Really enjoy the contributions. I saw were it is in the same family as ebony . Very hard to split, but more importantly it doesn’t burn well at all. All of them burn well. It’s close to soft maple on the btu chart plus I don’t need to go anywhere or handle it too many times. We also leave the basement door partially open so as not to encourage the water pipes to freeze. I made the mistake of “scoring” a cottonwood many years ago and don’t want to make that mistake again. Creosote cannot form in such an environment. Some are deciduous, some evergreen, some semi-evergreen. I do have a question…do they test the btu factor at sea level or in an elevation, i have found that many of the old myth’s to be untrue as far as burn time and heat factor, ash rate… in many different varieties of wood in elevation above 2500′ to 5000′, been doing this for awhile, just wondering if anyone else has found this to be true? A well educated, 76 year old, freedom loving American who worries about my children and grandchildren. I just split and stacked 4 yr supply of silver maple, so I’m sorry to see how low its BTU rating is. It burns with a big bright flame then turns into a big bed of red hot coals that burn forever . I don’t know how that changes as it dries out. First is IronWood. Have a lot of ancient dead manzanitas that also burn fantastically in the fp. Every year we have to cut several down. I try to split off 1-inch wide slivers all the way around the round, light these (gum is easy to get burning), and then place the reduced size log on whole. When cutting, I have to sharpen my chain saw pretty frequently. WE MADE BARTOPS, SHELVES, AND FENCING OUT OF IT (PRIMO FOR THOSE, AS THE GRAIN IS VERY PRETTY AND CONTRASTING). When the tempreture drops to single digits or below zero the BTU output keeps my home comfortable, I also like the shagbark hickery. I added another folding screen to the hearth, plus a stainless steel screen that has 1/32″ holes in it. A forest product is any material derived from forestry for direct consumption or commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or forage for livestock. i have burned firewood about 34 years and it is obvious the people who compiled the listings here have never used firewood for heat [ college educated idiots ] and i feel sorry for the people who can’t recognize fools at point blank range!! There are approximately 600 individual species listed in the Quercus (Oak) genus--most are trees, though a few are shrubs. Northern Cal checking in, renovated an old homestead 5 years ago and have been clearing doug fir and california bay laurel for fire safety zone around the house. Thanks for the great info Andy! The fireplace is rated at a whopping 25% efficient! Live in S/W Missouri, and wood heat is our only source for 3,400 sq. But you are right about oak making a great bed of coals, and in an outdoor fire the extra ash won’t be so much a problem like in a wood stove. I have been researching on the Net and found some basic info but nothing so far as to how often/what size to harvest different wood species. THE MAN MENTIONED CEDAR GAVE OFF LITTLE TO NO HEAT. I have pictures of him with an electric pole saw (he’s deathly afraid of power equipment)cutting 2″ diameter branches on the ground !!! We bought cedar this year and it burns slowly and puts out little to no heat. We have tons of felling oak tree’s pushed up waiting to be cut , fully seasoned too !!! Here is a link to a site that I found a couple of years ago.http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Trees-Shrubs/Firewood-hard.htm I have an old Black Bart insert and have found that in mid atlantic East coast, the oaks rule (Esp. I think it’s high on the calorie scale, as it’s known to get good and hot. I OWED A SAWMILL IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MTNS (LK ARROWHEAD, BIG BEAR AREA) AND THERE WAS ALOT OF THAT THERE (AS WELL AS IN NORTHERN CALI). my back yard, and all of northern california would like to respectfully disagree. All the old timer’s around only burn oak and turn their nose up at fir. ), I am reduced to asking neighbors or builders if I can haul away their downed trees. Enjoy your fires! I’ll have much pecan to burn this fall , we cut a huge tree . Nothing seasons meat on the grill like the cherry–although I look forward to trying beech based on comments above. Oak gets borers and starts getting dusty with sawdust falling out. It’s abundent where I live – Northern MN. The drawback is that the tree’s are small and have thorns . Maybe a little more BTU’s than cottonwood . I’ve burned a lot of it in the last 35 years. Most of the trees in the hedge rows were Osage Orange. I am planning on doing a little experiment to find out which wood is best for campfires and fire pits. Do you split with a maul and wedges, or with a gas powered splitter? A lot of people don’t burn it so it is plentiful. I live in the midwest southern iowa have burned firewood for most of my life,and have discovered that different woodstove set ups heat better using different wood. Richard, Personally, the best wood in the world is whatever I can get my hands on. If some of the wood is used for construction, there is a net decrease in CO2 from the activity. If I come across more apple I will cut it . I BELIEVE IT’S CALLED SALT CEDAR. Whether you enjoy minty or fruity flavors, there are plenty of options to choose from at BJ's. I have been looking for the B.T.U. I live in eastern oregon and my main problem is the identification of trees. Fresh cut it has a sap like a pine in the outer bark but overall it contains a lot of water depending on the time of year it is cut. I have found a good way to make charcoal if your a pyro maniac / fire bug like me. Great aroma too. I heat 5,500 sq ft with 130,000 BTU Franks Piping Wood Boiler from Quebec CDN. I don’t know how they compare split and dried. For wood stoves I beleive ash,oak,hickory mix. I have not found it listed anywhere as rated for firewood and was wondering if it would produce enough heat to make it worthwhile for use in the fireplace. It burns like coal,but wreaks havoc on a chainsaw and chain!!! I don’t bother with cottonwood as a fuel source. Ten pieces of green 20″ yellow birch or hard maple last for roughly eight hours and throw tons of heat. I grow eucalypt here in the Modesto area and it never lasts as long as almond, but it is also resinous and burns faster. I’m thrilled to read about mulberry’s quallities–there’s alot of that here in WI, Hi Gang! My grandfather told that with him carrying wood in all winter and grandma hauling out the ashes … he never saw her all winter !! I will feed twice that amount of seasoned. Nevertheless, the Amur maple, silver maple, and Norway maple all have their charms as well. density, and several qualitative parameters – smell, ash production, fast/slow burn, ease of starting, ease of splitting, color/look of flame, popping/sparking … and probably others. In my lifetime I have seen the end of the Chestnut,the American elm,and now the Ash, Dick Ashton. They had a good mid-size flame and burned a long time. Any idea if this is a hardwood and the BTU’s? I prefer the hot, sweet-smelling woods. This is also the order I would rate them. as far as mulberry goes..i live in central nm and at some point in time someone started planting non bearing mulberry trees..the btu output is not even close to what the charts state above..our mulberry trees would be similar to burning elm wood..it grows verry fast and requires a lot of water..we dont even use it for cooking wood..of course most native wood in nm is verry hard because it takes hundreds of yrs to grow…the growth rings are so small in some cases it takes a microscope to see them..some of the juniper trees we cut for firewood ive been told were around during the time of christ..so it naturaly is going to be extremely hard wood..ive been looking for the btu output for algarita..or desert holly..where i cut my firewood its not uncommon to find these trees from 5inches to two feet around..it takes at least a yr to season..ive seen gunstocks and stair rails made from it…prety wood…anyone know?? In the dead of winter find a pine tree that you want to cut. I live in southwest MI and have 20 acres of woods. Sprinkle lightly, don’t dump, and over several years, we’ve seen a material improvement in our plants and soil from recycling everything full circle. Storms here in Georgia recently took down some large sweetgums. Iv’e only ived here for the last 4 years, It should have been pruned back many years ago but now to late and needs to be cut down. Don’t worry about the ashes your stove produces. But as one reader noted, all species have roughly the same BTU potential per pound. thanks, When it’s cold out, I seem less lazy to get up in the middle of the night to keep the fire hot overnight. Over the years I’ve heard people in this region say it gets too hot for stoves…if they use only the mahogany I imagine. It does have a more bitter, eye burning smoke than most woods. The pecan burned good considering it wasn’t fully seasoned . PRACTICALLY EVERY RANCH FENCE HERE AND NEW MEXICO IS MADE FROM IT, IT’S EASILY SPLIT AND IT RESISTS ROTTING. They also give a pleasant smell, though not as nice as red oak, cherry, or yellow birch. anyone know anything about sweet gum btu value? They then loose there bark &; become silver faded color &; will stand dead for yrs. ft. barn/house. Black Cherry, and Apple give off a wonderful aroma,as well as producing nice heat. I haven’t been able to compare it to madrone, or the oaks (like Oregon white, black oak, etc.). I’m in Melbourne, Australia. My grand dad swears beech is king. Douglas fir is Pseudotsuga, menzizii for the man who identified it. I don’t have the ratings for that maple, but you can always weigh it and get a general idea that way. As with most BTU charts I have seen available, some of the numbers may be a little off, but are in the general ballpark. The tulip poplar is not a poplar, it is in different family. I burn approximately 20 cords of wood each season. Stay warm and don’t worry about it so much. Audrie The wood you are looking for is Black Locust.It is a little thorny but it grows fast and burns long and hot.I sold fire wood for ten years and burned it fo thirty.Black locust was a favorite of my Amish customers. I have some upstate PA, that often is recovered when down, and used for firewood. This keeps all sparks from shooting onto our carpet. I can’t locate any ratings for this wood. It smells great too . 10 – 24 inche in diam. The small, more seasoned stuff burned with mid flame and burned very slow . Long story short, am I wasting my time with that willow? The smaller stuff makes a great campfire for cold weather, putting off a blue flame and tons of heat. I live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where I have 20 acres of mixed hardwoods. Throw the Ailanthus away. https://firewoodresource.com/firewood-btu-ratings/ try this RLB. It is impossible to split when green and easy when dry, but unless special precautions are taken it’ll rot rather than season. We used to call them hedge apples. In regards to Splitters, I have a homemade hydraulic 28 Ton that had cycle issues. Not only are chocolate bars delicious by themselves but chocolate is also an extremely versatile candy. Mostly ash, as all my neighbors here in northeast New Jersey a spit from the Hudson River are culling their ash trees for fear of the borer. I’ve heard that burning a little cedar occasionally will help remove soot from stovepipes and chimneys. Your email address will not be published. Latest data that I’ve read is that seasoned softwoods causing creosote problems is baloney. Light it then put the wet wood on top and watch the water and steam spew out of the ends . The ongoing extinction of the Ash,all species,is supplying While this cuts down on sparks, it still doesn’t keep smaller ones from escaping thru the gaps in the doors. I already have my next tree cut and seasoning . There is more smoke from wood than coal so ignore the GreenFascist/ACORN Brownshirts and their deceits. I have some birch and cherry I’ve been mixing it in with that too. Would I still be allergic to it or was that just to its pollen? Hemlock that is stacked in a single stack with plenty of air and sun can be ready to burn in one summer. Very unusual leaf pattern for an oak, but just as heavy as all the other oaks. I have put together the best data I could find, but consider the figures to be approximate. Western dogwood grows along the west coast and canyon live oak is common in California and Oregon. But smoke is very dangerous, known carcinogen. If I can find ratings for those I will add them too. I live in Washington State,and We have a lot of conifers here! It’s now plentiful since it has been declared a nuisance species. I have about a hundred of these that were cut in maintaining a power line right of way. If one falls on your truck it’s like having a bowling ball hit it. I have alot of leelan cypress trees that like to debrach themselves. Thanks for all the input!!!!!! They’re all gone around here….. The aspen and spruce burn quickly and hot which works well with my boiler’s aquastat and powered vent system – when the water cools below 175F, the fan kicks on and the easy starting, fast burning “junk” wood flames up quickly which works well to maintain a constant water temp at 180F – maintains the set point and keeps the control loop tight. Forgot to mention that the softwoods, including hemlock which is something like 75% water when green, have the property of shedding their moisture much faster than the hardwoods. In fact, I’m convinced you can’t, conventionally. FYI, this insert has glass doors and a chain-link curtain inside them. A little off topic for this page so you might not get much response here. Very smoky and almost smells acidic when it burns and it doesn’t seem to produce much flame or heat. they r clean , no bark or bugs, hard as a rock & burn hot! We just felled 12 mature ash trees – 12 to 24 inches in diameter, and are now bucking them up and splitting them. Anyone have any idea of cure times, BTU output etc? The firewood BTU rating charts below give a comparison between different firewood types. I have a Russian Olive that I cut down about 4 months ago and has been sitting in 100F weather for three weeks. Just call them and ask about what it can handle. NO BUGS EITHER. A few other elders like black locust . When you burn the tree, you put the carbon back. Don’t even bother. I burn, wild black cherry, black walnut, elm, hickory and yellow tulip. I live in the White Mountains of Arizona. The bradford pear can go to the dump along with the elm . and keep the bedroom doors about a foot from closed to save heat. MY PREFERENCE would be the DR flywheel special.. Man that thing smokes with efficiency. There was a guy down the road whose stove completely melted when he filled it with all hedge. First find you a steel bucket with a metal lid . I have a few standing dead pin oaks. I have to say, I’ve tried Red Oak and not impressed. My comment doesnt pertain to btus so much, but would like to say that here in central Ind., I look for elms,not sure if there rock, red or slippery elms.But easy to spot cuz they die avg. Persimmon is one of the most dense wood around this area. I also recently got some red maple that makes a good fireplace flame, if not a lot of heat. Where does the hart-nut tree stand in the BTU scale? Whether you like gum, mints, or chocolate bars, you'll love the large candy selection at BJ's Wholesale Club. Apple is another good secret. In mid-summer, after the sap has risen and saturated the stump, cut it. Back in the day they used to use the limbs for fence posts and the wood would last decades in the ground with out rotting. Many black oaks lost big limbs in the surprise snow of Nov 2010. My husband and I have been cutting alot of Pinyon pine this year…it burns great!! Lit my first fire of the season. We have oaks and madrone as our more common hardwoods. This is because softwoods, like pine and fir, contain resins, which have more energy per weight than wood fiber does. Mulga roots are about the only thing hotter/longer/denser. Maple trees, in general, look good and have aesthetic features that many people look for in a tree. I primarily have Red Oak, Black Cherry, American Elm, Red Maple, Locust, Hickory, Cottonwood, Poplar, growing in the woods. I look for fallen trees that are gray and smooth. Just cut down a Shingle Oak Tree here in Ohio. It doesn’t seem to put out much ash, but does put out some real heat. Personally, when I am home, I burn alot of Pitch Pine. I would like to burn this wood but don’t want any chimmney problems either. I forgot to mention that I cut and split a Catalpa. I consider myself as an expert in firewood as I have heated my home with wood for 30 years. Thanks for the comment, great to know we are getting long time repeat visitors. poplar and boxelder in the early and late months of the wood burning season but otherwise black cherry,elm, red and white oak, and the hickories. So if you remove the bark you have fewer ashes to clean out. Cheers fellow wood burners! You can use chocolate bars in baking or as a convenient snack option when the craving strikes. Ash is the only wood I’ve ever been able to burn streight off the tree (dried for 1 week or less) everything else I try to let dry for at least 5 years. Around here it is just about the most common tree removed by tree services so lots of firewood guys sell it since they get it for free. There are mine if I want them. You can click on the different types of firewood in the chart to learn more about them. Does anyone else have experience burning buckthorn in a wood stove? The drawbacks are the stinky smoke and the fact I had to poke it every 10 min and its hard to split. WE DID HOWEVER, CUT AND SPLIT ALOT INTO FIREWOOD FOR, OF ALL PEOPLE, THE BAREFOOT FIREWALKERS! I burn 24/7, and use about two cords from Nov. thru Mar., with several 3-day breaks every three weeks or so when the temps are a bit higher. you will be opening your windows in no time. I found a big beech limb fully seasoned and cut it up for a try . They are 6″-8″ in diameter at the base and ~15′ long. I live californnia. Russell Stover Assorted Sugar-Free Chocolate Candies, 19.9 oz. I am going to try some Apple wood next to see if it matches up with the hickory. Once burning it will not go out, so it is also commonly used for hog roast pits. Any comment when compare to other oaks>, how much does a chord of juniper firewood cost, Your email address will not be published. Was used centuries ago as a last rite in dwelling of certain Mohave Indian tribes when older people were near death. It is easy to split and burns great. I did My little campfire experiment to find out the best hardwood for a campfire . They are in same family as osage orange . I have a large sweet gum tree blown over by a storm. You best be looking over your shoulder as you drive home with your coal! But the common name aptly applies due to it’s obvious high density and/or hardness…probably how it got the common name in the first place. The red fir name comes from the beautiful red color of the heartwood. Some have more heat than others but if you already have it you might as well cut it up and burn it. I have burned about every tree that grows in this county (except cottonwood and willow, which is about worthless), and the best, by far, is Osage Orange. About 15 yrs ago, it warped and a 10″ long split developed in it, so I had a 3/16″ steel plate welded over the split, and since then, everything is hunky-dory. thanks. As a firewood enthusiast, I read with great envy about “350 acres of river bottom woods”. Any comments would be helpful. My grad parents were pioneers who cooked /heated homestead houses with white popular ! I live in Wisconsin now and have never seen one up here. We raise pecans, and they burn cleanly and well, as do prunings from our apple trees. I get up in the morning and heat our little berm home from 66-67 to 71-74 degrees with cottonwood and red elm in an hour and a half with cottonwood providing the bulk of the heat. Interesting reading. This wood is twice as hot as anything else. If you look at a BTU chart, it has either the highest or 2nd highest rating of all wood that grows in the US. Burning any other woods is a total waste of time and effort. and we burn them in our fireplace after they are seasoned. (Also, a number whose seed pods are only opened by bushfires.). Thanks for posting the list of firewood species & specs. The good news is that virtually all of the time, they say yes. The one that puts on what is called hedge apples, eaten by squirrels. Your plants’ roots will love you for it! If it is really dry it gives off some heat, but I usually recommend it as a campfire wood. I live on the west slope too and have found that oak, even when protected, doesn’t keep that well, unlike cedar, pine, fir, or lodgepole. Thanks, Barry , I think tulip poplar would be similar to cottonwood since they are both in the poplar family . Western Hardwoods Figures from California Energy Commission BTU Rating Based on 90 cubic feet of solid wood per 128 cubic foot cord. Cedar doesn’t heat well for us, and throws a lot of creosote up the chimney, so we only use it for outside campfires. Cal., I really miss having Live Oak and Eucalypyus to burn. interesting site. Burning well-seasoned poplar and maple, with a couple sticks of red oak. Free press release distribution service from Pressbox as well as providing professional copywriting services to targeted audiences globally Anyway, I find it interesting that not one mention of mountain mahogany has been posted-until now. I didn’t find any data about almond wood, in your stats, and thought you might like to include it. The only problem I have now is that I’m having trouble finding trees to cut. btuCompare price : $900X7 = $6300 vs $375. They are invasive and grow very quickly. The furnace didn’t come on all day. Split these sections into sticks. All firewood has about the same BTU per pound. As a firewood enthusiast, I read with great envy about “350 acres of river bottom woods”. Do some searching on coal for a closeby source. Persimmon is a good secret,burns hot and long. The fireplace is not our primary heat source but we enjoy a fire each evening in the winter. Nice transitional forest on our 20 acres includes black oak, manzanita, live oak, firs, oaks and cedars. In central MN (east Metro) that stuff is thick and burning the roots gives green-brown smoke. Maybe the aroma will get better with age after seasoning this summer . cure time is at least 2 years covered,found a rating of 16 mil btus per cord but it was rated as poor firewood. Great heat as well as flavor. Specifically, at this time, we will not knowingly accept any new item with non-organic corn, soy, canola, sugar beets, alfalfa or potatoes unless that item is certified by The Non-GMO Project. There is some conflicting data between different sources due to different calculating variables. http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/firewood.html, http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Trees-Shrubs/Firewood-hard.htm, https://firewoodresource.com/firewood-btu-ratings/. I find black cherry and hickory give the best burning results. Not talking about ordinary white mulberry, just the fruitless ones. The only problems with it are that it throws a ton of sparks and is not good for a fireplace for that reason and when cured it is harder than a hub to hell and next to imposible to split by hand. The inside resembles red or white oak color & grain. Any wisdom out there? I live here in north west tennessee near the miss river . George, it’s a bit cooler up here in the lower Hudson Valley, and we’ve been burning in the 18th C. Dutch hearth since Hurricane Sandy. The good news is that virtually all of the time, they say yes. By time it is dry, there is nothing left. I’m guessing that the Hemlock that I can get is eastern soft wood correct 15.9? According to wikipedia bradford pear trees originally come from China. It get’s super hot and leaves a hot bed of coals. I first came here and posted in 2010 . Maybe less in some places with more sun and less humidity, but still they take a long time. However, keep in mind that ashes should have cooled for several days, and it’s easiest to do it during winter snows or before a rain. Like the man said , if you got it free, it’s worth burning for heat. Happy burning 🙂 C. I have 30 acres in northwest Missouri. I live in so. It’s not the best, but it will warm you. cajun, Any BTU rating for Russian olive? Seems most farmers are removing them now to get more acres in corn and soybeans. The coals cook a mean hot dog after a few brews. I now have access to a great deal of Poplar. My chimney has never had to be cleaned because of burning hedge that has been dead for many years, plus the fact that it burns so hot. I have burned Ailanthus for several years. I use Hickory, White or Red Oak,Beech,tulip Poplar,& Sycamore. If you burn coal, you are leaving a destiny of death and starvation for your descendents and mine! I have a rather large Bradford pear that I need to take down. but apperntly most people never heard of this VERY HARD AND VERY VERY HEAVY WOOD. Can the latter possibly split 36″ diameter 2′ drums? Great site. It was partially seasoned so I really can’t say if its good firewood or not . This is my first year heating with wood. Having some gum stashed in your purse, pocket, or car is a good way to quickly freshen your breath when in a pinch. We normally burn red oak in the fireplace. They have a wierd looking fruit that is bright green and and can be as big as a cantaloupe and just as heavy. Hardwoods, ideally should be two years old, but one year is a minimum in the northeast. Behold the breadth of the oak family. This can help you decide what the best firewood type is for your needs. anyone know if red pine has lot of pitch. Here in MD was 39 today with 20mph wind. A devastating pest known as emerald ash borer (EAB) has caused the destruction of hundreds of millions of ash trees in at least 35 states. The information was gathered by internet and talking to old timers. Here in South Central Alaska, all we have is Birch, Black Spruce and Cottonwood. But in many cases softwoods actually have more BTU per pound than hardwoods. So there is no net Co2 that goes into the atmosphere. This is the resin soaked sticks of pine that will light with a match and makes an excellent starter. here in washington all the old timers and people that heat there houses just with wood buy douglas fir and the hipsters burn hard wood because they think its better. The only draw back is it gives little flame for a campfire . We collect it as “down and dead” firewood when we are cutting western juniper (J.occidentalis), mostly on B.L.M. Lots of oak available here, but I still take what I can get. Is Mimosa wood good for burning in a fire pit or Chimenea? attributed to mark twain!!! It’s a good starter wood . The doug fir gets the bark beetles that work away the outer layer, but if you can get the bark off the wood it will last several years. Just curious what kind of energy we are getting from them compared to the cords of hardwood we buy. These charts will give you the amount of energy per cord of wood for some of the most common firewood species. Walnut (black) rates at 21.50/cord, my information is provided by Pocket Reference by Thomas J Glover printed in September 2006 ( 18th edition ). For example a Eucalypt that is similar in size and appearance to live oak is E moluccana ( grey box ) it grows in iron stone reliying on 12 inches of rain per year and at 3% moisture content weighs 9,856 pounds per cord how many BTU’S would that equate to , or what about Waddy wood ( Acacia peuce ) it grows in the outback and at 3% moisture content weighs 13,112 pounds per cord and relies on one inch of rainfall per year what would its BTU output be ?