Worst firewood you’ve ever burnt?

[LuDookie]

I had to look up balm of gilead. After just a first few searches it appears to be just another type of Cottonwood.

 

[InTheNorth]

Balm of Gilead- it is a species of poplar. The buds are sticky compared to cottonwood Did you seed the mushroom or did occur on its own?

The mushroom naturally occurs....Herricum Ramosum....Lion's mane is included in the family. Looks like white coral and there is nothing even remotely similar that is poisonous....Tastes almost like scallops to me

 

[kspakland]

Tamarisk, also known as salt cedar.
Grows in the washes in the desert southwest.
When it burns, it smells like ten million pairs of dirty gym socks.

 

[InTheNorth]

I have been asking people for years about this tree you guys now inform me is called a "Balm of Gilead".....even looked it up in a tree identifying book and the closest thing I found was a poplar. This is the reason I love this forum....some seriously knowledgeable people. The info about saws and other things I have gained would almost make me look like I know something.

 

[briantutt]

Easy answer. Basswood. once dry it weighs nothing and burns without much BTU. I only burn it because it is in the wood worth other trees taken down on my fathers property when needed. Use it in the fall before you need the boiler to last 24 hours.

 

[U&A]

cottonwood

This

That is if you can even get it to stop soaking up moisture out if the air. I think you could use cottonwood and a natural desiccant.


Sent while firmly grasping my Redline lubed Ram [emoji231]

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Green wood and soft wood. Poplar included too.

 

[Bearcreek]

Green wood and soft wood. Poplar included too.

All of the poplars are hardwoods. Hardwood comes from deciduous trees, softwood comes from conifers.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

I’m aware, Doesn’t burn like hardwood though.

 

[Bearcreek]

I’m aware, Doesn’t burn like hardwood though.

But it does "burn like hardwood" because that's what it is. There is a vast difference in firewood quality between individual species of hardwoods, just as there is between different species of softwoods. Saying that something "burns like hardwood" without specifying what kind of hardwood is like saying "drives like a car" without specifying if we're talking about a Maserati or a Toyota Corolla.

 

[CentaurG2]

Worst wood I have ever tried to burn was some fresh cut frozen pine slabs. They would not burn at all. A close second was an old apple tree with a punky core. The core soaked up water like a sponge and it took a lot of “helper” wood to get it to burn. Worst firewood around here is willow. Oddly enough, willow is reported to make the best charcoal for blackpowder.

 

[rancher2]

In my area we have a few that don't make good firewood. Tree of heaven, Box elder, Willow, Cottonwood. When I cut them they just go on the bush pile and get burn. I have enough hedge and locust I am not going to mess with the low output wood. I am to the point even a lot of elm goes on the brush pile. Not a lot of folks in my area looking for firewood.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

But it does "burn like hardwood" because that's what it is. There is a vast difference in firewood quality between individual species of hardwoods, just as there is between different species of softwoods. Saying that something "burns like hardwood" without specifying what kind of hardwood is like saying "drives like a car" without specifying if we're talking about a Maserati or a Toyota Corolla.

Burns like the junk it is, Happy?

 

[Bearcreek]

Burns like the junk it is, Happy?

Words matter.

 

[LuDookie]

I didn’t know poplars were considered hardwood. One time I found 2 Cottonwood rounds, about 24” diameter and about 3 or 4 feet long. Me and another guy picked them up by hand and loaded them in the bed of my truck. It was a bit of a struggle but wouldn’t have happened with pecan or oak. I guess maybe they are “less hard” hardwoods.

 

[Bearcreek]

I didn’t know poplars were considered hardwood. One time I found 2 Cottonwood rounds, about 24” diameter and about 3 or 4 feet long. Me and another guy picked them up by hand and loaded them in the bed of my truck. It was a bit of a struggle but wouldn’t have happened with pecan or oak. I guess maybe they are “less hard” hardwoods.

It's pretty simple. Trees with leaves are hardwoods. Trees with needles are softwoods. Really has nothing to do with how "hard" the wood itself actually is, or how well it does as firewood.

 

[LuDookie]

Learn something new every day.

 

[LuDookie]

I guess the word “ hard” doesn’t matter.
On the subject, I used to burn a lot of ponderosa. When seasoned well, it worked just fine. I used to burn just about any and everything I could find. I think I just hated cutting Cottonwood more than burning it.

 

[LoneOak]

cottonwood

+1 for Cottonwood/ Dogwood

 

[Kommandokenny]

I'm with Basswood also,, fairly easy to cut,, but it's gonna be -40 c and -40 F here tonight and basswood is the last thing you want in your boiler with these temps. Also a prick to burn the tops and tiny branches of the leftover Basswood.