Is Dogwood the hottest?

[ctarborist]

Just something I want to run by you guys...
Many years ago I used to heat with wood, had a big old ugly stove, but it threw some good heat. back then I was a "climbing arborist" basically a tree climber/removal person which meant I had access to all the wood I could ever use and any type I wanted.
I spent most of my winters burning locust, oak, apple, and hickory. it was good

one day a couple armloads of Dogwood rounds maybe 4" made their way into my wood pile and ultimately into my stove.

WWOOOOOWWWWW my stove and the room it was in got ridiculously like scary hot! the plastic venetian blinds where warping I'm not kidding.
so I opened a few windows/doors and then remembered that it was dogwood in the stove, so the next day I threw in just a couple "rounds" of the Dog again and again the stove got ridiculously hot again.
this was about ten years ago...I just this year started burning for heat again but I'm no longer a climbing arborist, I'm kinda more like a lazy arborist using more brains then braun dealing more with keeping trees healthy and alive rather then cutting them down. (which doesn't give me much in the way of free wood but I landed a good score for this year thats another post)

so I guess my question is if anyone else has burned dogwood with similar results or if my ugly old stove was just havin' a really good weekend.

I havn't seen dogwood listed on the MBTU's/cord charts that I've looked at probably becuase its not readily available in large quantities.

CT. arborist

 

[RedRanger]

Well, in this province--cutting dogwood is illegal. Heh,heh, it is our national provincial flower.

Death and worse to all those who disobey the laws--

If it is legal in your area, I say -- go for it.

 

[bsruther]

I've heard that dogwood is a hard wood, never burned it though. It's not that big of a tree though is it? Maybe 6" dia., if that. If I found one dead, I'd burn it. Do you have eastern redbud up there? That's another small flowering tree that's common around here.
Now I'm curious that maybe it's a hardwood tree too. It grows pretty slow. Redbuds are one of the first signs of spring.

As for whether dogwood is hottest. I think it's possible, but osage is a hard one to beat. I never build a fire of only osage, it just burns too hot. I'm afraid I'll melt the stove.

 

[JeffRey30747]

I'll burn dogwood anytime I can. I won't cut it unless I have to do so but once it is down, it definitely gets bucked up for the stove. It doesn't seem extremely dense like hickory but it checks and splits open quickly so I would guess that it either loses moisture quickly or isn't that high in moisture content in the beginning. It is also usually on the smaller side and that always helps get a good hot fire going too.

 

[madrone]

Definitely. It's very dense, hard as hell to split by hand. HOT. Seems hotter than oak to me, and needs as much seasoning. I have some larger Y's I can't split that I've been saving, but I'm actually a little afraid to put them in the stove.

 

[madrone]

I've heard that dogwood is a hard wood, never burned it though. It's not that big of a tree though is it? Maybe 6" dia., if that.

They grow big here. The one across the street's about 20". I'm constantly on the lookout for them, but most people don't realize what great firewood they are.

 

[`RyaN`]

Dogwood is a very good burning wood.... On another note for a not so common wood but excellent to burn is good old black gum. Just beware of trying to split that stuff.

 

[johnsopi]

Black Gum is very hard to split. Tried with a maul, wegdes and hammer. Ended up renting a splitter. I don't remember it.

 

[Jags]

I believe that it is commonly accepted that Osage is the most dense wood in North America. Using the BTU per pound logic, that would say that Osage should contain the MOST btus of any North American wood.

That being said, there is a huge difference on how each species gives up its btus. So "Hot" is a relative word in this discussion. HOW you burn it will make lots of difference in the perception of how "HOT" it is.

 

[bsruther]

there is a huge difference on how each species gives up its btus.

That's a very good, simple way of putting it.
And BTU testing doesn't account for that.

 

[Bubbavh]

there is a huge difference on how each species gives up its btus.

That's a very good, simple way of putting it.
And BTU testing doesn't account for that.

Amen!! It all burns so burn it all!

 

[Jags]

there is a huge difference on how each species gives up its btus.

That's a very good, simple way of putting it.
And BTU testing doesn't account for that.

I'm good at being simple. %-P