It's a Leaf

[rjwolfe3]

I have a tree in my backyard that I have narrowed down to some type of maple. I have been cutting some of it back and am going to use some of the wood for blanks when it dries. Can anyone tell what kind of maple this is or is it some other type of tree? The bark is silvery-gray with gree moss all over it. I can't remember what the seed/fruit looks like but the buds are reddish.

Here is the front and back side of a leave:

Thanks for your help.

 

[jthompson1995]

It is Red Maple, Acer rubrum.

 

[Chasper]

Thats a maple all right. Are the leaves silverish on the bottom side? Then is it a soft or ambrosia maple. Also you will know it is a soft maple because you have been picking up small limbs in the yard for years.
No limbs falling in your yard, not silverish? Then it is a hard maple.

Hard maple is good solid pen wood but not all that interesting unless it it birdseye or wavy/quilted. Soft maple is good if it is spalted just right but tends to be too soft, soak it good in CA.

 

[mikes pens]

My guess is that it is a Red Maple. The Red Maple is also referred to as "the Swamp Maple".

 

[rjwolfe3]

Thanks for the replies. Is red maple considered a soft or hard maple?

 

[rjwolfe3]

Nevermind just found it. Soft maple it is. The tree for the most part is very healthy so I won't get much from it right now but maybe I can learn how to spalt wood with what I have.

 

[clthayer]

"Hard" Maple is one of the common names for sugar maple or Acer saccharum. I've heard it also referred to as rock maple and white maple.

"Soft" Maple is one of the common names for many of the other maples. Silver maple, Red maple, and others.

Maybe others can confirm this, but I believe that Ambrosia maple is not a species of maple, but just a soft maple that the ambrosia beetle has gotten into and raised cane in.

Christian

 

[monkeynutz]

Originally posted by clthayer

Maybe others can confirm this, but I believe that Ambrosia maple is not a species of maple, but just a soft maple that the ambrosia beetle has gotten into and raised cane in.

Right you are!