Quick easy question for you well "seasoned" fire wood guys.

[Kubic40]

Can anyone tell me what wood I have here? Have a good 20cords or so free uncut and split from a business but can't identify it positively with Google. I'm completely green to wood species in terms of identification when I find it.

Secondly do they sell a good book that doesn't break the bank that can help identify wood species? I'm purchasing a boiler next fall and want to pick and choose the better woods out there while I can be picky(neighbors a professional tree cutter).

Thank you for any help everyone.

 

[Kubic40]

The picture ...I want to say it's Ash but not clear if green or white.

 

[Kevin Weis]

can't tell from that picture.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

The picture ...I want to say it's Ash but not clear if green or white.

Evidence points towards tulip poplar. The one in the foreground definitely looks like that. It's fine firewood, don't let any of the wood snobs convince you otherwise. Lower BTUs perhaps than some other wood, but totally offset by it's other benefits (particularly if it's free). Just make your splits a little bigger than with a slow drying species like oak.

 

[SpaceBus]

Can anyone tell me what wood I have here? Have a good 20cords or so free uncut and split from a business but can't identify it positively with Google. I'm completely green to wood species in terms of identification when I find it.

Secondly do they sell a good book that doesn't break the bank that can help identify wood species? I'm purchasing a boiler next fall and want to pick and choose the better woods out there while I can be picky(neighbors a professional tree cutter).

Thank you for any help everyone.

I got an Audubon Eastern Region book. It's awesome, if you live in a different region, stick with Audubon.

 

[SpaceBus]

Evidence points towards tulip poplar. The one in the foreground definitely looks like that. It's fine firewood, don't let any of the wood snobs convince you otherwise. Lower BTUs perhaps than some other wood, but totally offset by it's other benefits (particularly if it's free). Just make your splits a little bigger than with a slow drying species like oak.

I personally like low BTU wood when I'm home or awake. I have a ton of Balsam Fir, Spruce, and Hemlock that seasons very fast and ignites super easy in the stove. It gets up and going very fast. It's better to think of the BTU content as being the same, but for a shorter duration.

 

[Kubic40]

Here are some better pictures.....the only reason I figured ash wood was some of it was eaten hallow from beatles.

Guess free is free. Just happy to get more wood for the stacks.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Here are some better pictures.....the only reason I figured ash wood was some of it was eaten hallow from beatles.

Guess free is free. Just happy to get more wood for the stacks.

Think you have a mix.

The tulip poplar has that darker center to it. The ash has the bug trails and rotted outside.

I have the same.

 

[Kubic40]

Well as long as it's good burning wood I don't really mind having to load up the burner in the shop a few times. Right now I'm running a wood furnace in a 30*25 wooden shop.

I'm sure after its split and seasoned for a year itllbburn better than the oak that only has 6months of dry time on it :/. Learn from our mistakes right.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Well as long as it's good burning wood I don't really mind having to load up the burner in the shop a few times. Right now I'm running a wood furnace in a 30*25 wooden shop.

I'm sure after its split and seasoned for a year itllbburn better than the oak that only has 6months of dry time on it :/. Learn from our mistakes right.

Absolutely. Both of those will burn great next season, as long as you get it cut, split, stacked, and top covered, asap.

 

[mark cline]

Think you have a mix.


The tulip poplar has that darker center to it. The ash has the bug trails and rotted outside.

I have the same.

I'm with ED3000 , a mix of ash and tulip poplar

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Poplar and ash. The poplar is a great shoulder season wood.. i just got a bunch. Mixed in a little white oak in with it. I would stack it separate. Its a wood that is better for when its not super cold out. Its low on the btu chart so with the weather that is coming up, really cold, it will not heat as well. Also doesn't make a great wood for overnight burns, atleast for me. Others may have a different experience. Good score for you

 

[Eureka]

All that I see there is boxelder

 

[TreePointer]

All that I see there is boxelder

I agree--boxelder.

Kubic40, that sort of amoeba shaped dark center combined with the bark and the "blood stain" clearly showing through that last round all indicate boxelder (a soft maple).

While it's possible that there could be some ash mixed in, note that some boxelder bark looks very much like ash.

Keep splitting that round with the "blood" showing and you should see more of that color.

 

[Kubic40]

Well I'm only heating my shop currently with it, I'm in there when the fire roaring and dampen it down to nothing when I'm done for the day. I don't mind filling it at all. Long as the woods good to burn after a year of seasoning I'm happy.

Fall I plan to buy a outdoor boiler so hopefully by then I find some better woods and just suffer for a year lol still better than $3k a winter in propane

 

[Woody5506]

Also was seeing box elder particularly in that one pic where you see the reddish pink.


Box Elder was my first "score" ever, thought I hit the jackpot with a load of ash. Pretty trashy wood quite honestly but it burns fine after a year split. Around here they are considered giant weeds.

 

[Simonkenton]

To each his own, but, I don't mess with low BTU wood like poplar. I have only so much room in my wood piles, and even though I have several really big wood piles, why mess with inferior wood?
Also if wood has more than about 10 percent rot it is not for me. Why take up space in my wood pile with rotten wood?

 

[Kubic40]

Well I'm just starting out with seasoning wood, I've ran a old 1980s non epa stove, that I could feel soaked cardboard and it would eat up like cake roaring redhot loving every minute of it. So right now I'm taking what I can get for free, as my new neighbor who cuts trees for a living hasn't settled in yet and I don't want to be that new guy already asking for wood from jobs he does. Got to be that good neighbor and not scare him off with the shananagins that go on just yet.

 

[Simonkenton]

Offer to buy it from him. Then he won't find you annoying. Most tree guys sell firewood.

I know what you mean about the old time stoves I have had quite a few of them and once you get that fire going they would burn anything you put in there, didn't mind green wood at all.
These new stoves are very finicky about wet wood.

 

[Sawset]

All that I see there is boxelder

I see box elder too.
Softer wood, dries lite, lots of ashes. Maybe left for a reason.
A lot of guys push them over into the fence rows and don't look back. Depends on what else is around.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

Ash and poplar didn't quite fit those for me. Maybe it is box elder.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

All that I see there is boxelder

Bingo!

 

[lost in the woods]

yes boxelder the red hearted step child of the maple family! I have 2 of these hogs in my backyard. I kinda want to cut the one down, but every year some of the smallest branches die which I then collect said sticks for our small fire ring. then the kiddos roast marshmallows and a good time is had by all

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I burn boxelder in my barn stove. It grows on my property like weeds. I dried pretty quick but I’m not a fan of the smell it gives off when burning. It burns fast too. But I will keep burning it because it’s free heat.