Anyone Burned Poplar Wood?

I haven't burned any yet, but i'm going to give some a try this year. I have a good size poplar in my yard that needs to come down.

From what I understand, it's quicker burning but throws some decent heat. I figured it would be good for early or late season, or those times when I'm around to tend the fire all day.

Poplar is closely related to cottonwood which I have in my yard in a 5.5 cord pile. The energy content is about 30% lower than the typical maple or dough fir so I take that to mean that you will need 30% more wood to make the same heat. Maybe more ash, more time loading, and shorter burn times, none of which bother me too much.

The cottonwood is low density so it is easy to start, split, and lift. I sure hope it works for me.

I think it is great when you do not need max heat.

I had some in the 15" diameter range that I cut into cookies 4 to 5 inches thick. Get the stove hot and a bed of coals and put one of the cookies in, burns for a fairly long time with some nice blue flames rolling around on top the cookie.
Cut this way it dries very fast and no splitting needed.

I wouldn't pass up a poople tree, especially being that close to home, and FREE. It splits real easy. When you have a rather large bed of coals and want to burn it down, throw on some of the poople. Burns up to almost nothing. I like it.

Luke Tonneberger
Rockford, Michigan
USA

pretty much like scrounger said, if its free its for me. especially when its that close. plan to use it in the spring and fall when you dont need alot of btu's. the poplar i had smelled pretty bad when i opened the door to the stove. splits like buttah.

It has the worst smelling smoke of just about any wood, and it leaves almost no coals (which as Scrounger suggests, can be a good thing). Other than that, wood is wood. I've sworn off poplar in favor of pine just because pine smells better.

I've burned it. It burns very fast when dry. It's great for getting the fire started or first thing in the am throw on a split and stand back. I know if its across the street from me i'm takin it. The creek that runs by my house often brings them within 50 yds or so from the house after the water level goes down I go and retrieve it. Sorta like home delivery without the cost

bodeen

This is one of those wood grandpa calls "day wood".



No good for overnight burns, but if you're around say on the weekend or the evenings, its great to toss a couple poplar logs in here and there to keep things rolling before loading her up for the overnight.

Gopher wood. But we sometimes burn it during spring or fall when not much heat is needed.

Last year I had about 2 or 2.5 cords of pine. Lousy for overnights, but for a day time wood, it's great. I toss very large splits in and they burn for a couple hours, then there is NOTHING left. Poplar is similar, but less creosote problems, which I don't think is much of an issue with EPA stoves anyway. If it's free wood, burn it. I've even taken to liking sumac if it's free.

THis past winter I burned a bunch of poplar that I scrounged last spring. Once it's dry, you'll see why everyone is saying it's good for warmish (fall/spring) weather. I was blown away by how light it was once seasoned.

Oh, and the stench was pretty bad, both when splitting and when burning. If you have something else, I'd use that for starting the fire, and use the poplar once it gets going. If you have no neighbors it's probably no biggie though.

-Hal

I'm drying some now...........we'll see next year, but I hear it's great wood for hot quick fires and to make a fast coal bed.


Robbie

Love spilting it it. I had some 24" pieces. Had to have to kids watch me spilt them. Daddy strong like ox.

I've stuffed a few poplars up my chimney, they burn fast and hot if properly seasoned. Lock and load. Does your stove have "reburners", they cut down greatly on the crap that can stick to your flue on the way up.
MB