Thread: Help identity this

Hello and welcome to the forums.

I'm a botanist but we use characteristics like fruit shape, flowers, leaf shape, bark, tree structure etc. as well as the appearance of the wood to identify trees. As these are dead they will lack most if not all of those characteristics. Being 5 in a row it sounds like they have been planted there - it opens the field to any tree in the world (that will grow in Vic).

Do any of the trees have any bark left on them and can you photograph the whole trees? That might help.

Having said that, I'm not sure why it matters if all you want to do with it is burn it. If it burns well, and since it is a tree rather than processed timber (which you have to be careful of because it could have been poisoned) I can't see why you want to identify the species? If there is a reason please let the forums know and some knowledgeable timber-recogniser may be able to help.

Looks like a wattle to me. They are ok for firewood but don't give off much heat. Burn quite quickly.

I will grab some more photos later today, i would love to use it for firewood, it actually burns really hot,fast and crackles like crazy. Im stressed it might crack the metal on the fireplace as it burns so hot ! my parter wants to get the trees dropped so she can mill them and make some stuff with it, (she thinks she's a builder)


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Just a guess, but based on "5 in a row and dead" they could well be Cypress Macrocarpa which are dying all over Victoria and were very popular trees to plant along fences and driveways. The wood will burn quite hot and noisily.

I think that is the one Big Shed. There is 10 trees to be cut down. Here are the trees, thank you for the replies ! ,


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If it's Macrocarpa then it seems a tremendous waste to burn it to me.

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Originally Posted by DaveVman

If it's Macrocarpa then it seems a tremendous waste to burn it to me.

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Whys that ?


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Originally Posted by cknowles

Whys that ?


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Google 'Macrocarpa furniture'.

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Five (5) dead all in a row? Is it possible that they have been poisoned?

I try to stay away from making things for the kitchen/home from timber that I know has been poisoned. Other pieces of furniture may be OK. Just my own precautionary stance.

Originally Posted by cava

Five (5) dead all in a row? Is it possible that they have been poisoned?

I try to stay away from making things for the kitchen/home from timber that I know has been poisoned. Other pieces of furniture may be OK. Just my own precautionary stance.

There's a lot more then 5 there dead, I'm sure they weren't poisoned(no reason to it's a vacant block with cows) , they seem to be dyeing all around our area. Everyone is getting them cut down and pushing them into huge burn piles.
I'm going to use it for firewood. Thank you for the replies !


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it looks like Macrocarpa, seen heaps these while living in NZ, they are used a lot for shelter belts on farms.

Good timber to work with, I've only used it for outdoor furniture, as there are other timbers i'd rather use for internal joinery


it burns really hot in the fireplace, its great for when burning ironbark or other dense hardwood.

people might think its a waste, but there are heaps of these lying on the ground on farms and its easy and great firewood.


have they been poisoned or have they died by a disease?

It's probably cypress canker, been quite a problem in Victoria in recent years. Usually young macrocarpa are susceptible but older trees that have been stressed can also suffer. Burning them is recommended to avoid spreading the fungal spores. Cutting and storing for firewood probably isn't.

Cyprus.

Originally Posted by Tim Creeper

Cyprus.

Is an island in the Mediterranean. Cypress are trees in the cupressacaea family.