Burning Yew?

[k3c4forlife]

Anyone ever burned Yew?

My buddy just took down a Yew bush that went wild and turned into a tree in his front yard. Is it worth it?

Kevin

 

[ROBERT F]

Yew should be able to burn if yew want

 

[fossil]

Guy I bought some Oak & Madrone from brought me a couple 6' lengths of Yew trunk. I wouldn't call it a bush, as these things were about 12" in diameter. I bucked & split them & stacked the Yew in with the Oak & Madrone. Compared to the softwoods I typically burn, all three of these are much harder and heavier. The Yew I have burns quite well, pretty much like Oak. Rick

 

[k3c4forlife]

This Yew bush went out of control probably 25 years ago. The trunk base is 28" dia.

 

[fossil]

Wade through this thread to about page 3 or someplace...there was some disussion about Yew in there:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/46239/

 

[Wood Duck]

This Yew bush went out of control probably 25 years ago. The trunk base is 28" dia.

Are yew sure it is a yew? I have never seen one anywhere close to 28" diameter in the eastern US.

 

[k3c4forlife]

100% sure its yew and the thing is massive... When my buddy dropped it, it chattered his 6" concrete sidewalk.

Ill have to read the post.

 

[billb3]

I've seen yew, arborvitae and rhododendron get huge from allowed to grow wild.

I've got an arborvatae planted with some hemlocks 50 years ago and it is almost as tall as the hemlock.

Never thought to keep any for firewood, though.
Always figured it was less value than dreaded white pine.

A bit of work to trim up, too.

 

[Lanningjw]

Yew should be able to burn if yew want

Yew are so funny!

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I've been burning shrubby type Yew rounds this past month. Mostly as kindling, 1-2 in dia, a few larger. I seasoned it about 1 year. Burns great. I wouldn't load the entire firebox with it, but should be fine mixed with hardwoods. It's great as kindling. Burns sorta like (gasp!) Pine. Hot burner but not too 'poppy' like some conifer woods. Splits pretty well, tends to be straight grained. I wouldn't refuse some Yew if I were offered some. Wood yew?

 

[JoeyD]

Here is a yew from Blarney castel when we visited Ireland. These things were hundreds of years old.

 

[ConiferJoe]

Don't people traditionally burn a yew log for the holidays?

 

[k3c4forlife]

and the jokes continue...

 

[dougstove]

In Europe, I think they used to use yew for bows. Maybe it is too good to burn.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

Pacific Yew is the shizzz. Super dense and fairly dry when green so drying time is fairly short.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

I finally paid attention when I was burning a bigger piece of my shrubby Yew, seasoned 1 year. This one piece was about 4in dia. Not only does the stuff burn magnificently, and more like 'hardwood' than any conifer ('softwood') but it coals every bit as good as Red Oak, I'd say. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. The small round is one giant ~3in dia coal in my firebox right now. Good stuff, wouldn't 'yew' say? ;-)

BTW I imagine it must be the English or Japanese ornamental Yew I'm burning here- used mainly for landscaping.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

Guy I bought some Oak & Madrone from brought me a couple 6' lengths of Yew trunk. I wouldn't call it a bush, as these things were about 12" in diameter. I bucked & split them & stacked the Yew in with the Oak & Madrone. Compared to the softwoods I typically burn, all three of these are much harder and heavier. The Yew I have burns quite well, pretty much like Oak. Rick

I don't have access to Madrone here, but Rick's comparison of Oak to Yew holds up for me as well, now that I've burned some bigger seasoned pieces and really paid attention. Some of those pieces burned here lately were 48 years old when cut (due to branch die off). It's not bad wood at all.

 

[savageactor7]

Nice pic JoeyD that's what I call a tree with 'character'...isn't yew what the English made their famous longbows out of?