Branches make miserable lumber; they're frequently called "reaction" wood because the strain of growing puts the limb under considerable tension. I've heard of

Branches make miserable lumber; they're frequently called "reaction" wood because the strain of growing puts the limb under considerable tension. I've heard of it self destructing (quite literally) midway through planing from these tensions. It is possible to make furniture and other things from it, but the figure I remember is that somewhere between 70%-90% of the wood is unsuitable. You can use them for turning sometimes, though.