Worst Smelling Wood

[Mac88]

Ginkgo is a possibility. Also Ailanthus, Tree of Heaven.

In my experience, the only wood which consistently stinks even without the rottenness in the middle is Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) or a Princess Tree.

I don't think we have those around here.

 

[unclemoustache]

Hmm - I've cut and burned some of the woods listed here (red oak, catalpa, hackberry), and while they all have their own odors, I wouldn't say any of them stank. Maybe a fungus has something to do with it.

The strongest smell I've noticed from a tree was from Sassafrass. It was really stinky when I went back to grind out the stump.

 

[Shmudda]

I think the thick bark of Black Locust stinks the worst when burnt. It burns damn hot but you want to reload quick and shut the door before the bark gets going.

I don't think Red Oak smells that bad. I cut it a lot and work with it in the wood shop and has a nice smell when worked.

Craig

 

[autoimage]

i like the smell of red oak... piss oak by the way is pin oak

 

[BrokenToys]

Ah Stinkwood thread; we meet again.

I hate even cutting and ripping the stuff out [Tree of Heaven]....I refuse to even burn that crap in the chimnea. Most foul smelling junkwood in North America in my humble opinion.

 

[BrokenToys]

I think the thick bark of Black Locust stinks the worst when burnt.
Craig

I peel the bark when splitting. I agree; it is a foul stench. Worth the effort!

 

[stihl023/5]

Red oak smells:msp_scared:

 

[Uncle John]

I might guess elm. But op didn't say it was hard to split.

 

[trophyhunter]

Another vote for hackberry, smells like a three foot deep barn stall that hasn't been cleaned in a year.

 

[Bushmans]

Funny, I love the smell of red oak. Some say it smells like ralph. To me it has a butter smell. Butter not bitter.
The stinkiest thing around here is of course the box elder. But it really isn't as bad as yor description.

I've been cutting hard maple and when i burn it.....smells like bacon and pancake syrup! Should be able to get $100 a face cord for scratch and sniff firewood don't ya think?

 

[forestryworks]

Bad smell? Cottonwood.

Agreed.

The stuff leaves one with a noticeably odoriferous foul aura; to the extent that house flies give you a wide berth

 

[H 2 H]

The nasty smell of Cottonwood

Neighbor is burning it now; even tho my pace is about 200 yards away you can still smell it at my place when the wind is blowing my way

 

[MechanicMatt]

Some one mentioned a birch, I thought it was birch. I am no expert. Ill say it was a be-otch to split. The middle is black and the outer area white. The outer area would come right off and leave the black area with the main piece Im splitting. It reeks the whole time. Ill take a pic, maybe its that pricness type wood, was a kinda smooth bark like soft maple. :bang::bang::bang: Gotta take some pics

 

[Sethsfirewood]

Some one mentioned a birch, I thought it was birch. I am no expert. Ill say it was a be-otch to split. The middle is black and the outer area white. The outer area would come right off and leave the black area with the main piece Im splitting. It reeks the whole time. Ill take a pic, maybe its that pricness type wood, was a kinda smooth bark like soft maple. :bang::bang::bang: Gotta take some pics

Probably not Ailanthus or the Princess tree like I suggested. It is a breeze to split and the wood is noticeably yellow.

 

[Whitespider]

Are we talking “strong” smell or “offensive” smell?
Personally I don’t find the smell of Red Oak offensive, but I agree it can be strong.
Cottonwood? Don’t believe I’ve ever cut “green” Cottonwood… and not much dead either.
Never cut some of the others mentioned here… not even sure I could identify them.
In my book, the most offensive is Box Elder… but I’m also a wood snob I guess.

 

[aaron]

American Elm

 

[boilerwood]

I've burnt some catalpa, smelled like I was burning tires.

 

[haveawoody]

Nastiest smelling thing i ever cut was a box elder with some seroius rot in the core of the tree full of a liquid ooze.
Old Diesel and Vomit together as one new special smell.
I think if you bottled that liquid it could become a biological weapon
The bonfire it went on smelled some kind of nasty with a sour black smoke.

Even the non rotted box elders are pretty nasty smelling things at the best of times.

 

[leonardo]

after 40 years of turning trees into firewood i kind of like the smell of red oak. hickory smells like horse sweat to me, but again not unpleasant. the worst, at least in my part of the world is ailanthus! nauseating! usually though, on our tree farm it only grows to a maximum 3" diameter. then it gets cut at ground level and treated with tordon.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Are we talking “strong” smell or “offensive” smell?
Personally I don’t find the smell of Red Oak offensive, but I agree it can be strong.
Cottonwood? Don’t believe I’ve ever cut “green” Cottonwood… and not much dead either.
Never cut some of the others mentioned here… not even sure I could identify them.
In my book, the most offensive is Box Elder… but I’m also a wood snob I guess.

Green Cottonwood will top box elder, trust me on this one. I'm really hoping the 2+ cords I've got seasoning don't smell as bad going through the stove next year, or I'll be looking for different wood for the fall heating. Had the wind been right, you'd have smelled that thing clear down to Ioway when I was bucking it.

No idea what the OP has, doesn't sound like anything I've cut before.