A Note on the Relationship Between Branch- and Stemwood Properties of Selected Hardwoods Growing in the Mid-South

Specific gravity and fiber length values are reported for both stemwood and branchwood of eight southern hardwoods. Branchwood fibers are significantly shorter than stemwood fibers of each species. Branchwood specific gravity is higher than stemwood specific gravity for some species and lower for other species. The only statistically significant difference was in red oak which had higher specific gravity wood in branches than in stems.No statistically significant differences in either fiber length or specific gravity were found between branches from the top and bottom of the crown, nor between sampling points within branches