Using Sage brush for woodburning?

[Seeria]

I'm talking the wood, not the wood parts not the leaves. I can't find my much that doesn't have to do with spiritual this and that. One of the properties I have looked at has a bit of sage brush growing.
Can this be used for burning stoves like rocket stove (thermal mass)?
Does the wood have any other uses? Compost maybe?

[MichaelK!]

Not knowing any better, I'd suggest though that it isn't a good idea. Because sage is a very drought resistant desert shrub, I'd suspect it to have a high resin content, making creosote production very high in your chimney pipe. This doesn't mean you can't burn it, but I would suggest you inspect your chimney thoroughly and more often the usual. There's nothing more dangerous than a creosote fire!

[Seeria]

Is there any use for sage wood? Does it grow large enough to use for decorative purposes maybe, like mesquite?

[Explorer]

It really gives off a heavy and thick black smoke when burned.

[Cyngbaeld]

Burns better green than it does dry and yes, burn the leaves. It burns VERY hot and VERY fast. Don't stuff the stove with it. It is also very messy.

[Yvonne's hubby]

Sage brush makes excellent cookstove wood, but burns pretty hot and quickly for heating compared to most other firewood available in most places. My Grandpa burned it for quite a few years back in the thirties when he was putting in his homestead. He had a 120 acres of it that had to be cleared, and didnt have much money for coal. Most of it he piled in huge piles and burned in the fields, but there were also piles loaded on the wagon and brought to the cabin for fuel.

[Yvonne's hubby]

Originally Posted by Seeria

Is there any use for sage wood? Does it grow large enough to use for decorative purposes maybe, like mesquite?

About 6 feet tall is the largest I have ever seen, most of it runs somewhere about waist high in the area I lived growing up... eastern Oregon.

[Lilith]

Average height of normal sage brush is 3.3 ft tall. Something to consider before you clear it. Sage brush is natural habitat for birds. This means that larger sage brush works well with chickens. They can easily get away from predators in it. Sage brush burns hot, is dirty, and produces a lot of sticky tar like soot. Even when we have range fires, the tar is left across the lava rocks.

Uses for sage brush:
Rope making, Sage brush bark after time falls away from the brush with younger bark growing under it. The dead bark is long fibers that can be soaked in water and worked into very strong rope and twine. Native Americans and early settlers often made snares for rabbits , coyotes, and fox from sage brush bark.
Sage brush of the Artemisia tridentata variety are a natural antiseptic. The plant also contains a natural pain reliever, coagulant, and inflammation reducing qualities similar to aspirin. It can be toxic to the liver and stomach if taken internally.
Sagebrush provides food and habitat for a variety of species, such as sage grouse, pronghorn antelope, gray vireo, pygmy rabbit, and mule deer.Often, sheep and cows thrive in sage brush areas.
When burned, the heavy thick smoke is well suited for smoke tanning hides. The tar and chemicals released in the burning work their way deep into the hide and seal it well.

As for how big it can get ...


No joke or trick, I've seen it myself, and will look for more pictures of large sage brush. This is common in areas with lots of water that rarely burns in wild fires. We have several giant sage brush at my grandfather's ranch in the treasure valley.

[Alice In TX/MO]

You might want to go to the rocket stove section of permies.com and ask. Folks there are more familiar with the type of question you're asking.

[phrogpharmer]

I really like sagebrush. There are several types that grow in this area. Some can reach heights of over 10'. Many animals depend on it for cover and food, especially in winter. I have used it on occasion for campfire wood when nothing else was available. It puts out a good amount of heat but it also puts out a lot of stinky smoke that permeates clothing and backpacks, and tents.
Sagebrush has a complex root structure and is very difficult to transplant if the plant is more than a few inches high. I have several growing as ornamentals in my yard that I transplanted as 4" plants. I had three very large ones growing near the irrigation ditch on the property line and the neighbor's landscaper sprayed them with herbicide thinking that he was doing us a favor. Most people in this area don't appreciate sagebrush.

[Seeria]

Great information, thank you all!
Any idea if the wood can be used in hugelkultur? http://permaculturenews.org/2012/01/...ees-with-ease/