Eastern Red Cedar Firewood — BTU Rating, Burn Quality & Tips

Juniperus virginiana

BTU per Cord

18,200,000

Density

2,060 lbs/cord

Category

softwood

Split Difficulty

easy

Spark Rating

high

Smoke Rating

medium

Coaling Quality

fair

Seasoning Time

6 months

Availability

common

Burns hot for a softwood with a wonderful cedar aroma. Produces heavy sparking and popping due to resin pockets -- use only in enclosed stoves or with a good spark screen. Seasons very quickly. Great kindling and fire-starter wood.

Pros

  • +Easy to split
  • +Seasons relatively quickly (6 months)
  • +Widely available

Cons

  • -fair coaling quality
  • -High sparking — use with a screen or in a stove

Best Uses for Eastern Red Cedar

Open Fireplace

Not recommended — high sparking

Wood Stove

Usable but lower heat

Campfire

Great — easy to light and splits easily

Smoking/Cooking

Not recommended — resinous flavor

Seasoning Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern Red Cedar requires approximately 6 months of seasoning to reach the ideal moisture content of 20% or below. Split wood to 3-6 inch pieces and stack with good airflow. Keep the top covered but leave sides open to air. Store off the ground on pallets or rails.

Compare With Similar Species

Lodgepole Pine

17,700,000 BTU/cord · poor coaling

Ponderosa Pine

16,200,000 BTU/cord · poor coaling

Eastern Hemlock

15,900,000 BTU/cord · poor coaling

White Spruce

15,900,000 BTU/cord · poor coaling

Calculate BTU →All Species →

Last updated: December 2024