Favorite Wood

Morning?

Look/smell I'd have to go with black cherry and I have many of them on our back 9. Nothing looks better in a big stack than that deep russet red...but for burning and CSS-ing I'd have to say ash.

I don't feel bad taking them down because they're probably doomed with the EAB coming this way from the South (I still leave some for bio-diversity) and they split SO nice and burn great after a year. Can't say the same for oak or even the deadfall sugar maples I can't tap.

Look/smell I'd have to go with black cherry and I have many of them on our back 9. Nothing looks better in a big stack than that deep russet red...but for burning and CSS-ing I'd have to say ash.

I don't feel bad taking them down because they're probably doomed with the EAB coming this way from the South (I still leave some for bio-diversity) and they split SO nice and burn great after a year. Can't say the same for oak or even the deadfall sugar maples I can't tap.

I second Larch. Theres lots of it in the east kootenays but treated like gold so you need to be pro active at getting it especially if you want aged standing dead. Its easy to split, crackles great and can grow quite large. Its about as good as you can get on the btu charts for coniferous trees. Not only that the tree is just so darned cool!

Sugar maple is my favorite. It dries out in one year, smells great, catches a quick flame and holds a good coal. Having a small yard, sugar maple is ideal. Unfortunately, I don't get a lot of it. I always get a large percentage of oak- which is great, but it needs two full summers to get almost seasoned.

I actually really like white pine. Nobody wants it around here so you can find it on the sides of the road everywhere. It smells great, dries quick, burns hot and clean and since I've moved my stove up from the basement to the living room I've found that the shorter burn times are great because it heats the house up just right but doesn't get too hot.

For heating my favorite is oak. For the wood pile rescues that I use for turning on the lathe my favorite is maple.

Seanm said:

I second Larch. Theres lots of it in the east kootenays but treated like gold so you need to be pro active at getting it especially if you want aged standing dead. Its easy to split, crackles great and can grow quite large. Its about as good as you can get on the btu charts for coniferous trees. Not only that the tree is just so darned cool!

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I love that view -

Red oak for me because there's plenty of it around, plus it splits well, smells great when split, seasons well, and burns hot. I have some maple just starting to season now, so my preferences could change in another year or so...

Honey or black locust is my favorite burns hot and if you have nice size dry rounds get a great burn time beech has impressed me the last two years removed a couple large ones from my brothers property have been split for over two years and the heat is great from a tree many consider junk can't complain like many others have said if it's free and good wood you can't complain all keeps you warm

Bur oak. When dry it starts easy, burns long and hot.

Free

Norwegian.

Ash, locust and either sugar or norway maple for me.

For me, it's ash. Only because there are so many dead ones around and it's what I've been getting from my neighbors, and it's already mostly dry. I have a huge red oak on my property, and all it's good for right now is dropping tons of leaves and I'm tired of raking and bagging them...so I'm mad at red oak cause I can't burn it!

Ash and/or red elm are my favorites factoring in all qualities. Problem is they are a rare score in the woodpile.

I love beech too, but I think I prefer Ash overall. Cherry would be my 3rd choice.

Tulip Poplar!

This is my first season burning, so I can only use whatever has dried sufficiently to burn efficiently in a year or less. Around here, that means tulip poplar. It grows very fast, splits easily, dries very fast and burns well, but maybe not the most BTU's. I've got several cord of oak C/S/S and much more oak standing dead, but none of that will be ready for a year or two, so for now it's tulip, red maple and/or cherry.

BlackGreyhounds said:

Tulip Poplar!

This is my first season burning, so I can only use whatever has dried sufficiently to burn efficiently in a year or less. Around here, that means tulip poplar. It grows very fast, splits easily, dries very fast and burns well, but maybe not the most BTU's. I've got several cord of oak C/S/S and much more oak standing dead, but none of that will be ready for a year or two, so for now it's tulip, red maple and/or cherry.

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You're mind will change. Quickly.

Depends on what you want to do. For starting the fire, you can't go wrong with cedar. Splits easily and starts fast. Oak, cherry, and sassafras are good for long and slow heat. Mulberry is wonderful for entertainment. Good wood, and it snaps, crackles and pops.

Locust then Cherry, really Silver Maple second but not much around anymore...

Being in New England, there are both coniferous and deciduous trees, each have their purpose. Right now I am loving my pine. Usually can find or get it for free cuz New Englander's think pine is the devil. It burns hot and clean for the shoulder season fires and is great for kindle. I have ash for the quick cut fire needs. There is also cherry and maple which have their place for the longer burns. Stashed away is the oak for the mid-winter long burns. Basically anything seasoned works for me!

I'll vote for spruces. Season easily in one summer, the wife isn't allergic. I can turn our BK down pretty low to get some sustain out of it, or crank it up and take the chill off the house in a hurry. I especially love damaged trees with baseball sized globs of sap on them, the catalyst in my stove treats sap globs like cocaine.

Poindexter said:

I'll vote for spruces. Season easily in one summer, the wife isn't allergic. I can turn our BK down pretty low to get some sustain out of it, or crank it up and take the chill off the house in a hurry. I especially love damaged trees with baseball sized globs of sap on them, the catalyst in my stove treats sap globs like cocaine.

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Spruce is not generally wanted either, so more crack for your stove.