catalpa tree

[tsquini]

A guy down the street had a catalpa tree fall down. Has anyone burned it before? Is it worth the effort?

 

[swagler85]

http://extension.usu.edu/forestry/HomeTown/General_HeatingWithWood.htm
Post from another thread with good info on species, btu, ease of splitting, ashes ect.
Looks to be ok wood but I've never burned it to have my own opinion.

 

[ScotO]

Catalpa is alot like poplar, IMO. It seasons fast (one year or so C/S/S), burns good and hot, and has a nice 'perfumy' smell when burning, but it burns really fast and leaves lots of ashes. Doesn't produce a good coal bed either. So I would say it's mediocre, it would make a good shoulder season wood or good for mixed loads with locust and oak. I just don't like to waste valuable storage space on mediocre wood. If it's free and easy, and if you have the space and need some SS wood, go for it.

 

[tsquini]

Shoulder season burns looks like the way to go. Thanks guys.

 

[Jacktheknife]

Beautiful tree, I am planting one in the spring. Covers the street in white trumpets, has a parasite that catches bass like crazy. At one point there was a push to use it in furniture due to its speedy growth. But, alas, it is a softwood and not much better than cedar. I would take it if I didn't have anything better coming my way.

 

[bogydave]

Regardless; it's BTUs
& free, right?

 

[blujacket]

I would pass unless you need wood badly. I burned some this fall. Lot of pops, lot of ash, and one of the worst smelling woods I have ever had. I would much rather have some Silver Maple for shoulder season.

 

[ScotO]

We had 5 HUGE catalpas in our yard, all of them were 100yr old trees come the smallest one is all that's left. Beautify fragrant trees in June, nice shade tree in July and August....ugliest and dirtiest tree I ever saw the rest of the year. Black and brown leaves, cigars (bean pods) all over the place...... Here's a pic of the lone survivor, its going to be coming down either this summer or next and a sugar maple is going to take its place....

https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/2012-06-10_19-58-53_668-jpg.68524/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/2012-06-10_20-00-58_524-jpg.68526/

 

[Jacktheknife]

We had 5 HUGE catalpas in our yard, all of them were 100yr old trees come the smallest one is all that's left. Beautify fragrant trees in June, nice shade tree in July and August....ugliest and dirtiest tree I ever saw the rest of the year. Black and brown leaves, cigars (bean pods) all over the place...... Here's a pic of the lone survivor, its going to be coming down either this summer or next and a sugar maple is going to take its place....

https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/2012-06-10_19-58-53_668-jpg.68524/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/2012-06-10_20-00-58_524-jpg.68526/

My parent had a big one in the front yard when I was a kid and we never found it to be that messy. Yeah, it would drop some bean pods and eventually leaves, just like every other tree. The difference is that the leaves are huge! The two big red maples I used to have out front my place seemed light a plight, so maybe it's just because you had a small grove going that made them seem so bad.

 

[tsquini]

It was free. It has been cut into length ready to be chopped.

 

[Wood Duck]

I'd take any wood that is easy to get. It might not be oak, but it will burn. I enjoy having some lower value firewood to burn so that I can save the primo stuff.