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Sweep's Library: Firewood Comparison Charts

Q: What's the best wood to burn?

Generally speaking, you'll get best results burning the highest density (heaviest) hardwood with the highest BTU (available heat) content that can be found in your area. Here are two charts, the first one organizing various species by BTU content ( 1 MBTU = one million btu), and the second organizing the same species alphabetically for easy lookup.

Chart A: Sorted by BTU Content

Chart B: Organized Alphabetically

Common
Name

Osage Orange (Hedge)
Hickory, Shagbark
Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood)
Beech, Blue (Ironwood)
Birch, Black
Locust, Black
Hickory, Bitternut
Locust, Honey
Apple
Mulberry
Oak, White
Beech, European
Maple, Sugar
Oak, Red
Ash, White
Birch, Yellow
Juniper, Rocky Mtn
Elm, Red
Coffeetree, Kentucky
Hackberry
Tamarack
Birch, Gray
Birch, Paper (White)
Walnut, Black
Cherry
Ash, Green
Cherry, Black
Elm, American
Elm, White
Elm, Russian (Siberian)
Sycamore
Ash, Black
Maple, Red
Fir, Douglas
Boxelder
Alder, Red
Pine, Jack
Pine, Norway
Pine, Red
Pine, Pitch
Catalpa
Hemlock
Spruce, Black
Pine, Ponderosa
Aspen, American
Walnut, White (Butternut)
Spruce
Willow
Fir, Balsam
Pine, White
Pine, Eastern (Western)
Fir, Concolor (White)
Basswood (Linden)
Buckeye, Ohio
Cottonwood
Cedar, White

Species
Name

Maclura pomifera
Carya ovata
Ostrya virginiana
Carpinus caroliniana
Betula lenta
Robinia pseudoacacia
Carya cordiformis
Gleditsia triacanthos
Malus domestica
Morus rubra
Quercus alba
Fagus sylvatica
Acer saccharum
Quercus rubra
Fraxinus americana
Betula alleghaniensis
Juniperus scopulorum
Ulmus rubra
Gymnocladus dioicus
Celtis occidentalis
Larix laricina
Betula populifolia
Betula papyrifera
Juglans nigra
Prunus
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Prunus serotina
Ulmus americana
Ulmus laevis
Ulmus laevis
Platanus
Fraxinus nigra
Acer rubrum
Pseudotsuga
Acer negundo
Alnus rubra
Pinus banksiana
Pinus resinosa
Pinus resinosa
Pinus rigida
Catalpa speciosa
Pinaceae tsuga
Picea mariana
Pinus ponderosa
Populus tremuloides
Juglans cinerea
Picea
Salix
Abies balsamea
Pinus strobus
Pinus strobus
Abies concolor
Tilia
Aesculus glabra
Populus
Thuja occidentalis

Pounds
/ cord

4,728
4,327
4,267
3,890
3,890
3,890
3,832
3,832
4,100
3,712
4,012
3,757
3,757
3,757
3,689
3,689
3,150
3,112
3.112
3,247
3,247
3,179
3,179
3,192
3,120
2,880
2,880
3,052
3,052
3,052
2,808
2,992
2,924
2,900
2,797
2,710
2,669
2,669
2,669
2,669
2,360
2,482
2,482
2,380
2,290
2,100
2,100
2,100
2,236
2,236
2,236
2,104
2,108
1,984
2,108
1,913

MBTU's
/ cord

32.9
27.7
27.3
26.8
26.8
26.8
26.7
26.7
26.5
25.8
25.7
24
24
24
23.6
23.6
21.8
21.6
21.6
20.8
20.8
20.3
20.3
20.2
20
19.9
19.9
19.5
19.5
19.5
19.5
19.1
18.7
18.1
17.9
17.2
17.1
17.1
17.4
17.1
16.4
15.9
15.9
15.2
14.7
14.5
14.5
14.5
14.3
14.3
14.3
14.1
13.8
13.8
13.5
12.2

Common
Name

Alder, Red
Apple
Ash, Black
Ash, Green
Ash, White
Aspen, American
Basswood (Linden)
Beech, Blue (Ironwood)
Beech, European
Birch, Black
Birch, Gray
Birch, Paper (White)
Birch, Yellow
Boxelder
Buckeye, Ohio
Catalpa
Cedar, White
Cherry
Cherry, Black
Coffeetree, Kentucky
Cottonwood
Elm, American
Elm, Red
Elm, White
Elm, Russian (Siberian)
Fir, Balsam
Fir, Concolor (White)
Fir, Douglas
Hackberry
Hemlock
Hickory, Bitternut
Hickory, Shagbark
Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood)
Juniper, Rocky Mtn
Locust, Black
Locust, Honey
Maple, Red
Maple, Sugar
Mulberry
Oak, Red
Oak, White
Osage Orange (Hedge)
Pine, Jack
Pine, Norway
Pine, Pitch
Pine, Ponderosa
Pine, Red
Pine, White
Pine, Eastern (Western)
Spruce
Spruce, Black
Sycamore
Tamarack
Walnut, Black
Walnut, White (Butternut)
Willow

Species
Name

Alnus rubra
Malus domestica
Fraxinus nigra
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Fraxinus americana
Populus tremuloides
Tilia
Carpinus caroliniana
Fagus sylvatica
Betula lenta
Betula populifolia
Betula papyrifera
Betula alleghaniensis
Acer negundo
Aesculus glabra
Catalpa speciosa
Thuja occidentalis
Prunus
Prunus serotina
Gymnocladus dioicus
Populus
Ulmus americana
Ulmus rubra
Ulmus laevis
Ulmus laevis
Abies balsamea
Abies concolor
Pseudotsuga
Celtis occidentalis
Pinaceae tsuga
Carya cordiformis
Carya ovata
Ostrya virginiana
Juniperus scopulorum
Robinia pseudoacacia
Gleditsia triacanthos
Acer rubrum
Acer saccharum
Morus rubra
Quercus rubra
Quercus alba
Maclura pomifera
Pinus banksiana
Pinus resinosa
Pinus rigida
Pinus ponderosa
Pinus banksian
Pinus strobus
Pinus strobus
Picea
Picea mariana
Platanus
Larix laricina
Juglans nigra
Juglans cinerea
Salix

Pounds
/ cord

2,710
4,100
2,992
2,880
3,689
2,290
2,108
3,890
3,757
3,890
3,179
3,179
3,689
2,797
1,984
2,360
1,913
3,120
2,880
3,112
2,108
3,052
3,112
3,052
3,052
2,236
2,104
2,900
3,247
2,482
3,832
4,327
4,267
3,150
3,890
3,832
2,924
3,757
3,712
3,757
4,012
4,728
2,669
2,669
2,669
2,380
2,380
2,236
2,236
2,100
2,482
2,808
3,247
3,192
2,100
2,100

MBTU's
/ cord

17.2
26.5
19.1
19.9
23.6
14.7
13.8
26.8
24
26.8
20.3
20.3
23.6
17.9
13.8
16.4
12.2
20
19.9
21.6
13.5
19.5
21.6
19.5
19.5
14.3
14.1
18.1
20.8
15.9
26.7
27.7
27.3
21.8
26.8
26.7
18.7
24
25.8
24
25.7
32.9
17.1
17.1
17.1
15.2
15.2
14.3
14.3
14.5
15.9
19.5
20.8
20.2
14.5
14.5

For a printable version of this page in .pdf format, click here.

Weight and Heat content figures are based on seasoned wood at 20% moisture content, and 85 cu ft of wood per cord. A cord of wood is defined as a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long, which comes to 128 cu ft, but we deduct for air space between the pieces in the stack.

Regardless of what species of wood you burn, it won't produce optimal heat output and burn time unless it is properly seasoned. You can read more about why you shouldn't burn unseasoned fuel wood here.

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