The most underrated firewood.

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TheDarkLordChinChin

Der Teufel der lacht nur dazu! HA HA HA HA HA!
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In Ireland it is definitely willow.
People consider the plant a weed, and rightly so considering it can grow anywhere and grows very fast. I have seen them growing up through tar mac, pavements, rotten stumps and gravel.
But mature will burns great when dry. Better than ash I would say, only you can burn ash the day you cut it.
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In Ireland it is definitely willow.
People consider the plant a weed, and rightly so considering it can grow anywhere and grows very fast. I have seen them growing up through tar mac, pavements, rotten stumps and gravel.
But mature will burns great when dry. Better than ash I would say, only you can burn ash the day you cut it.
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Yes!! I heated my house for over 30 years with noting but willow until the locust borer killed locusts by the acre. Still cut willow to mix in with the locust.
 
I actively avoid willow as my experience is it dries to very little, but worse than that the load I had was hard to split. I fully understand why cricket bats are willow, it has a property like rubber! The axe bounced back at me rather than split, and it came back fast! I avoid willow now
 
Haven't really noticed many. I know there are poplars about but wouldn't know which ones and have never felled any.

Yeah I'm hearing ya. I only know them as thats what is/was planted in the river beds here with the willows. It's no bluegum but drys over a summer and is allways available for free and easily axe split too. Kinda love and hate bluegum for that like yeah good wood but dam it sits around. Not the skinny tall weard shelter belt style poplar there shyte
 
Very interesting seeing/hearing about the different species from all over!!!
Up here, Aspen/Poplar grows like a weed. It makes just as or better heat as any of the softwoods (Jack pine) we like to burn. But it does seem to leave a bit of ash behind. The wood boiler guys claim it's too ashy and they have to shovel the stoves out mid season. woostove people complain the same and it's a really fine ash so is dustier in the house. And the bark can stink, and it's not easy to dry like softwood.
I'll be burning poplar next season, again. It all helps stay warm when it's -40 outside!
 
I actively avoid willow as my experience is it dries to very little, but worse than that the load I had was hard to split. I fully understand why cricket bats are willow, it has a property like rubber! The axe bounced back at me rather than split, and it came back fast! I avoid willow now
It splits fine for me, but I always split it the day I cut it. It will dry out but it takes a while.
 
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