| HARDWOODS burn longer, hotter |
Heat Content | Easy to Burn | Easy to Split | Smoke | Throw Sparks | Ratings/Remarks |
| BEST: Ash, Red oak, White oak, Beech, Birch, Hawthorn, Hickory, Hard maple, Pear, Pecan, Dogwood, Almond, Apple |
High | Yes | Yes | No | No | Ash – burns when green Almond – sweet scent Beech – throws sparks Birch – pleasant scent and burns quickly |
| GOOD: Soft maple, cherry, walnut | Medium | Yes | Yes | No | No | Walnut – harder to split |
| FAIR: Alder, Aspen, Basswood, Cottonwood, Elm, Sycamore, Yellow poplar |
Low | No | Yes | Medium | No | Aspen, Basswood, Cottonwood are good for kindling Elm – season for two years |
| SOFTWOODS burn fast, split easier |
Heat Content | Easy to Burn | Easy to Split | Smoke | Throw Sparks | Ratings/Remarks |
| BEST: Southern Yellow Pine, Spruce, Fir, Tamarack, Larch |
Medium | Yes | Yes | Medium | Can | |
| GOOD: Eastern red cedar, Western red cedar, White Cedar, Eastern and Western White pine, Sugar pine, Ponderosa pine |
Low | Medium | Yes | Medium | No | All good for kindling, pleasant scent Cedar – steady heat without too big of a flame Pine – lower heat content |
| FAIR: Cypress | Medium | No | Yes | Medium | No |
“Seasoned” Firewood – Seasoned firewood is wood which has been left out to dry for an extended period of time. Wet wood, including green wood which has recently been cut from a tree, is difficult to burn and burns with less heat. Avoid using wet wood and always use seasoned firewood if at all possible.
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