Bark smells like Vicks

Cobleskill

Cobleskill

Treehouser
Joined
Dec 31, 2006
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4,724
Location
Western New York near Lake Ontario
My son brought me a sprig from a tree to ID. Leaves look like a Rhododendron. When you strip the bark it has a strong mediciny smell, similar to Vick's. It has dried out some and still has a strong smell. I could get more info/picture if nothing comes right to mind. I would think the smell should make it pretty easy to ID.
 
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Could be. It came to mind but I didn't think the climate in Western NY would be suitable. After looking it up I see it has different forms of leaves. I didn't really see anything about the bark having odors/oils. More the leaves, but you west coast guys would know.
 
Good call on the camphor. That was where I was going!

What about Sassafras? I know it's a different smell, but it is somewhat similar and all over the east coast, albeit the branches don't look like rhododendron.
 
I think about half the northern part of Virginia and West Va is populated by rhododendron .Lawdy it's like a jungle .
 
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I have seen Sassafras around here. Camphor sounds good, but not hardy to our zone and my leaf doesn't have the hooked pointed ends. The Vicks Plant isn't hardy enough to be it either. If it has Willow-like leaves as well as round ones that would point to Euc.
 
MasterBlaster said:
I was gonna say keep the dog outta the vapor-rub. :|:
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I'll bet if Fido got a mouth full of Vicks he'd howl .When he passed it most likely he'd howl again too. Get him coming and going in a manner of speaking . About as bad as my old Cat George biting his butt over the hot peppers .
 
Gerry, we have a few of those here (Umbelularia Californica), they might do in that neck of the woods.
 
Umbellularia Californica...an excellent wood for woodworking. About the same hardness as Walnut. The problem is drying it, the bugs love it. Lots of color variation, from whitish to dark green and brown, and stable.
 

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That's pretty wood, Jay. I like our Bay trees.....they smell really good and the shapes of the trunks can be very interesting. There's some particularly nice ones growing on the banks of the Navarro River, about 15 miles south of us.
 
Terri, the wood smells that same scent when you cut it, and rather potent. I wonder if Jerry has cut many Bays? I recall years ago getting some from a logging operation, the story being that the guys cutting the evergreens, were also required to remove the hardwood species as well.
 
Old customer I fired a few years back had a beauty in her back yard. Spread of about 60 plus feet and I can't remember how high. multiple trunks that were probably 18-24" at BH long and straight. Couple more that were bigger than that. Probably a millers dream.
 
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