ASAP answer - cottonwood trees good to burn?

unregistered358967 · #1 04/26/14, 10:18 AM

We just felled one and I'm wondering if I advertised on CL - free - would anyone want it to burn or is it just better to turn into woodchips? It's a good sized tree.

Thanks for the fast answer folks..

northergardener · #2 04/26/14, 10:49 AM

cottonwoods (poplars) are soft wood trees and are usually not considered good for burning indoors. Fine for a fire pit outdoors.

Wayne02 · #3 04/26/14, 10:56 AM

It probably depends on location but around here unless you have a log truck load (I think they export it) then you would be hard pressed to find somebody to take it as firewood unless used in an outside pit as northergardener mentioned.

unregistered358967 · #4 04/26/14, 10:59 AM

Thanks so much guys for the fast answer and saving me from an unnecessary craigslist listing.

S'mores tonight and into the woodchipper tomorrow.

mrs whodunit · #5 04/26/14, 11:04 AM

Its better than nothing LOL

We have friends that love cottonwood. Its all they use and they had extra so they gave us a lot of cords. It burns differently than any other wood, normally our stove the draft is open 1 complete turn unless its really cold and windy then its 2 turns of the draft. With cottonwood its 4 turns of the draft on a normal day.

Wont be burning that full time again.

Cyngbaeld · #6 04/26/14, 02:18 PM

I've burned it. Doesn't put out the BTUs very well. Better than nothing.

notwyse · #7 04/26/14, 02:22 PM

I heated the house for three years with it. Loved it.

FarmboyBill · #8 04/26/14, 02:53 PM

If you just cut it, ital. take more wood to help get it burnt than what it weighs itself. IF you wait 6 mos to burn it, and have already cut it in sections, ital. split easier, and burn hot. But its bad for throwing sparks.

ErinP · #9 04/26/14, 04:12 PM

In my experience, cottonwood burns fast and hot.
And fast.

Because it's the most common tree (and they're forever falling over or losing limbs), cottonwood is probably the most common firewood on the prairies.

unregistered358967 · #10 04/26/14, 05:44 PM

I was happily tending the fire all day- nice to be warm. It did burn really hot! In between cleaning out the junk from the koi pond it was nice to warm up

buffalocreek · #11 04/27/14, 08:43 AM

My neighbor down the road sells cottonwood for firewood all year round. I don't know what he gets for it but he apparently finds someone to buy it. I wouldn't.

HuskyBoris · #12 04/27/14, 06:27 PM

I mainly burn ash but I mix poplar in with it along with some pine,cherry,apple and what ever else I can scrounge up including construction scraps but then again I am frugle or as my wife says ,,,cheap

warcloud3-1 · #13 04/28/14, 12:14 AM

Not a good wood at all, but, hey, my motto....if it's free, burn it!!

hercsmama · #14 04/28/14, 01:45 AM

We have tons of it, free for the cutting on our property. We use it to get the fire going, then add ash, or whatever hardwoods we have. It does burn hot, and fast, so it works great to really get things going quickly.

wwubben · #15 04/28/14, 06:40 AM

Like someone before said-------It throws lots of sparks.

Kasidy · #16 04/28/14, 10:37 AM

Out here on the plains those old cottonwood windbreaks started to mature and die about 25 years ago. We have been using exclusively cottonwood to heat the house for that length of time. As they die and go down we cut and split them. They keep our small (1000 sq ft) house lovely and warm all winter. We just use the propane heater in the spring and fall when the wood fire would make the house too hot.
All these years I have quietly laughed at the "wood snobs" who told me how worthless cottonwood is!