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Sweep's Library: Firewood Comparison Charts

Q: What's the best wood to burn?

Sweepy 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
Common NameSpecies NamePounds
/Cord		Mbtu's
/Cord
Oak, Live (Southern)Quercus virginiana4,84036.6
Osage Orange (Hedge)Maclura pomifera4,72832.9
Madrone, PacificArbutus menziesii4,08630.9
DogwoodCornus4,02530.4
Oak, Oregon (Garry)Quercus garryana3,71028.0
Hickory, ShagbarkCarya ovata4,32727.7
Oak, Tanbark (Tanoak)Lithocarpus densiflorus3,65027.5
Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood)Ostrya virginiana4,26727.3
Beech, Blue (Ironwood)Carpinus caroliniana3,89026.8
Birch, BlackBetula lenta3,89026.8
Locust, BlackRobinia pseudoacacia3,89026.8
Hickory, Bitternut Carya cordiformis3,83226.7
Locust, HoneyGleditsia triacanthos3,83226.7
AppleMalus domestica4,10026.5
Myrtle, Oregon (Pepperwood)Umbellularia californica3,45026.1
MulberryMorus rubra3,71225.8
Oak, WhiteQuercus alba4,01225.7
Beech, EuropeanFagus sylvatica3,75724
Maple, SugarAcer saccharum3,75724
Oak, RedQuercus rubra 3,75724
Ash, WhiteFraxinus americana 3,68923.6
Birch, YellowBetula alleghaniensis3,68923.6
Maple, Big LeafAcer macrophyllum 3,00022.7
Juniper, Rocky MtnJuniperus scopulorum3,15021.8
Elm, Red Ulmus rubra 3,11221.6
Coffeetree, KentuckyGymnocladus dioicus3.11221.6
HackberryCeltis occidentalis3,24720.8
TamarackLarix laricina3,24720.8
Birch, GrayBetula populifolia3,17920.3
Birch, White (Paper)Betula papyrifera 3,17920.3
Walnut, BlackJuglans nigra3,19220.2
CherryPrunus3,12020
Ash, GreenFraxinus pennsylvanica2,88019.9
Cherry, BlackPrunus serotina2,88019.9
Elm, AmericanUlmus americana3,05219.5
Elm, WhiteUlmus laevis 3,05219.5
Elm, Russian (Siberian)Ulmus laevis3,05219.5
SycamorePlatanus2,80819.5
Ash, BlackFraxinus nigra2,99219.1
Maple, RedAcer rubrum2,92418.7
Fir, DouglasPseudotsuga2,90018.1
BoxelderAcer negundo2,79717.9
Alder, RedAlnus rubra 2,71017.2
Pine, JackPinus banksiana2,66917.1
Pine, NorwayPinus resinosa2,66917.1
Pine, Red Pinus resinosa2,66917.4
Pine, PitchPinus rigida2,66917.1
CatalpaCatalpa speciosa2,36016.4
HemlockPinaceae tsuga2,48215.9
Spruce, BlackPicea mariana2,48215.9
Pine, PonderosaPinus ponderosa2,38015.2
Aspen, AmericanPopulus tremuloides2,29014.7
Walnut, White (Butternut)Juglans cinerea2,10014.5
SprucePicea2,10014.5
WillowSalix2,10014.5
Fir, BalsamAbies balsamea2,23614.3
Pine, White (Eastern)Pinus strobus2,23614.3
Pine, White (Western)Pinus monticola2,23614.3
Fir, Concolor (White)Abies concolor2,10414.1
Basswood (Linden)Tilia2,10813.8
Buckeye, OhioAesculus glabra1,98413.8
CottonwoodPopulus2,10813.5
Cedar, WhiteThuja occidentalis1,91312.2
Chart B: Sorted Alphabetically
Common NameSpecies NamePounds
/Cord		Mbtu's
/Cord
Alder, RedAlnus rubra 2,71017.2
AppleMalus domestica4,10026.5
Ash, BlackFraxinus nigra2,99219.1
Ash, GreenFraxinus pennsylvanica2,88019.9
Ash, WhiteFraxinus americana 3,68923.6
Aspen, AmericanPopulus tremuloides2,29014.7
Basswood (Linden)Tilia2,10813.8
Beech, Blue (Ironwood)Carpinus caroliniana3,89026.8
Beech, EuropeanFagus sylvatica3,75724
Birch, BlackBetula lenta3,89026.8
Birch, GrayBetula populifolia3,17920.3
Birch, YellowBetula alleghaniensis3,68923.6
Birch, White (Paper)Betula papyrifera 3,17920.3
BoxelderAcer negundo2,79717.9
Buckeye, OhioAesculus glabra1,98413.8
CatalpaCatalpa speciosa2,36016.4
Cedar, WhiteThuja occidentalis1,91312.2
CherryPrunus3,12020
Cherry, BlackPrunus serotina2,88019.9
Coffeetree, KentuckyGymnocladus dioicus3.11221.6
CottonwoodPopulus2,10813.5
DogwoodCornus4,02530.4
Elm, AmericanUlmus americana3,05219.5
Elm, Red Ulmus rubra 3,11221.6
Elm, WhiteUlmus laevis 3,05219.5
Elm, Russian (Siberian)Ulmus laevis3,05219.5
Fir, BalsamAbies balsamea2,23614.3
Fir, Concolor (White)Abies concolor2,10414.1
Fir, DouglasPseudotsuga2,90018.1
HackberryCeltis occidentalis3,24720.8
HemlockPinaceae tsuga2,48215.9
Hickory, Bitternut Carya cordiformis3,83226.7
Hickory, ShagbarkCarya ovata4,32727.7
Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood)Ostrya virginiana4,26727.3
Juniper, Rocky MtnJuniperus scopulorum3,15021.8
Locust, BlackRobinia pseudoacacia3,89026.8
Locust, HoneyGleditsia triacanthos3,83226.7
Madrone, PacificArbutus menziesii4,08630.9
Maple, Big LeafAcer macrophyllum 3,00022.7
Maple, RedAcer rubrum2,92418.7
Maple, SugarAcer saccharum3,75724
MulberryMorus rubra3,71225.8
Myrtle, Oregon (Pepperwood)Umbellularia californica3,45026.1
Oak, Live (Southern)Quercus virginiana4,84036.6
Oak, Oregon (Garry)Quercus garryana3,71028.0
Oak, RedQuercus rubra 3,75724
Oak, Tanbark (Tanoak)Lithocarpus densiflorus3,65027.5
Oak, WhiteQuercus alba4,01225.7
Osage Orange (Hedge)Maclura pomifera4,72832.9
Pine, JackPinus banksiana2,66917.1
Pine, NorwayPinus resinosa2,66917.1
Pine, PitchPinus rigida2,66917.1
Pine, PonderosaPinus ponderosa2,38015.2
Pine, Red Pinus resinosa2,66917.4
Pine, White (Eastern)Pinus strobus2,23614.3
Pine, White (Western)Pinus monticola2,23614.3
SprucePicea2,10014.5
Spruce, BlackPicea mariana2,48215.9
SycamorePlatanus2,80819.5
TamarackLarix laricina3,24720.8
Walnut, BlackJuglans nigra3,19220.2
Walnut, White (Butternut)Juglans cinerea2,10014.5
WillowSalix2,10014.5

 

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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