How bout some dogwood?

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Remmy122

New Member
Jan 7, 2011
257
East NC
I dont hear a whole lot about people burning dogwood on here, is this because its not as common up north or west (where it seems many posters are from) or because the tree just doesnt get that big? The BTU charts show it doing pretty well...

Just curious.

I saw a truck load full on the curb around the corner tonight when I was at work, bone dry (well before it rained 3 inches) and didnt look like any punk to it, Ill be getting that tomorrow after church!
 
Dogwood is one of my favorites. Grows big here. Dense, high BTU stuff. It can be tough to split, and a little hard to get started, but I love it. I wish I had some more often.
 
Generally, people don't go after it much because it's usually small diameter. We have quite a bit scattered about, and I'll grab it when it's dead (bark fallen off.) It clings to life, though. The entire middle of the trunk can be gone but a thin strip of bark will still be feeding the upper limbs.
I grabbed some (standing/dead) toward the end of last Winter to supplement my dwindling supply. Like madrone, I found it kind of hard to start but I thought maybe that was due to the wood not being fully dry. I figured it needed more time split/stacked to dry out since it is dense wood, but it may be slow-starting stuff, even when dry...
 
Dogwood rocks! I don't get it often but it is around here and when it is available I grab it. Really throws the heat and burns a long time, but like the others said it is a little tough to split but definitely great fuelwood.
 
Barks pretty good too....
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Barks pretty good too....

har har :)

I just grabbed what was on the curb around the corner, trunk was probably 9" diameter and DRY. Im gonna cut it to length and keep it till winter to try and hold off on the oat till the last minute (hopefully wont need to touch it).

I just find it funny that if an oak trunk is on the curb its gone within minutes, but dogwood and other woods that may be better than oak will sit till the city picks it up.
 
Remmy122 said:
I just grabbed what was on the curb around the corner, trunk was probably 9" diameter and DRY. Im gonna cut it to length and keep it till winter to try and hold off on the oat till the last minute (hopefully wont need to touch it).
Got a meter to slap on it? I'd like to hear the condition (bark all fallen off?) and the corresponding MC.

Remmy122 said:
I just find it funny that if an oak trunk is on the curb its gone within minutes, but dogwood and other woods that may be better than oak will sit till the city picks it up.
Everyone knows that "Oak is good firewood." Shagbark is also known to most people. But around here, we've also got BL, Pignut, Dogwood, Hedge, a bit of Persimmon...all great, high-BTU stuff that the casual wood-grabber might not be aware of.
 
Around here most folks seem to think it is only wood.
 
Dogwood is an awesome firewood but its such a pretty tree that I dont take any unless dead. I have at least 20 around the house but I love lookin at em.
 
I dont have a MM, but my BIL does and I will be up that way this coming weekend. Im thinking about taking a couple pieces of wood to see where theyre sitting.

Ive only gotten dogwoods that are standing dead or taken down in storms. None from my yard :)
 
In Pennsylvania dogwood doesn't get very large. There are probably a couple of 12 inch diameter dogwoods around here, but it isn't a tall or straight tree so there isn't a whole lot of wood in even the largest dogwood. That is probably why you don't hear much about dogwood as firewood. One medium-sized oak has more wood than 50 big dogwoods.
 
Wood Duck said:
In Pennsylvania dogwood doesn't get very large. There are probably a couple of 12 inch diameter dogwoods around here, but it isn't a tall or straight tree so there isn't a whole lot of wood in even the largest dogwood. That is probably why you don't hear much about dogwood as firewood. One medium-sized oak has more wood than 50 big dogwoods.

+1
 
Dogwood is an ornamental shrub up here...I've never seen one with a trunk bigger than a few inches diameter.
 
Bspring said:
Wood Duck said:
In Pennsylvania dogwood doesn't get very large. There are probably a couple of 12 inch diameter dogwoods around here, but it isn't a tall or straight tree so there isn't a whole lot of wood in even the largest dogwood. That is probably why you don't hear much about dogwood as firewood. . .

+1

+2
and it's the state flower and tree here. Woohoo! :)
 
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