I have to agree with you on that bark looking too white for Silver Maple !!!!!

I have been wondering if the photographer in the OP took a picture of the top of the tree and then swung down to take the base and somehow photographed the base of another tree of another variety !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I was a kid my Dad had a Silver Maple and various Red Maple in the yard. The Silver was later to leaf and sooner to color than the Red Maple. Also the Red Maple colored red in the Fall and the Silver colored yellow. Then in the late '70's I bought and reconditioned a junk Belsaw sawmill. So I had a reason to need to learn to ID trees and fortunately an uncle who was good at it. I quickly learned to distinguish
Soft from Hard Maples. The Silver Maple in the yard had a bark that seemed to have features common to both trees .... but because it leafed yellow I considered it as being a Hard Maple..... But as a result of participating in this thread I now know Silver is a Soft Maple.

Yep tree ID can be difficult ..... there is genetic variation within a variety.... there is the affect of regional and micro climate. A variety growing in a forest compared to one tree in a field..... and then in this case the true shape is distorted by disease and Southern trees having more mold moss and crud growing on and discoloring the bark.

Much easier when the leaves are on

I would like to have this one positively IDed.

My Tree Id teacher was pretty amazing at id'ing trees in winter and for sure it is something that takes many years but even he had trouble at times and he has been in the forest near 40+ years. I'm just an amateur still but it's fun trying

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UK 2005:Treasury Dept./Trade and Industry survey concluded: 3.6 m gay people in the UK/~6% of the total population/1 in 16.66
Biblical Argument for the Acceptance of Homosexuality

we could know for sure in a couple of weeks if VA Susan could get a branch and stick it in water in the house!

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UK 2005:Treasury Dept./Trade and Industry survey concluded: 3.6 m gay people in the UK/~6% of the total population/1 in 16.66
Biblical Argument for the Acceptance of Homosexuality

You have done a lot of good thinking here. ..... If she could get up to a branch .... maybe she could just wait till leaves have expanded and take a pic. for us.

This tree is really irritating me. My logging has always been just for salvage of wind falls or when a building lot needed cleared. I was never professional. But for past 23 years I have walked dogs in the woods and fields around here.... this being my quality time each day.... I have always had to ID the trees where ever I walk .... which is on about a dozen different properties besides my own. For me IDing trees is an instinct.... not even a conscious choice !!!!!!!!!! Some of the junk species I never bothered to learn ..... but I know a few .... like Ironwood ..... the one that makes the sparks fly !!!! But this tree is really irritating me .... sometimes a tree can look like it could be either of two species .... but I never thought I would see the day when I would be wondering if a tree was either Birch or else Maple !!!!!!!!!!!!

The top branches in the OP looks Birch .... the mixture of light smooth bark and some rough bark looks Birch although not as white as it should be .... but that could be due to mold. There is character there hard to qualify concerning shape of branching of the multiple trunks which my gut is telling me is Birch ????

.... now having said this .... i look at the trunk again and that is not Birch ?????????????????

Ironwood junk tree??? HAHA I have a very old ironwood work bench in my kitchen, i love it's wood! The property i work on is littered with them, some of them over a foot thick and i can't wait to find some that need to come down!
I hear ya, thats why i suggested we get a branch:P i so need to know! HA

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UK 2005:Treasury Dept./Trade and Industry survey concluded: 3.6 m gay people in the UK/~6% of the total population/1 in 16.66
Biblical Argument for the Acceptance of Homosexuality

Sorry just realized there are quite a few trees know as ironwood so we may be talking about different tree!

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UK 2005:Treasury Dept./Trade and Industry survey concluded: 3.6 m gay people in the UK/~6% of the total population/1 in 16.66
Biblical Argument for the Acceptance of Homosexuality

My experience is as a log scaler, and IDing them laying in the ground, sans leaves. They look a lot different standing up! Haha she can do the smell test for birch. That would either confirm or eliminate that choice.

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Vicker
If you're born to hang, you'll never drown.

Being a jack-of-all-trades ... I scale also.... I use Doyle scale, Scribner, International, Universal, and I know how to make a Cheater stick. I also have a cruising stick but I decided to put a handle on and use it as a cane. Makes a great conversation piece.

I sniffed that Yellow Birch and it had no odor .... then I remembered that I can't smell anything due to many sinus infections... I guess i will need to take along an assistant with a good nose if I am going to sniff ID trees.

I think this thread is fizzling... HT should have a special place for us Woodsmen to hang out .... socialize etc.

When I have trouble IDing on the ground..... I just stand them back up

Sometime they end up upside down though, then it really gets confusing.

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Vicker
If you're born to hang, you'll never drown.

Although I am not very well versed in the trees of Virginia I will go out on a limb and throw my .02 in the ring. My guess is a Linden also known as Basswood. The damage to the tree is galls caused by insects - Most likely a small wasp.

I wouldn't bet the farm on it but I think it's pretty accurate. Leaf buds and bundle scars are always helpful when IDing winter trees.

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'Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit...'--Thoreau

Badger I think you probably IDed it.... Here is trunks and smooth bark on limbs

My only concern is the light bark in the OP looks more off white than light grey/silver.

http://www.qdma.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16938

If you noticed in the picture of the branches there is a zig zag pattern in the new growth. Bark color and new growth color can be influenced by many environmental factors such as mineral content of the ground, available moisture, even exposure to sunlight.

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'Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit...'--Thoreau

I just don't see it, not saying you're wrong at all Badger but on my screen that bark still looks too white to me.. i don't really even see it as really light grey

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UK 2005:Treasury Dept./Trade and Industry survey concluded: 3.6 m gay people in the UK/~6% of the total population/1 in 16.66
Biblical Argument for the Acceptance of Homosexuality

I still so need to know!?:P

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UK 2005:Treasury Dept./Trade and Industry survey concluded: 3.6 m gay people in the UK/~6% of the total population/1 in 16.66
Biblical Argument for the Acceptance of Homosexuality