Cottonwood...

I think Willow smells like total s@%$ as well or Paper Bark.

Pete

That is probably it willow stinks ungodly bad! the first time I burned it we had a wonder wood stove that was not even remotely efficient and the hole house and neighborhood got stunk up for hours. I threw all the remaining willow in the junk pile after that disaster lol.

Pete

Interesting - I've been curious to burn some willow to see how it goes (never have before). It seems to rank pretty low on the BTU charts, but maybe it could be a good fuel for the shoulder season? Anyway: note to self about the reek.

I've burned a lot of Willow.
It has a very pretty, slightly sweet smell.
Perhaps the tree you're burning was planted over a septic field or the like?

Cottonwood when cut has a bad odor, but I've never burned any.

Rob

I have been burning the crap out of cottonwood. Its not bad at all.
but the wind has been blowing 40mph for days.

seriously, the smell of mine is not bad, good big dry splits.
I can get a pretty long burn too. especially with some big
mulberry rounds thrown it. Now that stuff stinks.

I've been burning a lot of Cottonwood and haven't noticed a bad smell at all. But then again I've taken my shower this month either.

Cottonwood or willow should not smell when it is being burned but it is not the most pleasant when freshly cut. Still, what one person says stinks another says is not bad. Case in point is oak. I see nothing wrong with the smell of oak but many hate it. Maybe it is because I logged and sawed lumber is why it doesn't smell bad to me. I used to love the different smells when sawing and still do. Then again, if you can get hold of some sassafras, you will really have some sweet smelling wood. That is the best.

Hass,

Dennis is right of course...we each have a different sense of smell.

I planted a number of hybred Willow some years back.
I had a row in my yard, and one 30' away next to our backyard pond.
I watered them all equally, but the one by the pond got all the "nutrients" from the fish that occupied it.
When I cleaned the pond (3-4 times a year) the thick sludge of leaves, fish waste, worms, and other things that got in the water were always poured around the base of the tree.

All the trees grew fast...they are supposed to.
After 7 years, the trees in the row were 50-60' tall, and 12" or so in diameter.
The one by the pond was no taller, but it was almost 4' across!
I had to cut it down because its roots were pushing up the foundation of my deck.

I didn't burn any of that tree, but as still burning the trees from the row, which smell sweet, to me.

Rob

If it smells bad, it's probably still a little on the damp side.
For years I used to cut and sell poplar/cottonwood and use the money to buy
something better. With cottonwood around 12m btu's/cord and ash at 24m btu's/cord,
although I sold my wood cheaper, I was getting almost twice the wood back. Made sense to me.
Disclaimer; I never misrepresented what I was selling. People liked the cheap price and the light weight. ;-)
Go figure-
Kenny

+1 with kenny c for the moisture. Maybe toss in a split or two of black cherry to help skew the stink?