(at least in Ohio) Elm has interlocking grain and is a beech to split.  We had a large elm tree die in our yard when I was a kid.   I don't remember how  it burned at all (not in my job description to load the furnace).   Does not look like the elm bark I remember, though.

 

Likewise we cut some fallen hickory after I'd moved away.   My dad said it nearly stalled the power splitter trying to convert into firewood.   And the pieces I got for lumber had such squirrely grain, I just ended up smoking turkey and pork butt with it.   Seems to burn OK, though, pretty well, actually.  

 

But northern OH is a long way from FL so I would expect different species.

 

Edited January 21, 20188 yr by kmealy

1 hour ago, Gene Howe said:

That bark sure looks the same. 

Yes it was in a high water table location.  

20 hours ago, Cal said:

I will go with a live oak.

 

9 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

live oak would be my guess, also.

Technically, speaking, wouldn't it actually be dead oak Just a random observation from the Midwest...probably cabin fever affliction.

20 hours ago, Cal said:

Hello William, do you know what the tree looked like before it was cut down?

Since it is a guessing game at this point, I will go with a live oak.  Guess is subject to change once pics and other info is provided...

Never seen the tree standing and no leaves were around either.

Maybe cottonwood

 

I am agreeing with Jess on this.  Sure looks like the bark of a pine.  But, I do not understand the difficulty in starting a fire with it if that were the case...

The foliage I see on the standing trees by smallpatch looks a little like Willow. The bark in the photos by loco look a bit like blue spruce. Neither is considered a good firewood.

I have no willows on my property. I learned years ago they are invasive and will cost a person a bundle if they aren't careful.

   The one with the very loose and wild bark is Japanese Black pine.....they never get very big.

These are the 6 different oaks we have and that tree is not any of these.

 

 

8 hours ago, lew said:

I wonder if it could be this-

http://www.floridagardener.com/flnatives/FloridaElm.htm

aint refering to above site. Referring to pictures. Some bark look like Pecan. Description sound like Pecan. Some bark looks like Pine. 

HARDLY EVER COME THIS WAY, Cya

Walked over to the neighbor's yard today (cause I cut down all my pine trees).  I think you have some slash pine there.  Here are a couple pics.  Cannot speak directly to slash, but I know that SYP will get so hard you cannot put a nail in it without a pilot hole after a few years.  BTW - my tree book lists SYP and slash as two different species.  Like Jess, I always thought they were the same.

Cal, looks like your neighbor's yard could use some clearing out. Maybe just the tree in the pics. lotta good SYP in that tree.

Cal after we moved here and was calling it the retirement a daughter gave me 5 pine trees and had the people delivering them and plant them. On the tag said Southern yellow Pine and also had (slash) on the tag... 

Well most guys in the building business, in our area, will not use SYP as studs for they warp before they can get them nailed into place...but will use them in the longer categories , so my way of thinking maybe the lumberyards were calling this wood slash pine to kind of fool the carpenters. I might be all wet but can't remember being out in the rain...

  My pictures of the SYP trees are younger than the one you are showing and yours has the deeper valleys like in

Loco's picture.

  Dan thats close but cotton wood sure ain't very hard.

Sure looks like ponderosa pine, from the bark pattern.   Other test/confirmation of ponderosa:  get your nose right into the cracks in the bark, and you should smell vanilla; but I assume that's for fresh sections?

Edited January 23, 20188 yr by PeteM