.Y.:

This is just a guess.
I think it is some kind of Ash tree.

I am inclined to think it might be that Ash tree that grows on the Western side of the Rocky Mountains. That would be a light colored but very strong (thus heavy) lumber.

The only problem is the 'fruit' or seeds are not the 'helicopter wing' type that so many Ash trees have. The seeds seem more of the berry or acorn type.

There is also a white alder that is native to Western Montana and into the Western Canadian provinces. It has a smooth gray bark on younger trees. Again the fruit is wrong, but it could be it is still early summer.
Alnus rhombifolia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

third wild guess is the Hornbeam family of trees. Problem is they mostly grow in damp soil, they like being near a steam. The north American variety:
Carpinus caroliniana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Although I suspect the link could only be a close relative of your tree.
However, if it is a close relative, Hornbeam is sometimes called Iron Wood. It should make great pens from that wood.

Phil

That's my three guess, lets see what someone else come up with.

[William Young]

Does it have a strong acrid smell?

I don't know Dave but I will know when I start cutting it.
Someone on my site said with a common choke cherry tree that scraping the bark will make a strong cherry odor and I will also check that out.
It's storming like hell here right now so I might get more than one tree if it keeps up. . . . yeah . . . . cool . . .

They are very tall tres. I would estimate well over 30 feet . .

Another person suggested Mayberry which grow quite large and taller than choke cherry.

We shall get it figured out eventually and when I get more pictures , that should help. I will take a picture of the standing ones as well as the one the wind uprooted.

Gotta get out of here. lights are blinking and think we will be loosing power with the lightning storm and high wind.
W.Y.

[Plaquerd]

William
The strong smell is more prevalent in the "new" wood.......smaller twigs and green stems, but is noticeable in all the wood.

[William Young]

Dave .
I just now twisted and bent over some of those small twigs and leaves that I took the pictures of. The smell is not all that strong or objectionable.

Phil.
Thanks for the links.
I will follow them up.
W.Y.

[jowshu98]

Looks and sounds like a flavor of beech tree.

Don

[Toolman56]

My guess i'm leaning toward the ash family

[Toolman56]

We have one those helicopter trees in our front yard, i'll take a twig en go to my local garden center, let ya know

[Neal Moore]

It looks like either Choke Cherry or American Hornbeam to me. The fruit doesn't seem to be clustered enough for a Choke Cherry unless some has fallen off. I'm guessing Hornbeam.