You don’t want to constantly add wood to your firewood, no matter if it’s a campfire, fireplace, or wood-burning stove. Wood burning fires should be long-lasting and relaxing. Which firewoods are slowest to burn and how long does each one last?
Because there are more wood in every square inch of properly seasoned hardwoods, it burns slower and takes longer to heat up, making them last longer. The slowest-burning firewoods are oak, maple, ash and hickory.
There are many hardwoods available, depending on where you live and what kind of firewood you need. We are going to be focusing today on slowest-burning firewood. So get comfy and let’s go! Here’s a list of the 10 slowest-burning hardwoods, and how long they can last.
Hardwood vs. Softwood For Firewood
There are two main options when it comes to lumber and firewood: softwood and hardwood. Most deciduous trees produce hardwoods. These trees shed their leaves in winter and have larger leaves than the needles. They also produce less sap or resin that softwood trees.
Your conifers are softwood trees. These include pines, cedars, and most other evergreen trees. Although they do not lose their leaves in winter, some of their needle-like foliage does fall each year. When softwood trees are cut or damaged, they also produce thick resinous Sap.
Why Does Hardwood Make Better Firewood?
Denser hardwoods like oak and birch burn less quickly, produce less smoke and offer more heat energy than softwoods with similar sizes.
When it comes to firewood, not all hardwoods are equal. There are a variety of hardwoods that you shouldn’t burn in wood-burning stoves or fireplaces. Poplar is one example of a poor choice for firewood. It can create thick smoke and a bitter odor, and can spark many sparks when burned.
Hardwood is better than many softwoods for wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. As their name implies, hardwoods are denser and burn hotter than softwoods.
Quality hardwood trees are better for firewood than softwood. They produce less smoke and creosote, burn longer, and produce more heat. This means that you don’t have to worry about chimney buildup and that you don’t have to spend all night putting more logs on the fire to keep it lit.
Softwood Firewood Uses
However, softwood can still be used as firewood. When softwoods are chopped into kindling they make great fire starters. Softwoods are easy to catch and can burn hot quickly for a brief period of time, making them great for starting hardwood fires.
Softwood is quickly able to burn because of the resins that flow through it.
You can use softwood as an outdoor firewood. It will smoke a little, but it is outdoors, so you don’t need to worry. It produces a hot, quick-burning fire that won’t last the night. You won’t stay up late camping. Instead, go out and catch some fish early in the morning!
The 10 Slowest Burning Firewoods
It’s difficult to determine the exact burn time of each type of firewood. You need to consider many factors, including how thick the logs are, the airflow around the fire, the way you stack them, and how tall they are. You can have different log densities in one tree.
The hardwoods on this list are very similar in terms of density, heat output and time taken to burn from start to finish. This list averages a burn time of 5-8 hours. You can have a warm, roaring fire, get to sleep, and still have enough coals for the next morning’s fire.
We have now established the differences between soft and hard wood and which one is best for which applications. Let’s move on to the 10 slowest-burning firewoods.
1. Oak
Oak firewood is one of the most beautiful firewoods. Although it doesn’t produce the most heat and burns longer than other firewoods, the benefits make oak firewood a top choice.
Oak makes a great firewood, as it is very heat-producing, produces very little smoke, and sparks very little. However, it can be difficult to split.
Oak firewood produces a lot of heat. Oak firewood, which measures 128 cubic feet, has an average of 27 millions BTUs. There are some hardwood species that burn more hot than oak but they are difficult to find. Oak is a common hardwood in almost all parts of the United States, making it an easy-to find, hot-burning and long-lasting firewood choice.
When seasoned, oak firewood burns clean. Oak firewood will not produce a lot smoke or creosote.
An oak fire can burn for a long period of time. To heat our family’s home, we used a wood-burning stove and lots of oak firewood. It was simple to find and, when there were good coals in the evening, it produced plenty of heat that lasted throughout the night.
You might need to light a few logs on the fire if you wake up in the middle night to get water or go to the toilet. However, oak firewood can last for at least half the night and a wood stove can keep it going for as long as 5-8 hours.
To learn more about specific oak varieties, see our article on the 10 most popular oak trees for wood firewood.
2. Maple
Maple firewood is another excellent choice as it is heat-efficient, efficient, and readily available everywhere. It burns at approximately 25 million BTUs per meter, so it doesn’t heat as fast as oak firewoods.
Although it isn’t as dense as oak, this hardwood can still burn hot and long. A benefit is that maple wood smells sweet when it’s burned in a campfire or fireplace. You could smell maple syrup depending on the variety you use, or you might get similar scents to cherry wood and apple wood, depending on what variety you choose.
Maple is a great choice for wood-burning stoves because it produces heat and lasts for a long time. It will also keep the stove warm at an average temperature, lasting about 4-7 hours.
You can read our article about the main differences in bark and leaves between maple and oak trees to find out more.
3. Ash
Ash trees are a popular choice for firewood. Some swear by them and claim they’re the best. There are many reasons it is a great choice for firewood. It is easy to cut and split your firewood yourself, unlike oak, and it burns hot and clean.
Ash is a great choice for heating your home with a wood-burning stove because it emits about the same heat as maple firewood. It will last longer because of its harder density.
When ash firewood is burnt, it produces very little ash. Because it burns cleanly, you will have less to clean up after a fire. It lasts for about the same time as oak firewood, so a fire should last for 6-8 hours. This will provide plenty of heat for your home.
Because ash tree firewood is easy to split and can be used for a short time, people love it. While oak can take up to a year to split, sometimes it takes three, ash can be ready for burning in 6-8 months. This is a great choice if you’re running out of firewood or are in urgent need of it.
4. Hickory
Hickory has a reputation for being a firewood that rivals the oak. It burns at 28 million BTUs per hour and is a dense wood. It lasts slightly longer that oak.
Hickory firewood can be used in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. It produces more heat than coal, and it lasts for a long time. Although it is not as common as maple or oak firewoods, hickory woodwood should be available if you are able to find it.
Hickory is a hard wood that lives up to its reputation. Hickory nuts can be difficult to crack and split, but the wood can still be very hard to split. If you plan to cut and split your own firewood, you will likely need a hydraulic splitting machine. Hickory firewood, aside from the difficulties in splitting, is one of the most beautiful and longest-burning firewoods.
The Bestauto Log Splitter Kit is a great option if you’re looking for a small hydraulic splitting machine. It is made from high-quality aluminum and is compatible with both horizontal and vertical shaft engines.
5. Cherry
The sweet smell of cherry firewood is probably the best. Although you might not notice it when you use cherry firewood in a wood-burning stove or campfire, it is very evident in fireplaces and campfires.
This is where the wood shines. Cherry firewood burns at around 20 million BTUs. This is much lower than other woods.
Cherry firewood burns longer than poplar or butternut, but it is still an attractive choice. It is similar in density as oak, and will still burn for at least 5 to 7 hours in fireplaces or wood-burning stoves.
6. Apple
Apple is another fragrant wood that’s well-known for its aroma. Apple is a hot-burning firewood that produces approximately 27 million BTUs per tree, unlike cherry firewood. This is on par with oak.
Oak trees are more common than apple trees, but they are less popular than apple trees. You might be able buy apple wood if an orchard is downsizing trees. They don’t produce as many fruit anymore.
Because of its long-lasting and intense heat, apple firewood is great for wood-burning stoves. Because of its heat and sweet aromas, firewood is great for campfires and fireplaces.
Apple firewood is nearly as durable as oak and produces almost the same heat as oak. It also has a wonderful scent when it’s burned. This makes it a great choice for any firewood needs.
7. Hornbeam
Hornbeam is more common in the east of the US. This firewood will make you less inclined to tend to the fire and allow you to enjoy the warm glow that this firewood gives off. Hornbeam burns for a longer time than other woods because it is dense.
A single cord of hornbeam hardwood provides 27 million BTUs of heat output. Although it may take some time to get the firewood going due to its high density, once it is done, you can start your wood-burning stove, fireplace, or other heating device. Hornbeam firewood is a great choice for firewood that lasts 6-8 hours and will keep you warm.
8. Walnut
Even though there are many great firewoods that last a long time, it is still necessary to have walnut. Although this wood is still a good firewood, it is not the best in terms of heat and longevity. This wood is highly valued in furniture construction, so it may not be easy to find firewood.
Cherry firewood burns slightly hotter than walnut at 22 million BTUs. Walnut, however, is a medium-density hardwood and won’t burn for as long as cherry firewood. If you combine walnut with something hotter and longer-lasting, you can create a wonderful fire that will last a long time.
You will notice that there are no other plants around walnut tree if you have them on your property. This is because the walnut trees produce a substance that most vegetation doesn’t like. You may also find that the nuts that fall from the tree each fall can cause havoc on your mower.
This is because it’s possible that you will have to remove the walnut trees from your property. You could use the firewood for your next project if you have enough.
Although walnut isn’t the kind of firewood you want, if you have enough, you can make decent and long-lasting logs from it. It’s better than making mulch out of it , as you could end up inadvertently destroying your landscaping.
9. Hawthorn
You can have some great, long-lasting firewood if you have hawthorn trees that are too tall and twisty. The 25 million BTUs per cord of hawthorn trees is a lot. They are dense and very hot.
This tree is hard to split and has large thorns, so you may not be able to find hawthorn commercially. You can make your own firewood by cutting or clearing these trees from your property.
Hawthorn wood is a wood with a twisty, wavy grain. It’s difficult to split and has large spikes that you need to be cautious around. However, it’s dense wood that will last a long time. As far as durability, think somewhere between oak or hickory. Burn hawthorn in your campfire, fireplace, wood-burning stove or wood-burning stove if it is available. It makes a great firewood.
10. Osage orange
Osage orange (also known as horse apple) is at the top for density, heat and long-lasting firewood. Osage orange heat can even be so hot that it can melt wood-burning stove meta, according to some people.
Osage orange firewood produces intense heat at 34 million BTUs per cord. It is best used as an addition to cooler-burning firewoods like hawthorn or ash. This firewood can also spark so it’s best to use in a campfire.
Because they are more difficult to cut than other firewood, they are not as common in the US. This being said, you can make a long-lasting, raging fire with this firewood if you cut your Osage orange tree.
What Wood Should Not Be Burned?
If you are unsure of the type of wood that you are burning in your wood-burning stove, it is best to just leave it there. If you are certain about the wood’s type, only burn it if it has been purchased from a reliable firewood dealer. It is not a good idea to burn softwoods as they can smoke and create a lot creosote that will need to cleaned up.
Outdoor campfires can be made with softwoods. They are able to produce heat quickly and spark quite a lot, making them a better choice for outdoor fires.
This is something you already know. However, scrap wood/building materials should never be burned. If you burn scrap wood, unknown chemicals may be released. This is true even if it’s not safe.
That’s A Wrap!
Here are the 10 slowest-burning firewoods, and their duration. The woods in this list are long-lasting, durable woods with high burn temperatures that will keep you warm while still allowing you to take full advantage of the natural heat.
You can buy firewood from your local firewood dealer. Ash, maple, oak, and maple are great for all wood burning requirements. Other woods on the list, such as Osage orange and hawthorn, are worth considering cutting yourself for firewood. They are long-lasting, durable firewoods.