Tree identification

[raptorfan85]

Looking for some help identifying a tree. I have no clue what it is. It's the only one like it in my woods. I wanted to see what it was before I possibly cut it down. Any help is appreciated.
Here is the bark/trunk
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And the leaves/branches
20156
20155

The bark is grooved in a V Pattern kinda like an ash. The leaves are serrated on the edge an do not branch like an ash. I honestly have no idea what it is.

[BCPP]

I think it's some type of elm tree, possibly American elm or Dutch elm. May be the only one around because others have died from Dutch elm disease

[Pdiamond]

I agree on the elm.

[Greensprings sugar]

Look for mushrooms around that one, elm.:-|

[Russell Lampron]

It looks like elm to me too. They used to use them for wagon wheel hubs because elm is hard to split. It's not good for lumber and isn't the best for firewood. I have a couple of them in my woods that I use for end trees. Once you screw a hook into one it won't pull out.

[raptorfan85]

After looking up pictures of elm trees I also agree that it's an elm. I think I'm going to leave it alone. If it's not particularly good for anything then there's no need to cut it, it's not in the way of anything.

[BAP]

That’s about as big as elm gets around here before they die from the Dutch Elm disease unless that one is resistant. Many moons ago, we used to saw 3”x12” planks out of Elm for side boards for our 10 wheeler dump trucks on our farm. Rugged as h*** and lasted a long time.

[maple flats]

And my dad had a bulldozer he hauled on a trailer. He used elm planks because the dozer tracks didn't destroy them as fast as other types of wood. We see very few here now, they were the main trees lining the city streets back in the '50's before dutch elm got to them. I would leave it grow, at some point there is a possibility that one will be dutch elm resistant and it could be cloned. They are a beautiful tree at maturity. If a resistant one ever evolves it will be valuable to the nursery business.

[Michael Greer]

If it's the "only one" in your woods...why would you cut it down? A bit of diversity is good in any woods isn't it?

[raptorfan85]

If it's the "only one" in your woods...why would you cut it down? A bit of diversity is good in any woods isn't it?

I agree, thats why I said I am going to leave it. I was doing some cutting for firewood when I saw it. If it was an invasive tree or something I would get rid of it. Who knows, Maybe it will be a dutch elm disease resistant one like maple flats said.

[Delta Glen]

I say elm too. We had an elm 3ft wide that just died couple years ago. It was alone in a hay field. There are still a few huge ones around CNY, always by themselves in open areas. Most of the time in our woods they get about 10 to 12 inches DBH then die off. When bark falls off standing tree they make awesome heat in evaporator.

[Sugar Bear]

This tree is either a Rock Elm ( native to as far east as Western New England ) or American Elm .
The bark looks more like that of a Rock Elm and perhaps that is why it has not fallen to the DED, as the Rock is more resistant to the DED.
It also may be an American Elm and has not fallen to the DED because as you said it is the only one on your property so it is relatively hidden from the DED.

If you cut it down make sure you have a log splitter and are prepared to clear the wedge with a second log. The maul is not going to work on it, not matter how big you are.

[bigschuss]

If it's the "only one" in your woods...why would you cut it down? A bit of diversity is good in any woods isn't it?

Lately every time I find "only one" of anything on my land it turns out to be something bad....Japanese barberry, buckthorn, multiflora rose. That kind of diversity I can live without.

The OP's tree looks like an elm for sure. Press the bark with your finger....it should feel a little spongy.

[Johnny Yooper]

I never turn down elm for firewood, decent on the Btu scale; heat our house and shop and domestic hot water with an outdoor boiler so I'm not very picky with the species. Back in my younger days we burned wood to heat my parent's house and we had a fair amount of the DED that hit our woods; Dad always took elm if they were handy. Before we built a hydraulic splitter, we learned the trick to splitting elm with the maul was to wait til the temperature was below zero, the chunks would split without much trouble. 40 years later, I'm still using the same splitter, and run some elm through it pretty much every year.

[Ed R]

Johnny Yooper is spot on with the cold trick, My dad always seemed to have elm rounds for my brother and I to split on the coldest winter mornings. They were still a pain to split. the hydraulic wood splitter is the great equalizer. The best fathers day present my mom, brother, and I ever got my dad was the old tractor mounted wood splitter. I try not to cut any live elm (they can smell kind of weird/ uriney) I just wait for it to die and cut it then. Its a shame they die around here before they get too big any more, usually don't even have to split it. We would rarely burn it in the evaporator, it was always saved for home heat. I kind of question some of the btu ratings for the various native elm species I have seen in the published charts. To the original poster that is an elm tree.