Eastern Redbud for firewood ?

[KsWoodsMan]

I cleared an empty lot for a garden with some Redbud, Mullberry and Cedar Elm on the place. Some of the Redbud was about 10" DBH most were in the 3"-6" range. It cut about like green Osage Orange and had very little sap running in it. I know what the Elm and Mullberry will be like for firewood. They wont be ready till next year.

This is the first time I have put away this much Redbud, about a stacked cord, for firewood. In the past, I've thrown some pieces in my pile because it was wood , it burned and I don't mind mixed wood if I am the one mixing it. I did open up a few splits of it and immediately noticed the dark, dense structure and became curious if I might have hit on a cord of decent firewood for my own use. I did search for something to indicate the BTU's of it but since it is considered an ornamental tree it doesnt get listed in the firewood charts

Has anybody, thats burned it, thought it was equal to or better than medium grade firewood like say Ash, Elm, Hack, Maple or Walnut ? Or more like Oak, Mullberry and Locust for firewood ?

One thing is for certain it takes a lot of them to end up with much.

 

[Bowtie]

I think it is in the family of mulberry, but dont quote me. I have burned it and I was happy with it. If I had to guess on BTU's I would put it somewhere not too far below mulberry.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Thanks ! The heartwood does seem to resemble Mullberry/Hedge thats part of what got me to wondering about it. 8" DBH is a big tree for redbud around here. They just dont seem to live very long though. It was a straight grained wood and seemed to split about like Hedge and Mullberry (related). That thin bark is about all I can tell that sets it apart from the Mullbery I stacked it with, so far. I'l have enough to tell what it's going to be like next year.

Like Hedge and Mullberry, it grows fast with a spreading crown, but doesnt live long, unlike Hedge and Mullberry.

 

[Coldfront]

I don't know about heating with it, but I think I smoked some redbud when I was younger.

 

[Wood Doctor]

"Wood: Dark reddish brown; heavy, hard, coarse-grained, not strong. Sp. gr., 0.6363; weight of cu. ft. 39.65 lbs."
-------------
Figure about the same as mulberry or crabapple at most. Not in the same league as oak, hedge, hickory, or locust.

 

[DTB]

redbud family

Redbud is from the legume family(black locust, honey locust) they all produce seed pods. I have them growing around my house...beautiful tree in the spring and very hardy. They can survive extreme conditions. I have great luck with them. Unfortunately, I have never used redbud for firewood.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Ed, thats interesting to know. Thanks.

A cord of wood averages 80 solid cubic feet of wood, excluding airspace. At 39.65 pounds per cubic foot a cord would weigh around 3,172 pounds. Extrapolating cord weights from this chart They are figuring the BTU per pound at 7,200 for wood seasoned to 20% MC, I can figure about 22.1 MBTU's. Thats better than Elm, Hackberry, or Black Cherry. Like you said though not quite Oak or Mullberry. If it coals up as well as any of the other legumes mentioned I won't be dissapointed by holding on to it.

DTB, I'm pretty familiar with them as a tree. They are common here like most places. They just arent considered firewood because of their short lifespan and smaller size. They do seem like a hardy tree and do well in full sun or shade. At least that is from my experience. The Elms they were under were all well above the tops of them. The Elms went 40+ feet staight up with the first branches at about 15 ft and nothing was much more than 10". That will make firewood next year for sure.

Thanks again.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

It does burn fairly well too. I sorted out a few of the dryer ( read dead ones) that weren't gone from carpenter ants. We sat up out back the other night and used a bit of them for the 'camp fire' and I wasn't dissapointed. The smell was good the heat off of it was about right. It coaled up good and didn't leave a significant amount of ash. I'd say it is a wood worth selling or heating my own house with.

It has a nice dark color some buyers are looking for. I give it a thumbs up !

 

[laynes69]

LOL...... I smoked some of it when I was younger.:smoking:

 

[Basso]

Light em' up !!!!!!!

Basso