Question: Hey- Any ideas on what this unique looking heart wood is from? I would have guessed it was caused by …
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Question
Hey- Any ideas on what this unique looking heart wood is from? I would have guessed it was caused by a staining fungus, however it is very consistently ringed throughout the thin trunk/vine. I came across it already cut so unfortunately I don't have any foliage to go off of. These are just two examples cut from a sapling like trunk. Much appreciated!! Noah
Answer
Dear Noah, the wood sample you have photographed appears to be Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac; synonym: Rhus hirta). This non-allergenic member of the Anacardiaceae is a common early successional, colonial shrub in the northeast and beyond. It shows the distinctive heart wood with darker concentric rings that you have photographed.
