Buckhead Tree Services

Firewood Information

Ratings

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
Yellow Birch 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
Hard Maple 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
 
Coals . one ton per ton
 
Anthracite High No N/A   No Good Fair 2,000 25.4
Bituminous
Hi-Volat 		Med Med N/A   No Med Fair 2,000 22.0
Bituminous
Lo-Volat 		Med Yes N/A   No Med Fair 2,000 28.6
Lignite Low Yes N/A   No Poor Fair 2,000 13.8
Charcoal High Yes N/A   No Poor Fair 2,000 26.0

Seasoning and Moisture Content

Species Excess
Moisture
to dry weight		 GREEN
ranking		 SEASONED
ranking
Ash 15% 1 8
Beech 17% 2 4
Black Locust 17% 3 1
Red Spruce 18% 4 16
Shagbark Hickory 19% 5 2
Sugar Maple 21% 6 5
Norway Pine 19% 7 14
Tamarack 21% 8 10
Black Cherry 22% 9 11
Yellow Birch 23% 10 7
White Birch 24% 11 12
Red Maple 24% 12 9
White Oak 25% 13 3
Silver Maple 27% 14 13
Red Oak 31% 15 6
White Pine 31% 16 21
White Elm 35% 17 15
Basswood 38% 18 22
Aspen 40% 19 19
Butternut 41% 20 18
Balsam Fir 44% 21 20
Hemlock 44% 22 17

Heating Value

Species Density
(lbs per cubic ft)		 Weight Per Cord
(lbs) 		BTU's Per Cord
(millions) 		Recoverable BTU's per Cord (Millions) Units needed to produce 1 Million BTU's
Hickory 50.9 4327 27.7 19.39 0.052
East. Hophornbeam 50.2 4267 27.3 19.11 0.052
Apple 48.7 4100 26.5 18.55 0.054
White Oak 47.2 4012 25.7 17.99 0.056
Sugar Maple 44.2 3757 24 16.8 0.060
Red Oak 44.2 3757 24 16.8 0.060
Beech 44.2 3757 24 16.8 0.060
Yellow Birch 43.4 3689 23.6 16.52 0.061
White Ash 43.4 3689 23.6 16.52 0.061
Hackberry 38.2 3247 20.8 14.56 0.069
Tamarack 38.2 3247 20.8 14.56 0.069
Paper Birch 37.4 3179 20.3 14.21 0.070
Cherry 36.7 3121 20 14 0.071
Elm 35.9 3052 19.5 13.65 0.073
Black Ash 35.2 2992 19.1 13.37 0.075
Red Maple 34.4 2924 18.7 13.09 0.076
Boxelder 32.9 2797 17.9 12.53 0.080
Jack Pine 31.4 2669 17.1 11.97 0.084
Norway Pine 31.4 2669 17.1 11.97 0.084
Hemlock 29.2 2482 15.9 11.13 0.090
Black Spruce 29.2 2482 15.9 11.13 0.090
Ponderosa Pine 28 2380 15.2 10.64 0.094
Aspen 27 2290 14.7 10.29 0.097
White Pine 26.3 2236 14.3 10.01 0.100
Balsam Fir 26.3 2236 14.3 10.01 0.100
Cottonwood 24.8 2108 13.5 9.45 0.106
Basswood 24.8 2108 13.5 9.45 0.106

Source: U.S. Forest Products Laboratory