Paulowania wood

[AnthonyYak]

This is my punky box elder

[iclark]

If you could get some 3"x3" spindles dried intact with that coloration, it should make beautiful salt/pepper mills.

Some live-edge bowls should also be beautifully figured/colored (even if you lose the bark).

If it does not self-destruct when drying, it would be a shame to burn that.

[AnthonyYak]

If it does not self-destruct when drying, it would be a shame to burn that.

I'm 98% positive the color is from wind/ring shake

[MichaelMouse]

I'm 98% positive the color is from wind/ring shake

Wood folks are in the 2% who attribute it to a fungus.  https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-g...1/boxelder

[AnthonyYak]

Final answer. I believe the tree above is boxelder, until I see leaves and bark. Yes, the red is a fungal reaction caused by damage to the tree.

 https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/p.../redstain/

[Wildwood]

Tree Damage whole lot of shaking going on if scroll down:
https://civiltoday.com/civil-engineering...nd-reasons

After experiencing several hurricane here where I live and seeing trees blown over that actually have shake damage. Have seen lots of trees with shakes on one side or other and some where nothing but slats making up the entire tree. WE always called that wood wind shake and left that wood for firewood. My way of saying you’ll know it when you see it and chances are may not get a lot of useful wood.

None of the trees I have found with shake damage had spalting that you could see. Not sure if we have any Paulowania trees around here have seen few Box Elder without shake damage or spalting. Whish could turn some!

[MichaelMouse]

Tree Damage whole lot of shaking going on if scroll down:
https://civiltoday.com/civil-engineering...nd-reasons

None of the trees I have found with shake damage had spalting that you could see.  Not sure if we have any Paulowania trees around here have seen few Box Elder without shake damage or spalting.  Whish could turn some!

Bookmarked.  Have to admit it's the first time I have seen what woodies call "checks" referred to as "shakes,"  but some great illustrations.  

Cheap dendrology information at FPL, with The Wood Handbook  worth a download.  https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgt...gtr113.htm

"Wind shakes" happen in ring-porous woods, not in diffuse-porous types like boxelder.  The earlywood is lighter in structure and weaker than the latewood, and the check propagates along, often completely opening a space between annual rings.  The worst offenders are softwoods, though ring-porous woods like ash are prone to separation as well.  

   

Some hemlock, one of the worst of the worst, with black areas showing separation along annuals.