Firewood Species Guide — BTU Ratings, Burn Quality & More

Compare all firewood species by heat output, density, and burn characteristics. Click any species for detailed information.

Showing 41 of 41 species. Click column headers to sort.

Species	BTU/Cord	Density (lbs)	Coaling	Split	Season (mo)	Type
EucalyptusEucalyptus globulus	34,500,000	4,560	excellent	hard	18	hardwood
Osage OrangeMaclura pomifera	32,900,000	4,728	excellent	hard	18	hardwood
MadroneArbutus menziesii	30,000,000	4,320	excellent	hard	18	hardwood
MesquiteProsopis glandulosa	28,000,000	4,000	excellent	hard	12	hardwood
Black LocustRobinia pseudoacacia	27,900,000	4,016	excellent	hard	18	hardwood
Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata	27,700,000	4,008	excellent	hard	18	hardwood
Honey LocustGleditsia triacanthos	26,700,000	3,832	excellent	medium	12	hardwood
AppleMalus domestica	26,500,000	3,888	excellent	medium	12	hardwood
PecanCarya illinoinensis	26,300,000	3,768	excellent	medium	12	hardwood
MulberryMorus rubra	25,800,000	3,712	excellent	easy	12	hardwood
White OakQuercus alba	25,700,000	3,920	excellent	medium	18	hardwood
Red OakQuercus rubra	24,600,000	3,528	excellent	medium	12	hardwood
American BeechFagus grandifolia	24,000,000	3,760	excellent	hard	12	hardwood
Sugar MapleAcer saccharum	24,000,000	3,680	excellent	medium	12	hardwood
White AshFraxinus americana	23,600,000	3,472	excellent	easy	6	hardwood
Black WalnutJuglans nigra	22,200,000	3,192	good	easy	12	hardwood
Yellow BirchBetula alleghaniensis	21,800,000	3,152	good	medium	12	hardwood
JuniperJuniperus occidentalis	21,600,000	3,050	good	medium	6	softwood
Red ElmUlmus rubra	21,600,000	3,112	good	hard	12	hardwood
HackberryCeltis occidentalis	20,800,000	3,048	good	easy	12	hardwood
TamarackLarix laricina	20,800,000	3,040	fair	easy	6	softwood
Douglas FirPseudotsuga menziesii	20,700,000	2,970	fair	easy	12	softwood
Black CherryPrunus serotina	20,400,000	2,880	good	easy	6	hardwood
Paper BirchBetula papyrifera	20,300,000	2,880	fair	easy	6	hardwood
American ElmUlmus americana	20,000,000	2,900	fair	hard	12	hardwood
SycamorePlatanus occidentalis	19,500,000	2,808	fair	hard	12	hardwood
SassafrasSassafras albidum	18,900,000	2,740	fair	easy	6	hardwood
Red MapleAcer rubrum	18,600,000	2,900	fair	easy	12	hardwood
Eastern Red CedarJuniperus virginiana	18,200,000	2,060	fair	easy	6	softwood
BoxelderAcer negundo	17,900,000	2,632	fair	easy	6	hardwood
Lodgepole PinePinus contorta	17,700,000	2,580	poor	easy	6	softwood
AlderAlnus rubra	17,500,000	2,540	fair	easy	6	hardwood
Ponderosa PinePinus ponderosa	16,200,000	2,380	poor	easy	6	softwood
Eastern HemlockTsuga canadensis	15,900,000	2,482	poor	easy	12	softwood
White SprucePicea glauca	15,900,000	2,240	poor	easy	6	softwood
CottonwoodPopulus deltoides	15,800,000	2,272	poor	easy	6	hardwood
Quaking AspenPopulus tremuloides	14,700,000	2,160	poor	easy	6	hardwood
WillowSalix nigra	14,500,000	2,136	poor	easy	12	hardwood
Balsam FirAbies balsamea	14,300,000	2,236	poor	easy	6	softwood
Eastern White PinePinus strobus	14,300,000	2,236	poor	easy	6	softwood
Western Red CedarThuja plicata	13,000,000	1,868	poor	easy	6	softwood

Last updated: December 2024