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 firewood, with a BTU reaching 28 million per cord of seasoned wood. As long as you use a log burner to contain its smoke and don’t mind monitoring the fire to prevent it from getting too hot, it is an excellent firewood choice.
What Are The Varieties Of Mesquite?
Mesquite is the collective name for a couple of plants and trees within the genus of Prosopis.
Within this genus, there are more than 40 different species, though it is only the tree that falls into the mesquite category that is available in North America for burning.
What are the physical characteristics of mesquite?
| Name | Mesquite |
| Heat per cord (Million BTUs) | 28 |
| Weight dry (lbs per cord) | 4000 |
| Weight green (lbs per cord) | |
| Seasoning time | 6-8 months |
| Resin/ Sap Content | Low |
| Splitting Difficulty | Moderately Difficult |
| Smoke | Moderate |
| Smell | Sweet And Tangy |
| Coal Production | Moderate |
| Creosote Build-up | Low |
Is it Easy To Split?
The actual wood of a mesquite tree is not that difficult to split. It is tough but can easily be done with a hydraulic splitter.
It is the twisted branches of the mesquite tree growing in abundance that cause splitting issues. They tend to grow irregularly so are harder to separate and split.
How Much Sap Content Mesquite Has?
Mesquites are naturally dry trees so do not produce a lot of sap.
Even when they are in bloom from spring until summer, they do not carry a lot of sap. Though some people may think that they do as the sap that is produced during this time appears on the tree’s leaves and branches.
Still, to ensure that you cut mesquite that is low in sap, cut it in winter.
How Does it Smell?
Much like with tulip poplar and walnut logs, mesquite is often a people’s favorite when it comes to smell.
While it does tend to be a stronger fragrance than that of sugar maple, it is not overwhelming nor unpleasant.
The fragrance of mesquite is a sweet scent with tangy undertones. It will certainly have your house smelling wonderful in no time.
Heat Output And Efficiency Of Mesquite
With an extremely high BTU of 28, mesquite is one of the hottest burning woods you can get. It is significantly hotter than walnut produces along with most ash varieties but falls just short of besting oak varieties, or hickory firewood.
The heat of a mesquite fire can often be too stifling and uncomfortable as it produces such high heat.
With such hot burning firewood, it is extremely important not to overload your fireplace and control the amount of air it gets.
You will want to only burn it during the colder seasons, and even then, you will want to monitor the temperature of the fire so that it does not burn too hot.
Fire Characteristics Of Mesquite
Mesquite may produce high heat, but it can keep that heat steady throughout its entire burning period, which will be long and slow due to the wood’s density.
It is also able to produce high-quality, lasting coals that will continue to burn at a consistent temperature for hours.
Due to being dry and sapless wood, mesquite is very unlikely to throw any sparks while burning. This will make for a safer fire when burning mesquite both out and indoors.
Does Mesquite Burn Clean?
Even though it is naturally dry wood, mesquite is producing a fair amount of smoke.
Because of this reason, many people do not prefer using mesquite in open fireplaces or log burners, though it will make an excellent campfire or for grilling
However, if you are cleaning your chimney regularly and avoiding overloading your fireplace with wood, I do not see any issues using mesquite in a closed fireplace.
Despite its tendency to smoke, because of the low sap content, the creosote buildup will not be as bad as one might think.
Of course, if you do not let mesquite season for long enough then this smoke will stop being as clean and will cause more creosote build-up. But as a seasoned wood, there will not be as much to worry about.
Is It Okay To Burn Mesquite In A Fireplace?
Some people do find mesquite to be too smoky for their indoor fireplace. That is why it is often wood burnt in a log burner rather than a fireplace.
It will produce ample heat – perhaps too much – and is safe firewood to burn in your fireplace. Minimal sparks and a medium amount of smoke means that you can use mesquite in your stove.
As I said earlier, you will want to ensure that the fire does not get too hot though.
How Expensive Is Mesquite Firewood?
Mesquite is a highly valued wood because of the great characteristics it has. Besides using it as firewood, people like to use it for various things, including smoking meat.
Unfortunately, these characteristics come at a high price. According to texas-firewood.com, a 1200lb pellet of split and seasoned mesquite costs 400USD. Taking into account that a cord of seasoned mesquite weighs approximately 4000 pounds, it is expensive.
How Long To Season Mesquite?
Mesquite is not a very wet wood, to begin with, thanks to its low sap and moisture content. This means that you will not have to wait very long for it to season.
You may even find that it starts drying out before you even have time to split it.
Make sure that you wait at least 6 months to use mesquite, despite it being seemingly dry. The longer you let the wood season, the more effective firewood it will be.
Be careful of how you set up your mesquite wood for seasoning. It does tend to rot and mold quickly so you will not want to stack the firewood touching the ground.
Pros And Cons Of Mesquite Firewood
Pros:
- Pleasant smell
- Little sap
- Short seasoning tine
- Moderate coals
Cons:
- Smokey
- Can burn too hot
- Difficult to split
How Does Mesquite Compare To Other Firewood?
Mesquite is a solid firewood contender when compared to other hardwoods. Though its high BTU can be too hot compared to lower BTU maple varieties that tend to produce a medium amount of smoke as well.
For a hardwood, it has an exceedingly quick seasoning time, meaning that you won’t have to wait as long to get a roaring fire going, unlike with ash, locusts, and most oaks that you will have to season for a few years before burning them.
It is also a very pleasant-smelling tree, matching the likability of cherry and tulip poplar. But it is not overwhelmingly sweet.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I Use Mesquite To Smoke My Food?
Absolutely you can. The main use of mesquite is in restaurants and on BBQs to help food develop a deep, robust flavor.
Should I Season Mesquite Before Burning It?
Seasoned wood will always burn better than greenwood due to a lack of moisture in the wood itself. With mesquite, it is already a dry wood so will not burn terribly when green, but you will get less smoke and better fire performance out of it once it has had time season.
Conclusion
Mesquite is very dry firewood that burns extremely hot and steady. You may find it too hot even in the winter unless you monitor the fire’s heat regularly. Once you have found the correct settings for the airflow of your log burner, you can keep mesquite burning all night without problems.
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I am the guy behind Theyardable.com. I grew up on a homestead and I am here to share the knowledge I have and things I learn while living in the countryside.
