# My Last Mystery Wood????????



## OldWrangler (Jan 6, 2009)

Mike Hulsey nailed my other two Mystery Woods as Mimosa and Mulberry but now I got a wood that is a true mystery........I almost don't know what it is!!

I pruned this last year and got enough wood to make 4 beautiful pens. All have long since sold. This years pruning didn't net much better. I have 2 pieces about the size of the one shown. The other piece goes to the first person to slap the right name on the forum. This is not a real common tree but getting more popular all the time.

Not a lot of clues this time as I intend to make y'all work for this one. Tree is 6 years old, planted in my back yard, 12' tall before pruning, 4" trunk, decidious and has.....no, I'm not gonna tell you for a while.

Here's the pics.......get to guessing. Wood will make pretty pens when dry.  Just cut on Sunday so needs about 60 days or a kiln.


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## Dario (Jan 6, 2009)

Does it have thorns, yellow flowers and weird looking leaves?


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## Russianwolf (Jan 6, 2009)

looks like a plum to me.


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## td (Jan 6, 2009)

Non bearing Pistachio


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## MobilMan (Jan 6, 2009)

Yew?


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## hunter-27 (Jan 6, 2009)

Chokecherry


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## OldWrangler (Jan 6, 2009)

Plum, Pistachio (bearing or non-bearing), Chokeberry and Yew are misses but all are good guesses. The wood is very nice but kinda looks like so many others, these included.

Dario, go ahead and take a guess. No clues until later.  Don't know what you might be thinking of.

Well Mike, where's your guess this time? This one ain't your Granny's Mulberry.

Come on Guys, get them guesses rolling in. If this one don't get ya, I'm giving up.


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## hunter-27 (Jan 6, 2009)

Ornamental Cherry


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## Timbo (Jan 7, 2009)

Persimmon?


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## Nick (Jan 7, 2009)

Hawthorn


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## Rarest wood (Jan 7, 2009)

Acasia me thinks


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

Me thinks not!!!!


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## Rudy Vey (Jan 7, 2009)

Redbud??


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## THarvey (Jan 7, 2009)

Crab Apple


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## woodboys (Jan 7, 2009)

Well George I can't narrow it down with the pictures. I would think a fruit tree and I lean toward a peach with the color of the wood.


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

Nope, nope & nope!!!!!!!!!!  Billy, the wood is a "peach" alright but another kind of tree!!   Now I'm starting to enjoy this. I thought this might be a tough one. Keep trying, your prize will yield some nice pens.

BTW, Mike, your Contorted Mulberry goes in the morning mail Priority. Look for it about Sat.

One last pic. This is the prize piece that will be sent out. Looks like about 4, maybe 6 blanks. Some good hidden color.


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## hunter-27 (Jan 7, 2009)

ok gonna take two stabs at this in 1 post if that is ok I have to get to work.  Almond or pear.


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## NewLondon88 (Jan 7, 2009)

My experienced eye tells me this is dunnowood.


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## rjwolfe3 (Jan 7, 2009)

Grapefruit?


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

Of these last 3, the "dunnowood" is the best guess.  Maybe some clues tonight if no one nails it today.  Keep guessing!!!!!!!


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## hunter-27 (Jan 7, 2009)

Apricot, this may be my final answer.  =-)


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## rej19 (Jan 7, 2009)

How about Magnolia.....?


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## Dario (Jan 7, 2009)

What I was pointing out earlier...TX Salt, saltgrass?


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## mick (Jan 7, 2009)

Unless it's some species of pear I don't have a clue. It looks like some of the wild pears that used to grow around here.

BTW I haven't replied cause I've been without power for about 16 hours....plus now my shop is flooded. No turning for me until I get about 3 inches of water out and things dried!:frown:


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## bobskio2003 (Jan 7, 2009)

Okay this is really tough - the tree is still young so the bark is not too telling and I'm not from the south so it could be something I've never seen before so I'll throw out some SWAGs.  Let's try Golden Raintree, Soapberry, Elm or Honey Locust.  Bob I.


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

Bob, I was gonna make you pick your best guess of those 4 but they are all wrong anyways. It's not Apricot, Magnolia or SaltGrass. You guys are really reaching. This is really not that hard. It's not something like Panga Panga, Tambootie or some special rare tree that nobody has ever seen or heard of. This is growing right in my back yard. In fact, I have 2 of them but different species. I bought it in a local nursery about 6 years ago. It is easy to get info about it from the Internet.

Keep guessing, It's getting more valuable as the wrong guesses come in.


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## StatProf (Jan 7, 2009)

*????*

Some Juniper variety?


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## danroggensee (Jan 7, 2009)

could it be a Tangerine or mango tree

Dannie


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## danroggensee (Jan 7, 2009)

About Nectarine tree

Dannie


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## td (Jan 7, 2009)

Mesquite?


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## TellicoTurning (Jan 7, 2009)

When I lived in Kingwood, we had some trees about the sizes you mentioned, didn't ever cut one because I was renting, but looks a little like crepe myrtle.


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## hilltopper46 (Jan 7, 2009)

apricot?


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## danroggensee (Jan 7, 2009)

cypress tree


Dannie


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## jkeithrussell (Jan 7, 2009)

Bradford Pear or some sort of Yaupon.


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## rjwolfe3 (Jan 7, 2009)

Grapefruit?


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## NewLondon88 (Jan 7, 2009)

mick said:


> ....plus now my shop is flooded. No turning for me until I get about 3 inches of water out and things dried!:frown:



Have you tried denatured alcohol or putting your shop in the microwave?
(on low, of course..) :biggrin:


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

Well, 5 more stabs in the dark, all incorrect. Looks like y'all gonna need some clues. How about some obscure piece of info each time I check in?  OK.............

1. Not a fruiting tree

Mike, I'm so sorry to hear of your flooding and power outage. You are somewhere near Birmingham, aren't you? I haven't heard on the news about any flooding in your part of the country. I have a son in Fayette, near Tuscaloosa, guess he's OK but I better call. Hope you can get things cleaned up and there is not a lot of damage. Here is a pic of a scrap of the Contorted Mulberry that I turned to see what it would look like. It's not finished just turned and sanded to 400. It should dry first. Your piece is gone in the mail.


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## retired-sofa-spud (Jan 7, 2009)

Pear


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## THarvey (Jan 7, 2009)

wax myrtle


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## hunter-27 (Jan 7, 2009)

Dogwood


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

Another strikeout...3 misses!    OK, another obscure clue.................

1. It is not fruiting

2. It is tropical and not native.

Give it your "Sunday punch" (or best shot for you Yankees!) Should be easier now that you have guessed all the trees  but about 6.


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## jkeithrussell (Jan 7, 2009)

sweet gum


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## THarvey (Jan 7, 2009)

paw paw


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## rdunn12 (Jan 7, 2009)

Some species of Teak?


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## Darrin (Jan 7, 2009)

Gum or Elder?


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

Well, only 2 guesses in the last 4 hours. This one really has you stumped. I thought it might. Well, maybe another clue will help. OK, another obscure clue.................

1. It is not fruiting

2. It is tropical and not native.

3. Tree (trunk and branches) has small but sharp spines. Difficult to handle when pruning.

That should help.


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## hunter-27 (Jan 7, 2009)

honey locust


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

Tree reminds me a lot of Honey Locust but nope. 

I'm gonna run out of obscure clues before someone gets it. OK one more clue..........

1. It is not fruiting

2. It is tropical and not native.

3. Tree (trunk and branches) has small but sharp spines. Difficult to handle when pruning.

4.A flowering ornamental.


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## danroggensee (Jan 7, 2009)

Flowering Hawthorn

Dannie


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## Timbo (Jan 7, 2009)

Acacia


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## NewLondon88 (Jan 7, 2009)

OldWrangler said:


> Tree reminds me a lot of Honey Locust but nope. I'm gonna run out of obscure clues before someone gets it. OK one more clue..........
> 1. It is not fruiting
> 2. It is tropical and not native.
> 3. Tree (trunk and branches) has small but sharp spines. Difficult to handle when pruning.
> 4.A flowering ornamental.




Ah HAH!  Of course!!

It's the old Tropical Barren Flowering Spiny Dunnowood.
I don't know how I missed that the first time.. :biggrin:

Did you bring some inside for the wife?


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## Timbo (Jan 7, 2009)

Jerusalem-Thorn


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## woody350ep (Jan 7, 2009)

Erythrina fusca, or Coral Tree


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## danroggensee (Jan 7, 2009)

Forest Passion

Dannie


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## jasonbowman (Jan 7, 2009)

olivewood


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## danroggensee (Jan 7, 2009)

Catsclaw

DANNIE


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## jasonbowman (Jan 7, 2009)

flowering banana


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## StatProf (Jan 7, 2009)

Floss Silk?

Flame Coral?  

Teak?


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## OldWrangler (Jan 7, 2009)

I can't believe y'all are all around it but nobody has hit it yet.

Charlie....you need professional help, soon.

Tim, you're the closest so far.

Jason, your guess is also very close,

I got another clue but I'm gonna save it for later tonight if no one gets it. Y'all are all over it. How can you be so close and not get it.

Keep trying


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## jclark58 (Jan 7, 2009)

Lilac?


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## jasonbowman (Jan 7, 2009)

kapok (cieba)


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## bobskio2003 (Jan 7, 2009)

How about a flower color?


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## StatProf (Jan 7, 2009)

Yaopon Holly?

- Kyle (StatProf)


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## jasonbowman (Jan 7, 2009)

pineapple


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## woody350ep (Jan 7, 2009)

Brazilian Rain Tree??? Total stab there

Logwood is my best guess now - _Haematoxylum campechianum_


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## hunter-27 (Jan 7, 2009)

Cockspur Thorn


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## rlofton (Jan 7, 2009)

black locust (_Robinia pseudoacacia_)

honey locust (_Gleditsia triacanthos)_

peashrubs (_Caragana_ spp.)

sea buckthorn (_Hippophae rhamnoides_)

buffaloberry (_Shepherdia argentia_)

lemon tree (_Citrus limon_)

That's all.


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## woody350ep (Jan 7, 2009)

AHHHHHHHHHHH, I'M RIGHT!!!!!! GIMME GIMME GIMME!!!!!! Man, this is getting frustrating lol


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## jasonbowman (Jan 7, 2009)

hardy orange


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## woody350ep (Jan 7, 2009)

Just another stab - Catalpa or Catclaw


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## THarvey (Jan 7, 2009)

Acacia farnesiana (aka. Sweet Acacia or Sweet Wattle)


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## Mr Vic (Jan 7, 2009)

Russian Olive or Austree


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## rlofton (Jan 7, 2009)

Okay, that wasn't all - -

coral tree

acacia

devil cotton

canary tree

paperbark

palmetto

sandalwood

mimosa


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## OldWrangler (Jan 8, 2009)

Well now y'all are just pulling names out of a hat or off the internet. Somebody guessed a pineapple. Now you know they don't grow on trees!!!!!

Do a little research online and you'll find this tree. Flower colors can be yellow, purple, pink, red and white like mine. BTW, this tree is a lot more common that many of your guesses. We are getting some pretty good milage on this thread. Hope you are all having fun.....now somebody put a name on it.


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## woodboys (Jan 8, 2009)

Iwould have to say crape myrtle


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## woody350ep (Jan 8, 2009)

Well I actually WAS doing research on mine, and could've sworn I was right.  Now you have humbled me.  I'm down to Peony, Hydrangea, or Rose.


I hope its not crape myrtle because I had that in and erased it a while back lol


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## woodboys (Jan 8, 2009)

or eucalyptus


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## clement (Jan 8, 2009)

Maybe Kiwi ?


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## Rarest wood (Jan 8, 2009)

Camellia possibly or Mysore _thorn_


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## OldWrangler (Jan 8, 2009)

Jason, give it up. Your guesses are getting more bizarre. Soon you'll be guessing animal names. Crepe myrtle has been guessed to death and is still not right. And this is a tree. Peony, Hydrangea and Roses never get 4" trunks. The only clue left is to tell you about the leaves which I will do later tonight when I wake up for a pee. If that doesn't give it away, I don't know what will. When this is over I want to know how many people have one of these trees. They are all over south FL, numerous in the so. valley of TX and San Diego is overrun. This is a highly invasive plant about like Melalucca.


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## Rarest wood (Jan 8, 2009)

*Melia azedarach  (Chinaberry Tree)*


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## jasonbowman (Jan 8, 2009)

I had guessed pineapple but I was not guessing the bush that grows fruit(since that is the first clue).   There is a flowering pineapple tree...Cytisus battandieri... it is a smaller tree bu the base can get to 3 or 4 inches...

How about fig or indian rosewood...


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## OldWrangler (Jan 8, 2009)

I would never believed it was this tough. Guess I better give you the final clue.

This is the last clue before I have to give you the answer......................

1. It is not fruiting
2. It is tropical and not native.
3. Tree (trunk and branches) has small but sharp spines. Difficult to handle when pruning.
4. A flowering ornamental.
5. Flowers can be pink, purple, red and white
6. Invasive plant all over so. FL, so TX and all around San Diego
7. Leaves are unique. They are shaped like the footprint of an Ox. If you can figure what the Mexicans call this leaf, the tree is also called the same and found all over Mexico by this name.


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## Rarest wood (Jan 8, 2009)

O the orchid tree, bauhinia species:biggrin:


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## OldWrangler (Jan 8, 2009)

Dave, you da man! You apparently know this tree, why it it take so long to get it named. Thanks to it's invasive nature, this tree is more prevalent in parts of the world than where it originated (China). South FL around the Miami area is heavily infested with this non-native. Potted species of this are even being sold by Home Depot and lots of nurseries. This piece of wood is from the Bauhinia blakeana. This is the white flowered variety. I also have a small tree (about 4' tall) of the red variety. I am looking to buy a lavendar variety this spring.

Look up Orchid tree, or the Spanish name Pata de Vaca (foot of the cow) or Bauhinia sp. You should look it up just to see the flower. Some 6" across and looks just like an Orchid.

Dave, if you want the wood, send me your address. Thanks to all who chimed in. I hope it was fun and you learned something about this great little tree.

I may have another tough one later if I can find one locally.


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## woody350ep (Jan 8, 2009)

Sorry, I still like mine.  As far as I am concerned, I am still right lol


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## Rarest wood (Jan 8, 2009)

ille be sending you my address!!!!!!!
its such a lovely invasive species its all over asia sadly we are not able to grow it in the north of England its just to frosty here. Being as I think so many folk enjoyed having a go at this ime going to put a wood quiz up myself I have loads of odd species knocking around the shop so will hunt some out tonight and construct some clues as well I look forward to making some pens from this and will post the results what did it for me was the bicordate leaf structure as you say quite rare many thanks all


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## woody350ep (Jan 8, 2009)

I agree with you that this is fun.  I think this could be a pretty regular thing if people got into it.  It helps to educate all of us by forcing research, and someone gets some wood out of it for the mere cost of shipping, which isnt too bad at all.


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## woodboys (Jan 8, 2009)

I agree Jason. 
Thanks George for doing this, it's entertaining and educational as well searching for the different species. 
Dave didn't you start this with the chicken wood trvia? Congratulation's on the right answer, you beat me by a week, as I wasn't even close in my search. Next time.


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## mick (Jan 8, 2009)

Ditto what everyone else said, Goerge thanks for doing this! Hopefully we can keep this a regular feature as Jason says. I know after getting stumped on this last one I'll be sure to post any unuasual or odd wood I come across!
It's been fun,
Mike


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## woody350ep (Jan 8, 2009)

Well, OF COURSE you liked it.  IIRC you are 2 for 3, right? lol.


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