|
Firewood Ratings and Info
based on data from: U.S. Forest Products Laboratory
(and numerous other sources)
Species
|
Relative
Heat
|
Easy to
Burn
|
Easy to
Split
|
Heavy
Smoke
?
|
Throw
Sparks
?
|
General
Rating
|
Aroma
|
Weight of
Seasoned
Cord-lbs
|
Heat
Producd
per Cord
M Btu
|
Hardwoods
|
. |
. |
Black Ash |
Med
|
Yes/Fair
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Few
|
Excel
|
Minim
|
2,992
|
19.1
|
White Ash |
High
|
Yes/Fair
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Few
|
Excel
|
Minim
|
3,689
|
23.6
|
Red Oak |
High
|
Yes/Poor
|
No
|
No
|
No/Few
|
Excel
|
Fair
|
3,757
|
24.0
|
White Oak |
High
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Excel
|
.
|
4,012
|
25.7
|
Beech |
High
|
Yes/Poor
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Few
|
Excel
|
Minim
|
3,757
|
24.0
|
Blue Beech |
High
|
Yes/Poor
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Few
|
Excel
|
Minim
|
3,890
|
26.8
|
.
|
White Birch |
Med
|
Yes/Good
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Mod
|
Excel
|
Minim
|
3,179
|
20.3
|
Grey Birch |
Med
|
Yes/Good
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Mod
|
Poor
|
Minim
|
3,179
|
20.3
|
YellowBirch |
High
|
Yes/Good
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Mod
|
Excel
|
Minim
|
3,689
|
23.6
|
Paper Birch |
Med
|
Yes/Good
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Mod
|
Excel
|
Minim
|
3,179
|
20.3
|
Black Birch |
High
|
Yes/Good
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Mod
|
Excel
|
Minim
|
3,890
|
26.8
|
Hickory |
High
|
Yes/Fair
|
Bad
|
No
|
No/Mod
|
Excel
|
Good
|
4,327
|
27.7
|
HardMaple |
High
|
Yes
|
Bad
|
No
|
No
|
Excel
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Pecan |
High
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Excel
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Dogwood |
High
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Excel
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Red or
Soft Maple |
Med
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Good
|
.
|
2,924
|
18.7
|
Cherry |
Med
|
Yes/Poor
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Few
|
Good
|
Excel
|
3,120
|
20.0
|
BlackCherry |
Med
|
Yes/Poor
|
Yes
|
No
|
No/Few
|
Good
|
Excel
|
2,880
|
19.9
|
Walnut |
Med
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Good
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
White Elm |
Med
|
Med/Fair
|
No
|
Med
|
No/None
|
Fair
|
Fair
|
3,052
|
19.5
|
AmericanElm |
Med
|
Med/Fair
|
No
|
Med
|
No/None
|
Fair
|
Fair
|
3,052
|
19.5
|
Sycamore |
Med
|
Med
|
No
|
Med
|
No
|
Fair
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Gum |
Med
|
Med
|
No
|
Med
|
No
|
Fair
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Aspen |
Low
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Med
|
No
|
Fair
|
.
|
2,295
|
14.7
|
.
|
Basswood |
Low
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Med
|
No
|
Fair
|
.
|
2,108
|
13.5
|
Cottonwood |
Low
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Med
|
No
|
Fair
|
.
|
2,108
|
13.5
|
Chestnut |
Low
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Med
|
Yes
|
Poor
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Apple |
High
|
Poor
|
.
|
.
|
Few
|
Med
|
Excel
|
4,140
|
26.5
|
Hemlock |
Low
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Many
|
Fair
|
Good
|
2,482
|
15.9
|
.
|
BlackLocust |
High
|
Poor
|
.
|
.
|
None
|
Good
|
Minim
|
3,890
|
26.8
|
Sugar Maple |
High
|
Poor
|
No
|
.
|
Few
|
Good
|
Good
|
3,757
|
24.0
|
Eastern
Hornbeam |
High
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Excel
|
.
|
4,267
|
27.3
|
Hackberry |
Med
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
3,247
|
20.8
|
Boxelder |
Low
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
2,797
|
17.9
|
Butternut |
Low
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Poor
|
.
|
2,100
|
14.5
|
.
|
Softwoods
|
.
|
.
|
Yellow Poplar |
Low
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Med
|
Yes
|
Poor
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Southern
Yellow Pine |
High/
Low
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No/Mod
|
Good
|
Good
|
.
|
.
|
Douglas Fir |
High
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Good
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Cypress |
Med
|
Med
|
Yes
|
Med
|
No
|
Fair
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
Redwood |
Med
|
Med
|
Yes
|
Med
|
No
|
Fair
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
.
|
White Cedar |
Med/
Low
|
Yes/Exc
|
Yes
|
Med
|
Some
|
Good
|
Excel
|
1,913
|
12.2
|
Western
Red Cedar |
Med/
Low
|
Yes/Exc
|
Yes
|
Med
|
Yes/Many
|
Good
|
Excel
|
.
|
.
|
Eastern
Red Cedar |
Med/
Low
|
Yes/Exc
|
Yes
|
Med
|
Yes/Many
|
Good
|
Excel
|
.
|
.
|
Eastern
White Pine |
Low |
Med/Exc |
Yes |
Med |
No/Mod |
Fair |
Good |
2,236 |
14.3 |
Western
White Pine |
Low |
Med/Exc |
Yes |
Med |
No/Mod |
Fair |
Good |
2,236 |
14.3 |
. |
Sugar Pine |
Low |
Med/Exc |
Yes |
Med |
No/Mod |
Fair |
Good |
. |
. |
Ponderosa
Pine |
Low |
Med/Exc |
Yes |
Med |
No/Mod |
Fair |
Good |
2,380 |
15.2 |
Tamarack |
Med |
Yes |
Yes |
Med |
Yes |
Fair |
. |
3,247 |
20.8 |
Larch |
Med |
Yes |
Yes |
Med |
Yes |
Fair |
. |
. |
. |
Spruce |
Low |
Yes |
Yes |
Med |
Yes |
Poor |
. |
2,100 |
14.5 |
. |
Black Spruce |
Low |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
2,482 |
15.9 |
Jack Pine |
Low |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
2,669 |
17.1 |
Norway Pine |
Low |
. |
. |
. |
. |
Fair |
. |
2,669 |
17.1 |
Pitch Pine |
Low |
. |
. |
. |
. |
Fair |
. |
2,669 |
17.1 |
Balsam Fir |
Low |
. |
. |
. |
. |
Poor |
. |
2,236 |
14.3 |
Willow |
Low |
. |
. |
. |
. |
Poor |
. |
2,100 |
14.5 |
|