Firewood

Unlike most other trees, mesquite has the ability to thrive even in the direst of conditions. In fact, it favors dry, tough soil that resides in the south of the United States. Yet, it still manages to bloom every spring and summer. But how does this resilient tree do as firewood? Mesquite is very hot-burning […]

Liquid amber, sweetgum, or liquidambar refers to a genus of trees that was recently reconsidered, and now is part of the Altingiceae family. The genus is predominantly an ornamental tree native to north and central America. Though liquid amber is the most popular hardwood available in the east of the US, does it make good

Catalpa (aka catawba) prefers the colder, northern regions of the United States, often crossing in Canadian territory. The tree is a genus of the Bignoniaceae family and is widely available in the areas where it does grow. But is it worth burning as firewood? Often mistaken for softwood, catalpa is quite poor firewood. It only generates 16.4

Dogwood (Cornus) is a genus of trees that derive from the Cornaceae family and bloom various leaves, fruits, and flowers most of the year. But how effective is dogwood when used as firewood? The heat that dogwood firewood produces is often too overwhelming. It can reach BTUs as high as 31.1 million per cord, with

An important tree to many forests in the northern hemisphere, elm (Ulmus procera) is a wood you are probably very familiar with. It can live to be 100 years old, as long as it doesn’t contract Dutch Elm Disease. How does a good, healthy elm serve as firewood? Elm is excellent firewood that should not

Originally from China and Vietnam, Bradford pear is part of the Rosaceae tree family. Though it is often cultivated for its pear, the fruit is only useful once it has been frozen. Bradford pear is overlooked in many wood-working communities, but should you consider it as firewood? Bradford pear is very high-quality firewood with a

Known for producing delicious nuts, walnut trees (juglans) are part of the Juglandaceae family. This makes it related to hickory and pecan species. As well as their culinary and ornamental purposes, walnut can also be used as firewood. Walnut is good quality firewood. As a hardwood, it generates enough BTU to keep you warm but

As the primary source of maple syrup, sugar maple (Acer saccharinum) can grow as old as 300 years old. They are a tree more climatized to eastern areas of North America and are popular firewood for anyone living in those areas. Why is that? Sugar maple is good quality firewood that can generate as much

Red maple (Acer Rebrum) gets its name from its appearance; its leaves, twigs, barks, and seeds are all red to varying degrees, making it a distinguishable tree in any landscape. Red maple is more common on the eastern coast of the United States and the central US but is considered one of the most abundant

Commonly used in landscaping due to its significantly fast-growing nature, silver maple (Acer saccharinum) is an important food source for forests-based wildlife. It is a tree that can live up to 130 years old but has fairly brittle wood so doesn’t always make it to old age. How does this brittle wood fair for use