Amalanchere species and other over-sized shrubs

[SwampDonkey]

HI all:

This summer I found the largest diameter service berry I ever seen. Usually its diameter is 2 or 3 inches. This bugger was about 8 inches, logable.  

Found it on the edge of a 10 year old harvested cedar stand, where I was thinning. It was almost dead though. I suspect it was damaged by the tree harvest.

Anyone spot any over-sized shrubbery out there?

[SwampDonkey]

Here's post # 100  

I forgot to mention that I have 3 rather large diameter pin cherry in my back yard. These are short lived, small trees usually, and generally non-commercial. They have a dbh of around 10 and 12 inches. They are in pretty ruff shape since they've been around awhile and nearing the end of their life cycle. I had one other that I had milled into boards about 10 years ago. The wood is similar to black cherry but the smell of the wood is kinda like the smell of red berried elder when you break a fresh green stem of it. I piled some pieces I couldn't use underneath some white spruce. The wood broke down very quickly there in the shade of the spruce and the wood peeled apart along the growth rings like an onion. I had gave the lumber away to an old gent that made tables, benches and jewelry boxes for his neighbors and relatives.

[SwampDonkey]

Another shrub encounter came to mind  

Staghorn sumac. Usually this shrub is just brush sized, but this old gent found one specimen that was 6 inches on the butt and I belive he got a 3 or 4 foot bolt out of it. His shop band saw had an 8 inch throat so he milled it on that into 1 inch slabs. You'll never guess what the wood looked like.

It was almost identicle to butternut Juglans cyneria in its grain, texture and weight. I was impressed.

[Ron Scott]

Staghorn sumac adds for some nice fall red colors as well as deer food.

[SwampDonkey]

@ Ron

Yes it does indead look nice in fall. And the deer love it as you say. They come down into my uncle's field at night and early morning in the fall and early winter for a nibble. mmm mmm. Some folks have made a type of shrub (sugared fruit juice) from the berries.

There are tons of this shrub on abandoned fields, rockpiles  and disturbed sites along the river valley. Rarely see it in places out of site of the river here.

regards

[SwampDonkey]

Forgot to mention,

Pin Cherry has beautiful firey red fall foliage. Sorry can't find my photo  

[slowzuki]

We have some sumacs in the yard, about 4 or 5" at the butt.  When I was young I used to climb in them, now they are about ready to fall over.
Ken

[SwampDonkey]

@ slowzuki

If your into wood working at all, they would be worth saving. If someone nearby had a home-made kiln, they'de probably dry the pieces for you. Too bad they are at the stage of nearly topling over. I guess that's due to their shallow roots they have for suckering.

regards

[slowzuki]

Thanks, I've never cut open a grown one, the small ones have an almost foamy consistancy.  As for the toppling, they have been in a slow motion lean for the last 5 years and have started dropping branches.  At about a 45 deg angle now!  We're doing some thinning in that area this spring or summer so we'll see what happens.

@ slowzuki

If your into wood working at all, they would be worth saving. If someone nearby had a home-made kiln, they'de probably dry the pieces for you. Too bad they are at the stage of nearly topling over. I guess that's due to their shallow roots they have for suckering.

regards

[SwampDonkey]

Yes the young stems are quite pithy. Hopefully, you'll find a use for the mature stems. You can fool all the local artisans into believing its butternut wood

regards