I agree. In Washington what people call "ironwood" might be oceanspray
(Holodiscus discolor), mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii), or Pacific yew
(Taxus brevifolia). All have been used by local Indians for digging stick
handles, fish-baking sticks, etc. Whatever requires an exceptionally durable
wood.

Gene Hunn, Seattle, hunnhome at accessone.com


>My theory is that evey area has its ""Ironwood"". Mike added 'Larix'.
>
>Bob
>Federal Way,WA
>taylorrt at foxinternet.net
>
>----------
>From: Libor and Dawn Michalak <pieris at netidea.com>
>To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: Re: Birds and wood...
>Date: Thursday, January 01, 1998 6:25 AM
>
>Michael,
>
>Actually the Ironwood is known as American Hop-Hornbeam (Ostrya viriniana)
>because the Carpinus caroliniana is also called Ironwood or American
>Hornbeam OR Blue Beech. It gets quite confusing. Both trees look similar
>but the barks are very different and the leaves have a slight difference in
>them as well also, one occupies wetlands more commonly, the Blue beech, and
>the other uplands, American Hop Hornbeam.
>
>Both trees are loved by Juncos and some finches like the Pine Siskin for
>the seeds that are left over winter on the catkins.
>
>Hope this helps!
>Libor
>-----Original Message-----
> From: Michael P Dossett <mpdossett at juno.com>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Date: December 31, 1997 9:38 PM
> Subject: Re: Birds and wood...
>
>
> Hey! I am from Missouri, NOT Missourah. They only say Missourah if
>they
> live south of highway 44, or farty far as the case maybe. They also
>say
> Worshington down there! Heck, they just like to stick an "r" or "ar"
>in
> lots of words ( arnges instead of oranges, farks instead of forks,
>etc.)
> About ironwood though... I learned that ironwood is another name for
> American Hornbeam. Does anyone else know? Anyway, the osage orange is
>a
> very important tree down there. The Missouri Conservationist, a free
> magazine for residents of Missouri, published by the Department of
> Conservation, ran an article on it, which said that it was the most
> highly prized wood for indian bows, and that some bows had been found
>in
> ruins of Blackfeet indian villages in northern Montana. That what I
>call
> long distance trade! Osage orange is also good for baseball bats
>because
> it is so strong. If anyone is interested in the article, I'll see if I
> can remember which issue it was in.
>
>
> Michael Dossett
> Shoreline, Washington
> mpdossett at Juno.com
>
> On Wed, 31 Dec 1997 17:23:32 -0800 "Robert Taylor"
> <taylorrt at foxinternet.net> writes:
> >Interesting! Because I spent a few years in Missouri (Missourah --
> >according to those folks back there!) and a fair number of fence lines
>
> >are
> >planted with Osage orange or, as they call it -- hedge apple. Seems
>
> >like
> >it grows densely enough that once well established it becomes the
> >fence.
> >It also become their source of fence posts. When I was fencing part
> >of my
> >property my neighbor came over and augured a hole about 6' deep and
> >cut
> >down one of my hedge apple trees for the corner post. Easy cutting
> >with
> >some very straight sections. He put six feet in the ground and had 5
> >plus
> >sticking out. Worked like a champ. He said if you want to cut that
> >tree
> >up, do it soon or forget it. Cut some and left some. Later I found
> >out
> >why they also called it ironwood!. Lots of the old fence lines used
> >hedge
> >apple for corner posts and smaller hedge apple limbs as line posts and
>
> >if I
> >can believe my neighbor, "They will last longer than you, Son!" I
> >think I
> >am correct in saying that they are not native to the Midwest but came
> >from
> >down Texas way or someplace.
> >
> >So, I guess the parrots could whittle the fresh wood and only 'polish'
>
> >the
> >seasoned wood.
> >
> >Darn, now I have to dig out my books, again.
> >
> >Thanks for the reminder of those days.
> >
> >Bob
> >Federal Way, Wa
> >Taylorrt at foxinternet.net
> >
> >
> >----------
> >> From: Susan L. Collicott <camel at serv.net>
> >> To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> >> Subject: Birds and wood...
> >> Date: Wednesday, December 31, 1997 3:58 PM
> >>
> >>
> >> Tweets -
> >>
> >> Interesting side note from a tree list I'm on.
> >>
> >>
> >> >From C2ALTS at aol.com Wed Dec 31 15:57:14 1997
> >> Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 18:53:01 EST
> >> From: C2ALTS <C2ALTS at aol.com>
> >> To: TreeTown at Majordomo.Flora.Com
> >> Subject: TT: Re: TreeTown-Digest V97 #110
> >>
> >> > Did someone say that the osage orange isn't good for much? It has
> >dense
> >> > wood that appears almost tropical. There is nothing better for
> >making
> >> > tool handles!
> >>
> >> Your comment takes me back to my zookeeping days in Topeka Kansas,
> >where
> >I
> >> was in charge of the walk-through tropical exhibit. We used osage
> >orange
> >> in exhibits. It was the only wood that lasted more than a few days
> >on
> >the
> >> macaws' island: their sharp beaks whittled oak as fast as balsa
> >wood.
> >> It's hell on saws though, really gives you an appreciation for the
> >skill
> >> of those Indians with their flint tools!
> >>
> >
>
>
>
>