Wood Identification

[shaunbagone]

Just wondering if there is a good book or site to identify differnt woods. I live in southern Michigan. Just started buring wood a few weeks ago in my brand new furnace. I love going out a cutting but I have no Idea what kind of wood im dealing with. Right now it all just looks like free heat to me.

 

[aandabooks]

The one wood that I have always been told to stay away from is hedge. I'm not sure what the actual name of it is because it doesn't appear on lists as hedge. It is the tree that makes the green balls that look like brains. Everybody around here calls it hedge. It burns too hot for a woodburner.

Matt

 

[myzamboni]

The one wood that I have always been told to stay away from is hedge. I'm not sure what the actual name of it is because it doesn't appear on lists as hedge. It is the tree that makes the green balls that look like brains. Everybody around here calls it hedge. It burns too hot for a woodburner.

Matt

hedge = osage orange

 

[aandabooks]

I've taken it camping and it is great. I've just had a lot of people tell me that it will burn too hot for a woodburner. Maybe they are talking about the ones with glass. One guy I work with swears that he put a piece of hedge in for the first time and the heat broke the glass.

I've got a couple marked in the timber where I cut to take down this year to replenish the camping wood pile.

Matt

 

[MS-310]

I'm not sure were the rumor got started that is is not good firewood. I believe it is good firewood and many people burn it. It is a very dense wood.

No TreeCO its very bad firewood.....very very bad, you must send it to Nashville MI so I can take care of that junk fire wood.


(I'll send you some too TreeCo)

 

[jags]

hedge is horrible firewood. Must not be burned. Please send me all you have for proper disposal. (in my wood burner:biggrinbounce2

 

[Driftwood]

I just cut a bunch of hedge. It is my favorite wood to burn in my woodburner. I try to save the good chunks for the extra cold days. It can get hot and it does throw a bunch of sparks. But I usually mix in some locust, ash, or oak to cool it down a little. The sparks don't bother me except for when I reload. I recently found a place where they cut and piled about a 1/4 mile hedgerow 2 years ago. It is still hard as a rock and hard on the back but it burns great.

 

[BryanH]

Tree ID

I use the Nat Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. It handy as it fits in your back pocket. Good color photos of the leaves, bark, fruit and flower brief description and fall colors. I have some posters from the DNR that have frogs and turtles common to the areas and I've wondered why the DNR doesn't put out a similar one for trees. Not covering all trees just the common ones in the state.

We have primarily hardwoods by me which all split and burn nicely but we do have cottonwood, basswood and box elder as some softer woods but they all burn. I was thinning some basswood and decided to burn it this year. It burns fast but it's heating ok with the mild weather. Just split it when you cut it or else it gets difficult to split. Gets light as a feather when dry. The wood all has the same BTU's by weight.

Osage orange does burn hot it also sparks a lot when you open the door and the rush of air hits it so be careful. If you find a good straight piece, bow makers will pay pretty good money for it. Pretty common in old property lines as they made a natural fence line. Can be tough to split as it rarely grows straight.