Help identify this wood.

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

RedRider16

New Member
Nov 22, 2022
10
Washington
I need help identify this wood, I can’t tell the difference between anything since I have no knowledge of wood. I’m curious as to what it is tho cause it’s heavy dense wood and is good for throwing in for a all night burn before bed. If I could find out what it is maybe I can find out where to get more. I can’t remember where I came across this, I picked most of the wood I’m burning this year up two years ago. Any help is greatly appreciated starting tomorrow I’m headed out and about finding and cutting firewood. I have a great spot for free birch wood for now till I drop and chop the 10 remaining trees, I’m keeping my head on a swivel tho cause free wood isn’t easy to come by around here.

Thanks in advance.

931AE450-E051-415C-A60F-7B31920CDFC2.jpeg 3DD3B53C-18C3-4BDA-B299-E3A6C0F12BA2.jpeg A26A6164-B610-4CBE-AB36-596792B64785.jpeg 5CB88AEE-62FA-4241-93AD-B12A9952E9F7.jpeg 33F27D23-BB0D-4267-BFAA-2B3E7BA7120F.jpeg
 
Looks like very dense wood and based on the bottom two pics may be locust based on the bark? Locust has been in the past a popular tree for cities to plant as it can take a lot of abuse.

Here is a pic of locust bark.

8BC210C4-9330-4283-A772-684A798E906B.png
 
BL. This in Washington State? When burning it stinks.
 
Not sure if Honeylocust has that deeply-furrowed of bark..haven't seen it here, except a dead one at a neighbor's a while back, and I don't recall the bark. OTOH, I've gotten a lot of Black Locust, and that bark looks identical. High-output wood, up there with Hickory, Dogwood etc. Find as much as you can, and grab it all! 👉
But as with other dense wood, throw it in on a coal bed. Hard stuff to get burning in a cold stove.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: RedRider16
Locust.

Decent firewood.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cahaak
Oh yea I know, I burn
Not sure if Honeylocust has that deeply-furrowed of bark..haven't seen it here, except a dead one at a neighbor's a while back, and I don't recall the bark. OTOH, I've gotten a lot of Black Locust, and that bark looks identical. High-output wood, up there with Hickory, Dogwood etc. Find as much as you can, and grab it all! 👉
But as with other dense wood, throw it in on a coal bed. Hard stuff to get burning in a cold stove.
yep that is what I do, I throw some poplar rounds in and I also have some pine. I get a nice thick stack of coals before bed then throw my all nighters in. It’s hard to find good hardwood around where I’m at specially for free. If one keeps there eyes open tho it can be got, specially after a good storm with high winds. Usually knocks a few trees down and people need them gone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woody Stover
It’s hard to find good hardwood around where I’m at specially for free.
What's your most available wood, Doug Fir? BTU ratings I see are all over the board on that stuff..?
 
I know it looks like BL, but does it really exist in Washington state? Can anyone else say?
 
  • Like
Reactions: RedRider16
I know it looks like BL, but does it really exist in Washington state? Can anyone else say?
I agree with that, but who knows it could have been just a tree someone had on there property who knows. As I said I don’t remember where I picked it up from, I’m thinking it was is a stack of wood someone wanted gone.
 
It does resemble locust. I used to live in Washington, north of Spokane near the Idaho border. They didn't have any locust, they only had various pine trees to burn. We have lots of locust here in the NC mountains.