Buckthorn BTU's

[snojetter]

Anybody know the BTU content of the common buckthorn?

My wife and I cleared land for our new home about 5 years ago. Buckthorn was (and is) abundant on the property. The big stuff (2 inches and larger anyway), I cut and stacked for firewood. Forgot all about it until I started peeling back the piles for this season's wood supply. I've been burning a lot of this stuff the past month or so and it's great for filling the gaps in the stove after the larger pieces go in.

Obviously it's a lot of work to process, and you'll never get a huge amount of it. But for me, I try not to waste anything that's cut on my 6 acres. Seems pretty dense and it sure can give a chainsaw a workout if the chain isn't sharp. I know back home, Dad would call this stuff "ironwood." Seems like it might be comparable to bur oak...but I haven't been able to find any BTU chart that lists it (not surprising).

 

[begreen]

Not sure of the BTU content but it should be a good firewood. And you are reducing an invasive species.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/buckthorn-as-firewood.53469/

 

[3fordasho]

wood-database.com rates buckthorns average dried weight at 38lbs per cu ft. better than American elm or black cherry and about the same as green ash. Personal experience rates it even better, but as you've noted a lot of work to process and 6-8" round is as big as it gets.

 

[snojetter]

Not sure of the BTU content but it should be a good firewood. And you are reducing an invasive species.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/buckthorn-as-firewood.53469/

I did read that thread after searching for any info on the species. Didn't really give much info other than a subjective "good" or "better than." Was hoping there was a BTU chart out there that included it just to get a comparison.

Seat-of-pants experience tells me it's a good wood to burn. Since I'm out there trying to get rid of it anyway, I'll keep the (relatively) large stuff for the woodpile.

 

[3fordasho]

Here is a stab at btu content. Using the 38lbs/cu.ft. from wood-database.com, 38lbs x 128 cuft/cord x.80 (to allow for air gaps in the stack) x 6000btu/lb wood btu content = 23.3 million btu per cord.

 

[snojetter]

That seems like a reasonable calculation. Based on that, the conclusion is that buckthorn is indeed comparable to oak...depending on the BTU chart I'm looking at. Thanks!

 

[3fordasho]

That seems like a reasonable calculation. Based on that, the conclusion is that buckthorn is indeed comparable to oak...depending on the BTU chart I'm looking at. Thanks!

I like it when I can get decent sized pieces. Comparable to oak? perhaps red oak. Seems to dry quick too because it has pretty low moisture content even when green.

 

[snojetter]

I picked up a brush grubber recently and my plan this spring is to pull a bunch of this stuff in an attempt to clear it out. Anything of size will get added to the woodpile, and the rest gets tossed into marsh.