I.D. bright yellow mystery wood

[jonathan evans]

I know it's hard to identify wood, esp. by pictures only, but . . . I brought home a small sample log section from a huge tree that fell not far from here. I wanted to see what was inside to consider maybe going back with a trailer & hauling a larger section of the main bole to my friend's Wood-Mizer to saw up. When I got it home & split it, I couldn't believe the consistent bright yellow sapwood. I mean almost fluorescent yellow. The heartwood btw is gone -- it apparently rotted from the inside. But the wood itself is solid, no fungus or spalting in evidence. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I need to go back & get a picture of the downed trunk: pretty dark bark, a little knobby and moderately fissured. The pictures I've attached don't do justice to how bright yellow it really is. I've got one photo of part of the remaining bark, which fell off when I split it. The tree has been down for probably 6 to 9 months, but it's not lying on the ground -- the main trunk is still partly attached to the stump. It's huge -- probably almost 3 feet in diameter a couple feet off the ground. I live in Athens, Ga.

Jonathan Evans

[James Waldrup]

A photograph of the leaves would probably be the most helpful.

[george wilson]

I never used it,but it looks like locust. Could be wrong.

[Ted Calver]

Possibly Mulberry?

[Bill ThompsonNM]

+1 for mulberry. They have very yellow wood and the comment about part of it rotting out is pretty characteristic for all of the mature mulberries I've seen also

[Jeff Willard]

I never used it,but it looks like locust. Could be wrong.

When heart rot was mentioned, that was also my first thought, but locust also has a band of light sap wood. Put it under a black light and see if it fluoresces. That would be another clue that it is mulberry.

The other thought that I had was osage orange, but it also has light sapwood.