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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

Wood
Species

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

Pounds
/ cord

4,728
4,327
4,267
4,016
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
3,179
3,192
3,120
2,880
2,880
3,052
3,052
2,808
2,992
2,924
2,900
2,797
2,710
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
2,104
2,108
1,984
2,108
1,913

MBTU's
/ cord

32.9
27.7
27.3
27.1
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
20.3
20.2
20
19.9
19.9
19.5
19.5
19.5
19.1
18.7
18.1
17.9
17.2
17.1
17.1
17.1
16.4
15.9
15.9
15.2
14.7
14.5
14.5
14.5
14.3
14.3
14.1
13.8
13.8
13.5
12.2

Wood
Species

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

Pounds
/ cord

2,710
4,100
2,992
2,880
3,689
2,295
2,108
3,890
3,757
3,890
3,179
3,179
3,179
3,689
2,797
1,984
2,100
2,360
1,913
3,120
2,880
3,112
2,108
4,267
3,052
3,112
3,052
2,236
2,104
2,900
3,247
2,482
3,832
4,327
4,016
3,150
3,832
3,890
2,924
3,757
3,712
3,757
4,012
4,728
2,669
2,669
2,669
2,380
2,236
2,100
2,482
2,808
3,247
3,192
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
20.3
23.6
17.9
13.8
14.5
16.4
12.2
20
19.9
21.6
13.5
27.3
19.5
21.6
19.5
14.3
14.1
18.1
20.8
15.9
26.7
27.7
27.1
21.8
26.7
26.8
18.7
24
25.8
24
25.7
32.9
17.1
17.1
17.1
15.2
14.3
14.5
15.9
19.5
20.8
20.2
14.5

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.

For a printable version of this chart in .PDF format, click here.

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