# Wood ID



## millalien (Nov 13, 2016)

I’m in Washington ... wondering what this is. The bark peels off like birch circumferentially and it’s got 5 leaf clusters. Any guesses? It’s scattered around the Doug-Fir understory.


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## garyhenrich (May 17, 2020)

Looks like wild cherry to me. If you rub the bark clean does it have a almost purple color?


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## Chinook3 (May 2, 2020)

Cherry, you can tell by the bark.

Have a. Good one!


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## millalien (Nov 13, 2016)

My color sense is terrible but I'd say its more brown than purple but more purple than anything other than brown.

20 years ago, a forester told me I had cherry on my lot, but I thought he was referring to a different tree. I can ID every species on my lot but for two, this being one of them. I recall he called this "witch hazel" which it kind of looks like to me. 


Anyhow, thanks for the IDs


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## millalien (Nov 13, 2016)

Here's a witch hazel bark photo off the internet ... very similar, but not the same flowers. Witch hazel got spikey petals and what I have doesn't.


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## Pretender (Jun 22, 2019)

Personally, I find it easier to identify a tree by its leaves. Wood after it's been milled.


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## millalien (Nov 13, 2016)

Here are the leaves...or as my southern belle like to say, the leafs.


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## garyhenrich (May 17, 2020)

Those leaves do look like witch hazel, was just looking at them in a nursery last week.


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## Pretender (Jun 22, 2019)

I'm not sure what that is.
Witch Hazel leaves usually have more of a serrated edge.
Having said that, I am NOT an expert.


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## phaelax (Dec 24, 2018)

After looking at many photos on google, I do not believe that is witch hazel. The leaves and flowers are similar but not quite right. But the leaves don't look cherry to me either.


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## Outpost22 (Nov 8, 2020)

I know this thread is old, but if this helps...
It may be Prunus emarginata var. mollis or Bitter Cherry. It is native to our Pacific Northwest.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Outpost22 said:


> I know this thread is old, but if this helps...
> It may be Prunus emarginata var. mollis or Bitter Cherry. It is native to our Pacific Northwest.


In the interest of sharing,,,,,,,,, I have used this online identifier Interactive Tree Identification Key

and also have a free app on my phone called Leaf Snap.
LeafSnap - Plant Identification


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