While generally small and branching, Russian Olive trees can produce wood that ranges in color from yellowish-brown to darker golden-brown, sometimes with a greenish hue, and light yellow-white sapwood. So, give at least 1 year (12 months) for your Russian olive wood to season before use. My comment doesnt pertain to btus so much, but would like to say that here in central Ind., I look for elms,not sure if there rock, red or slippery elms.But easy to spot cuz they die avg. Russian olive is a long lived tree (80-100 years) which grows rapidly up to 10 m in height and 30 cm in diameter and starts to fruit after 5-6 years. It is surpassed by 13 other varieties that have as much as 37% more BTUs per cord! my experiences with Russian olive is that it is rather easy to work with and finishes very nicely. How Often Should I Remove Creosote From My fireplace? What Are The Physical Characteristics Of Russian Olive Wood? Im curious about people melting cast iron stoves and fires getting too hot. The good news is that virtually all of the time, they say yes. About 15 yrs ago, it warped and a 10 long split developed in it, so I had a 3/16 steel plate welded over the split, and since then, everything is hunky-dory. I have some upstate PA, that often is recovered when down, and used for firewood. The limbs in the middle of the tree usually rest on the ground, providing stability. I have not found it listed anywhere as rated for firewood and was wondering if it would produce enough heat to make it worthwhile for use in the fireplace. I grow eucalypt here in the Modesto area and it never lasts as long as almond, but it is also resinous and burns faster. It does have thorns and it is easy to work. By time it is dry, there is nothing left. However, Russian olive wood still takes at least 12 months to dry and is difficult to split despite next to no sap production. They are now an invasive species that crowd out natives and suck up valuable water. By assessing the fire characteristics of Russian olive firewood, it will be easier to identify which scenarios and settings the firewood is best suited for. Thanks for the listings.I burn 3-4 cords every Winter,and burn all but the softwoods.I was looking for BTU content for Where does the hart-nut tree stand in the BTU scale? The initial smell is like a sweet-smelling perfume. Are these possibly data for the same species gleaned from different sources? It will spark quite a bit, however, when the burning logs collapse upon one another during the burning process. anyone know anything about sweet gum btu value? It is quite old and is hanging over mine and my neighbors drive ways. Some do well, others not so well Any info on Sassafras? One perk of Russian olive: it burns hot. I BELIEVE ITS CALLED SALT CEDAR. It does make a nice fire so maybe they should call it Good Fir Fire. A lot of people dont burn it so it is plentiful. The wood is not easy to turn but looks great if you stick with it. Lay small pieces of Russian olive wood in the fireplace with other types of wood. Spruce and Birch both probably have about the same BTU rating, however I have found that Birch burns cleaner. Have a friend with a fireplace?, bundle about a dozen of the fat lighter sticks with a ribbon and this makes a great gift. Theyve had time to dry out, so seasoning may only require 12 months. Russian olive does have a very strong and distinctive fragrance when sawn or sanded. I live in Washington State,and We have a lot of conifers here! (Sir Douglas Menzizii) He really didnt know how to classify it because it had characteristics of fir and also of hemlock so he called it Pseudo(false) tsuga (hemlock)so it is really not fir at all or hemlock? Redgum is differentiated from just about all other Australian woods for firewood, for its lasting and heat, and difficulty to get going. by Lillie Nelson November 6, 2022 One perk of Russian olive: it burns hot. Fresh cut it has a sap like a pine in the outer bark but overall it contains a lot of water depending on the time of year it is cut. Are they actually different species? Green and I feed it one or two times per day. I have cut and burned a bit of Russian Olive. When the tempreture drops to single digits or below zero the BTU output keeps my home comfortable, I also like the shagbark hickery. This keeps all sparks from shooting onto our carpet. No matter what firewood you choose, regular chimney maintenance is a good idea to reduce the chance of unwanted fires. Non resinous wood has around 8000 to 8500 BTU per pound, resinous wood has around 8600 to 9700 BTU per pound. I had some mostly seasoned red oak , shagbark hickory , and black locust. A few of which are Wild Olive or Silver Berry. Wood needs to typically produce healthy goals to allow the fire to stay hot and restart in the morning. Russian olive burns clean, produces minimal creosote, and doesnt spark and pop. I HAVE to burn green to keep from feeding it all day. The best-known firewoods are white and red oak trees. True story. All of the wood has been cured at least 3 years, but in our damp winters the wood picks up moisture from the air so produces less heat by late winter. Hickory is still my favorite , but I also have learned to find dead standing mullberry thats near seasoned. Thanks. Very smoky and almost smells acidic when it burns and it doesnt seem to produce much flame or heat. I find black cherry and hickory give the best burning results. This is lower than most popular firewood types like oak or black locust. I like to drag it out into the open on a log chain with the tractor. I;M TAKING DOWN BROKEN BRANCHES ON A TREE I WAS TOLD WAS LOCUST.NOT WHAT TYPE.WOOD IS LIGHTCOLORED, CORE IS DARK. Like other fruit trees, this firewood gives off a mild, sweet scent that many enjoy. Russian olive will smoke a substantial amount if not left to dry out for long enough. There is more smoke from wood than coal so ignore the GreenFascist/ACORN Brownshirts and their deceits. Makes a mean pizza and can sear steak like nobodys business. Some of the heaviest green wood is among the lightest when dry. Seasoned and dry and Im out there every three hours. How Does Russian Olive Compare To Other Firewood? Is It Okay To Burn Russian Olive In A Fireplace? Its not worth the time to cut, split, stack and burn. I think many of us are a little envious of the river bottom land you have and the great hardwoods you have access to. Invest in a moisture meter to know when your firewood has seasoned for long enough. Mostly ash, cherry, shagbark hickory, maple and beech. Being a semi professional firewood dealer here in the Redding area of the State of Jefferson, California I find a lot of mixed wood. Its BTU is just as high as birch which varieties produce a BTU of 23.8 million per cord and higher than douglas fir, which has a BTU of 20,7. Bandit~ Creosote is a tar-like black substance deposited inside chimneys as the fire burns. Consistency between charts will vary due to different variables between different data sources. It thrives with zero care. How Much Sap Content Does Russian Olive Have? Likewise, wood that does not burn clean, including unseasoned wood, produces more creosote. Olive is diffuse porous, whileRussian Olive is ring-porous. Greenwood is wood that has just been cut and not seasoned. Does anyone know which of these woods produces the least ash, Oak or Pine. Coals are to fire as fuel, to keep it going and provide lasting heat. The wood will not keep very well even on a rack I have had it rot out. i have limited trees myself but know a lot of farmers here in north central Indiana. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Olive gives food a subtle flavor thats fruity and slightly sweet. It burns with a big bright flame then turns into a big bed of red hot coals that burn forever . Burning green wood is bad for any number of reasons, but especially so when the wood has a high sap content. They are the main nuisance tree in our area.possibly the main tree. $20.00 + $21.95 shipping. Russian olive trees were recommended for many years as natural windbreaks, but have fallen out of favor in recent years. The better your firewood has been seasoned, the better it will burn. Be sure to poke a couple holes to vent the gases .Then get a 55 gal drum or make a small kiln to put your bucket in .Start your fire then put the bucket in. As far as a tree to keep in your yard, no good. Although the project is nearing its end, MSI is currently pursuing funding and looking to develop more partnerships in order to continue the work. One of the premiere cooking, smoking and pizza oven woods. Because of the air space between the pieces of wood, the amount of solid wood in a cord may be only 70-90 cubic feet, even though the volume of the stack is 128 cubic feet. Axe Adviser is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. It does burn a little fast but it throws out the heat. Then fill it with fist size chunks of natural wood , then put the lid on . should be cut and split and dry out for two years before burning. Green firewood only gives off about 40% of the energy of dry firewood. Heat output Like many tree types, Magnolia's heat output varies depending on the species. Green Vs. Dry Wood - Firewood should be dried (seasoned) to 10% to 20% moisture content for best burning performance. So, are Russian olives worth the trouble? Some would argue that its even impossible without a hydraulic splitter. They also began infesting fields, preventing local farmers from growing hay, and decreasing the overall grass quantity. Get The FactsContinue, There are 21 species of walnut trees around the world, but black walnut and English walnut are two of the most popular varieties in North, Read More How Good Is Walnut Firewood? Still have some pieces, which are quite dry by now. These charts will give you the amount of energy per cord of wood for some of the most common firewood species. When evaluating firewood, the industry measures heat output in million BTUs per cord of wood. We used to call them hedge apples. The National Fire Protection Association suggests that you hire a chimney cleaner to remove creosote build-up at least once a year. One random ember could quickly start an unwanted fire. Out here in the West we dont have all the great hardwoods that you have there in your part of the country. Keeps for a couple years at best. Being a fairly common and fast-growing tree, prices should be moderate. Also have lots (4 cord) of seasoned oak and cherry on hand. Can I Only Use Seasoned Firewood For Burning? Walnut and Mulberry,having quite a plentiful supply of those. When were craning wood out of the tree or hauling big Monterey pine I use the weight charts for Douglas fir since Ive read they are almost the same density green. GOTTA CLIMB HIGH AND USE A POLE ELECTRIC CHAIN SAW,,,GITTING IT DONE BUT WILL IT BE GOOD FOR MY LOPA WOOD STOVE..APPRECIATE SOME ANSWERS. It is still softwood, so does not provide as much heat as oak, maple or black locust. Its close to soft maple on the btu chart plus I dont need to go anywhere or handle it too many times. Pros And Cond Of Using Russian Olive as Firewood. Russian olive is medium-quality firewood. PRACTICALLY EVERY RANCH FENCE HERE AND NEW MEXICO IS MADE FROM IT, ITS EASILY SPLIT AND IT RESISTS ROTTING. I really dont get the obsession with BTU by speicies. Originally, Russian olives were planted in America to act as a windbreaker and soil stabilizers. The apple is a good secret that most wood burners never thought of . Fascinating site! Then I quarter them for burning. The Best Fast-Growing Trees to Use For Firewood, North Forty News: Russian Olives Fall Out of Favor, University of Missouri Extension: Wood Fuel for Heating. Add surfacing: $113.00 . Sounds like my neighbor would get along great with yours. They usually are 3-4 around (like I said, they grow quickly!) Great aroma too. Due to being more shrub-like than other trees, Russian olive trees have very little sap. With a BTU of 23, Russian olive firewood can produce substantial heat over a long time. As a common invasive species, you have probably seen Russian olive often on a countryside walk. Yet it will not burn, just smoke. Maybe less in some places with more sun and less humidity, but still they take a long time. If you burn coal, you are leaving a destiny of death and starvation for your descendents and mine! So, Im of the opinion that there is no best firewood it really depends on your application and how you value the qualitative aspects of each speicies. Some would argue that its even impossible without a hydraulic splitter. BTU value is about the same for all hard wood when equal weight of dry is burned. I have a Russian Olive that I cut down about 4 months ago and has been sitting in 100F weather for three weeks. There are some issues out here in the west that may not be present in other areas, just a heads up if it helps. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Handmade Damascus Steel Full Tang Knife Olive Wood Hunting/Camping/ED W/Sheath at the best online prices at eBay! Sure, willows not much good, and I quit dragging it home years ago. In Iowa we mix our loads in the stove out of boredom. I live in East Tennessee which has a great variety of hardwoods. It has a large flame and is clean burning with very little ash and is easy to light. Wood is limited to small-scale and hobbyist uses. Personally, the best wood in the world is whatever I can get my hands on. What Are The Varieties Of Russian Olive Wood? Originally, Russian olives were planted in America to act as a windbreaker and soil stabilizers. I had intended to include a reference to my location but failed to do so. I live in eastern oregon and my main problem is the identification of trees. Is Mimosa wood good for burning in a fire pit or Chimenea? Some have more heat than others but if you already have it you might as well cut it up and burn it. I now have access to a great deal of Poplar. Even though it is not firewood you should use to start your fire, it does produce a BTU of 23 million per cord once it gets going. I get up in the morning and heat our little berm home from 66-67 to 71-74 degrees with cottonwood and red elm in an hour and a half with cottonwood providing the bulk of the heat. BTU Values of Wood Species Wood species type BTU values of a cord burning wood in a wood stove As you can see from the chart below, the famed red oak is not the highest on the list. dyson ball animal pro plus hard to push. As with any wood, olive requires adequate seasoning before use. Split each log into two to four pieces, depending on the log size. Not good for firewood but great for woodworking. I prefer dry red elm and seasoned thorny locust. Uncured wood is also inefficient as the fire wastes energy, evaporating moisture instead of heating the room. Something not mentioned yet that I bring from my Georgia heritage is Fat Lighter. How do you burn and what type of stove do you use? Its okay for use in the depths of winter, but this wood is super-dense and takes some effort to get started. It might be interesting if someone else also burns that stuff and has a good supply of different types of wood to compare with. I heat 5,500 sq ft with 130,000 BTU Franks Piping Wood Boiler from Quebec CDN. Russian olive wood is not known to give off a smell when burning when it is fully dry. Ive only ived here for the last 4 years, It should have been pruned back many years ago but now to late and needs to be cut down. Seasoning time is reduced if the tree has been dead for months. Contains some non native species that can be found in the West. Also, box elm burns decent but it stinks. Take care when working with Russian olive, as it has thorns that can cause injuries. Make a horizontal cut with your chainsaw through the opposite side of the tree 1 to 2 inches above the original cuts. thanks, At 23.0 million BTUs of heat per cord, Russian olive gives off moderate heat. Being a transplant from So. But unlike other woods like birch, Russian olive catches fire very slowly. If its an old tree, the chances are high that splitting will be difficult. Its ability to spread once established classify it as invasive in some states of the United States (. Build the fire slowly, using a combination of Russian olive wood and faster-burning wood, such as pine. 5 out of 5 stars (767) $ 36.95. The only draw back is it gives little flame for a campfire . The short trunk and gnarled branches of these trees gives an impression of light wood, but don't be deceived. A few other elders like black locust . Because of the air space between the pieces of wood, the amount of solid wood in a cord may be only 70-90 cubic feet, even though the volume of the stack is 128 cubic feet. My husband and I have been cutting alot of Pinyon pine this yearit burns great!! Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Isnt it just as simple as the more lbs of wood that your shove in the hole, the more heat you get? We have tons of the best hard woods in this country . You will need to use a combination of other woods to get your fire going, to begin with as Russian olive does not catch fire easily. The metal on our fire pit melted . The ongoing extinction of the Ash,all species,is supplying I am the guy behind Theyardable.com. Big bright flames and smells good.Also beech is a very clean burning wood according to my grand dad .Smokes very little and burns to a huge coal. I need something to mix in wit the pine though to burn overnight. The pecan burned good considering it wasnt fully seasoned . Im in Northwest Washington; originally from Southwest PA. We have lots of cedar, fir, hemlock, silver maple, oak, and madrona. Some find their odor offensive, while leaves and fruits are messy. Latest data that Ive read is that seasoned softwoods causing creosote problems is baloney. In the fireplace, it is consumed due to the extreme heat of the wood, and the wood burns just as if it has been dead for several years. What wood would you say it is similar to on the b.t.u. Hickory was my overall favorite . Most of the smaller ones, 6 inch and under trunk size, have a beautiful purple and white heart wood, especially in the smaller branches. I live in southwest Oregon. In response to robert and his comment about live oak being limited to the south easter united states. Distribution: Native to eastern Europe and western and central Asia; naturalized throughout North America, Tree Size: 20-35 ft (6-10 m) tall, 1-1.5 ft (.3-.5 m) trunk diameter, Average Dried Weight: 43 lbs/ft3 (685 kg/m3), Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .55, .69, *Estimated hardness based upon specific gravity. This shrub's silvery foliage, showy flowers, and colorful berries made it popular in landscaping, though it was also planted extensively for a period of time in natural areas to provide erosion control, wind breaks, and wildlife food. Finished with a combination mixture of clear lacquer, boiled linseed oil, and denatured alcohol. Caution, cutting dead hedge will eat your saw chain in a heart beat, it becomes so hard and stringy. Black Cherry, and Apple give off a wonderful aroma,as well as producing nice heat. I did My little campfire experiment to find out the best hardwood for a campfire . I believe that pecan should be very high in BTUs and close to the other hickories, only because its in the family. Is this wood useable for smoking in a pit style smoker? Some states have made the sale of Russian olive trees illegal, to prevent their spreading. Also, it tends to split easily while drying. Russian olive wood produces an unpleasant odor when green. Is it worth it? Red Oak requires a bit of time to season, but burns well after 2 years. As has been said, quite unpleasant. Chinquapin and Dogwood are common here in Ohio. must be mangable Thanks for posting the list of firewood species & specs. Unseasoned wood will still have some water content and will result in a slower burn, thus quicker creosote build-up. Or, if the wood is worth your effort. The wood is dense, like ironwood, meaning it burns slowly, and you won't have to keep adding more to the fire. For example a Eucalypt that is similar in size and appearance to live oak is E moluccana ( grey box ) it grows in iron stone reliying on 12 inches of rain per year and at 3% moisture content weighs 9,856 pounds per cord how many BTUS would that equate to , or what about Waddy wood ( Acacia peuce ) it grows in the outback and at 3% moisture content weighs 13,112 pounds per cord and relies on one inch of rainfall per year what would its BTU output be ? As temperatures warm in the Animas River Valley, this tree could become more prolific, and create a monoculture along our rivers and streams. Both put out considerably more heat than anything we have in Alaska and when its -30 outside you can use all the BTUs you can get. Common Name BTU Months to Dry Osage Orange (Hedge) 30 12 Oak, Gamble 28 36 Olive 26.7 24 Almond 26.7 24 Hop Hornbeam (Ironwood) 26.4 24 Persimmon, American 25.8 36 Mesquite25.5 24 Hickory, Shagbark25.3 24 Tanoak25.1 12 Dogwood. Wood heat seems to be medicinal especially on cold, wintry days. if it does not stay at 30,40 C . That means extra work scooping it up and tossing it or scattering it over the garden. Some softwood varieties produce a lot, meaning youll need to clean the chimney more often. Like another poster mentioned, the oaks need to be processed and used quickly, they get bugs and start to rot very soon after coming down. They had a good mid-size flame and burned a long time. Stay warm and dont worry about it so much. Out here people often pass up oak in favor of madrone, where it is available. A kilowatt-hour (kwh) of electricity is equivalent to 3,400 Btu. Every year we have to cut several down. I am refinishing a 3 drawer, 4 cupboard piece of furniture that I believe is olive wood. Wood that gives off a lot of smoke causes sore, red eyes and isnt enjoyable to sit next to. Hope to experiment with salmon. Nondiscrimination and Accessibility Statements, Mountain Studies Institute, San Juan Mountains, Silverton & Durango, Colorado. Russian olive produces very few sparks as it burns, so you can light the fire and relax. density, and several qualitative parameters smell, ash production, fast/slow burn, ease of starting, ease of splitting, color/look of flame, popping/sparking and probably others. I know I know I can hear the comments about creosote but as long as it is dry and you give it air to burn it does great. Im new to burning wood in an open fireplace. The drawback is that the trees are small and have thorns . Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Here in MD was 39 today with 20mph wind. Not to mention the spikey nuts that are hard on the mower and gutters. Enjoy your fires! I have a rather large Bradford pear that I need to take down. But older trees have tough, stringy trunks that require much more work. Ash is the only wood Ive ever been able to burn streight off the tree (dried for 1 week or less) everything else I try to let dry for at least 5 years. Dont know much about western woods, except that the citrus groves my wifes family own in Mesa, AZ make tremendous wood for fires. I think these charts are the more accurate of the many charts. This is a tree that I will avoid even if it is free! is magnolia on the list of burning trees and where is it and if its not can i have some info bout it,please. I dont know how they compare split and dried. The Btu rating for Almond varies from 29 to 32, why the variance? So you are probably not going to find much information about it as far as btu or about its wood in general since it is not a common source of firewood outside of Asia. Russian Olive RO 250. This is the resin soaked sticks of pine that will light with a match and makes an excellent starter. Many people despise Russian olive trees as they make it difficult for other trees to thrive. The better your firewood has been seasoned, the better it will burn. Some states have made the sale of Russian olive trees illegal, to prevent their spreading. This tree can tolerate a wide range of harsh environmental conditions such as flood, severe drought, stony, sandy and high salinity or alkalinity of the soils. Very unusual leaf pattern for an oak, but just as heavy as all the other oaks. Unseasoned wood will still have some water content and will result in a slower burn, thus quicker creosote build-up. It is impossible to split when green and easy when dry, but unless special precautions are taken itll rot rather than season. Dried. Cut off the limbs with your chainsaw. I live in so. Coals produced by firewood impact how long it will burn before needing more wood added. So long as youre only burning good hardwoods and/or clean white (non-glossy/colored) paper stock and kindling, you should spread your ashes on your favorite acreage for the potash. Here in South Central Alaska, all we have is Birch, Black Spruce and Cottonwood. here in washington all the old timers and people that heat there houses just with wood buy douglas fir and the hipsters burn hard wood because they think its better. I burn 24/7, and use about two cords from Nov. thru Mar., with several 3-day breaks every three weeks or so when the temps are a bit higher. In most cases, wood that has little sap build-up is easier to chop and quicker to dry. Russian olive does produce a lot of heat. This is because softwoods, like pine and fir, contain resins, which have more energy per weight than wood fiber does. These silvery leafed trees gulp up 75 gallons of water a day and eagerly push out native trees, including willows and cottonwoods. About coal. Even though it is not firewood you should use to start your fire, it does produce a BTU of 23 million per cord once it gets going. This is best done in a wood stack, a few inches above ground, with a roof but no sides. red Oak) Sweet Gum is great for a hot fire, but burns too quickly. We provide super-helpful axe advice that's ad-free. Remove them last to prevent the tree from rolling. Elm is easy to find around here . I didnt find any data about almond wood, in your stats, and thought you might like to include it. Green wood from the olive tree is high in water content, so it will smoke in the fire. Unseasoned wood smells unpleasant as it burns. My father bought some to plant (for the birds) . Make this cut 12 to 18 inches from the ground on the side of the tree you want to hit the ground first. Great info! Selecting the Right Firewood Firewood heat output is measured in "British Thermal Units" or BTUs. The few times he has a bonfire he cooks hotdogs and marshmallows over treated oak pallet wood !!! A little off topic for this page so you might not get much response here. Burn really hot. But as one reader noted, all species have roughly the same BTU potential per pound. eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Russian olive will mostly produce a lot of ash but will burn for a long time regardless. Hickory The wood from the hickory family of trees, which includes pecan trees, is also very dense and prized for use as firewood, being of similar quality to oak. We do have one wood burning fire place, and when the big ice storm hit February 2021, knocking out our power for a week, we used that fire place for heat. It was cut 4 month prior to burning in the winter . It smells great too . I will say that it leaves very little coals and very little ash. rating for mountain mahogany. It does mention its good fuel, but not how good. At this time of year, there is lower moisture and sap content, resulting in quick-seasoning wood. I grew up on a homestead and I am here to share the knowledge I have and things I learn while living in the countryside. Its a very interesting subject you bring up Audrie that I would also like to hear comments about. Ive burned a lot of it in the last 35 years. The fireplace is rated at a whopping 25% efficient! Like the man said , if you got it free, its worth burning for heat. We also leave the basement door partially open so as not to encourage the water pipes to freeze. Get loads of helpful info like how to swing an axe for more power and maintenance advice. Grain/Texture: Unlike true Olive (Olea genus), Russian Olive is very porous and of an uneven grain texture. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. However, Russian olive wood still takes at least 12 months to dry and is difficult to split despite next to no sap production. Burns with a big bright flame and burns sorta slow . My wife even melted a stove once while I was at work when we were younger. Step 3 Many of its given names are based on the trees olive branch-like aesthetic. Wisconsin. It also won't burn and will produce excess smoke. Is Modesto Ash a soft or hard wood? More time for your wood to dry will decrease the quantity of smoke created when it is burned, allowing the fire to burn cleaner. After the moisture evaporates the logs burn great . Though seasoning the wood for long enough will eventually make the smell dissipate.