Tree of Heaven for firewood

[David Wayne]

AKA ailanthus altissima What does this compare to, is it worth cutting for firewood

Thanks David

 

[ponyexpress976]

It's shoulder season wood at best...goes up like a fart in a stiff wind. Good for getting the fire going really quick. If the price is right (free, with property owner helping you load) and its close to home, grab it. If an oak/hickory/locust is available 30 miles away get that first. It can smell like burning turds.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

I use it in the brush piles, I'd rather burn particleboard in my OWB than heavenwood IMO..

 

[tomtrees58]

that is junk we chip it and dump the bigstuf

 

[David Wayne]

Thanks guys, my BIL was cutting one that had fell we just hauled it to the curb

 

[John Clark]

I must take issue with much of what has been said about Ailanthus

Ever notice how young walnut has white wood in the small to medium branches? And the white wood is worthless to burn? Well, that is ailanthus. If you are out there trying to burn small ailanthus, then you aren't going to get your "money'sworth" out of it. If, on the other hand, you have a big 4 foot diameter monster, that blows down one windy day, you are in luck. The, shall we say, heartwood on these things burns very well, puts out a lot of heat and does NOT stink. The trees themselves (leaves etc.) DO stink, but the mature wood does not. It is heavy, splits easy, dries easy, and does not rot if kept dry.

Species Higher Heating Value
(btu/lb.)
Ailanthus altissima 8,171 - 8,452
White Ash 8,246 - 8,920
Sugar Maple 8,190
Red Oak 8,037 - 8,690
Hickory 8,039 - 8,670
White Oak 8,169 - 8,810
Beech 8,151 - 8,760
Hemlock 8,885

This table is from: www.dof.virginia.gov/.../pub_Ailanthus-Control-and-Utilization.pdf

I would compare it favorably (as firewood) with White Ash. All this anecdotal talk about it being like burning paper must be based on burning the light weight branches, because the large trunk wood is quite useful as firewood.

 

[lone wolf]

Ever notice how young walnut has white wood in the small to medium branches? And the white wood is worthless to burn? Well, that is ailanthus. If you are out there trying to burn small ailanthus, then you aren't going to get your "money'sworth" out of it. If, on the other hand, you have a big 4 foot diameter monster, that blows down one windy day, you are in luck. The, shall we say, heartwood on these things burns very well, puts out a lot of heat and does NOT stink. The trees themselves (leaves etc.) DO stink, but the mature wood does not. It is heavy, splits easy, dries easy, and does not rot if kept dry.

Species Higher Heating Value
(btu/lb.)
Ailanthus altissima 8,171 - 8,452
White Ash 8,246 - 8,920
Sugar Maple 8,190
Red Oak 8,037 - 8,690
Hickory 8,039 - 8,670
White Oak 8,169 - 8,810
Beech 8,151 - 8,760
Hemlock 8,885

This table is from: www.dof.virginia.gov/.../pub_Ailanthus-Control-and-Utilization.pdf

I would compare it favorably (as firewood) with White Ash. All this anecdotal talk about it being like burning paper must be based on burning the light weight branches, because the large trunk wood is quite useful as firewood.

sounds like you have been around a while .

 

[Toxic2]

Hell of a first post! Very useful info..

we dont have that type of tree around my area but i dont get too picky about what i burn now..I use too but as long as i have room for it i will throw it in a pile and either use it for heating my shop, house, or outdoor bonfire pit to roast marshmallows...

I say if it is free and available to turn to heat burn it..I have people drop wood off at my place all the time and i never refuse it..but that doesnt mean it always make it to my house wood pile

 

[steved]

I found this post looking for some information on burning Tree of Heaven...so forgive the old post resurrection.

Since this post is a couple years old, what's the current thought on Tree of Heaven for firewood? A local guy is giving me trailer loads of it...I have already hauled two cord (full cords, not face cords), and he called me with another two loads ready (each trailer load is a full cord, plus). He is less than 10 minutes from me, access is fairly easy, its already cut to length (more/less), and he helps load it...he doesn't want it since he has access to walnut and oak, for obvious reasons. I have no idea how much he has, but he made the comment about several acres...and this is bigger stuff, nothing under 6 inches in diameter, with some approaching 24 inches.

This is for supplemental heat from a RSF Opal wood stove, and we will be mixing with pine (also free) and hardwood (at this point, 50% ToH, 25% pine, 25% hardwood). We burn daily, and continuous when possible, during the heating season.

Thoughts? Any concerns burning it?

 

[Jredsjeep]

i would be interested to see how it works, i cut up and split probably half a cords worth of it. mine was free with easy access since it was in my flat mowed back yard LOL. its stacked out back now, i figure it could be used in the fire pit if nothing else.

i stacked it off the ground in the sun area so we will see this year if it was worth any of my effort. unfortunatly i have another small grove of these trees to take care of also.

 

[old_soul]

are my eyes working correctly today? Somebody is comparing tree of heaven wood to white ash? This cant be a serious post

if you've ever tried to burn some punky red maple wood, thats how tree of heaven burns.

just smolders away, no coals, not much heat

i don't like to waste any wood either but tree of heaven is a junk wood, chip it up!

 

[autoimage]

even chinese trees are cheap and dont work as they should

 

[turnkey4099]

Originally Posted by John Clark
Ever notice how young walnut has white wood in the small to medium branches? And the white wood is worthless to burn? Well, that is ailanthus. If you are out there trying to burn small ailanthus, then you aren't going to get your "money'sworth" out of it. If, on the other hand, you have a big 4 foot diameter monster, that blows down one windy day, you are in luck. The, shall we say, heartwood on these things burns very well, puts out a lot of heat and does NOT stink. The trees themselves (leaves etc.) DO stink, but the mature wood does not. It is heavy, splits easy, dries easy, and does not rot if kept dry.

Species Higher Heating Value
(btu/lb.)
Ailanthus altissima 8,171 - 8,452
White Ash 8,246 - 8,920
Sugar Maple 8,190
Red Oak 8,037 - 8,690
Hickory 8,039 - 8,670
White Oak 8,169 - 8,810
Beech 8,151 - 8,760
Hemlock 8,885

This table is from: http://www.dof.virginia.gov/.../pub_...tilization.pdf

I would compare it favorably (as firewood) with White Ash. All this anecdotal talk about it being like burning paper must be based on burning the light weight branches, because the large trunk wood is quite useful as firewood.

sounds like you have been around a while .

And gives accurate, useable information instead of repeting old wives tales.

Harry K

 

[Streblerm]

Ever notice how young walnut has white wood in the small to medium branches? And the white wood is worthless to burn? Well, that is ailanthus. If you are out there trying to burn small ailanthus, then you aren't going to get your "money'sworth" out of it. If, on the other hand, you have a big 4 foot diameter monster, that blows down one windy day, you are in luck. The, shall we say, heartwood on these things burns very well, puts out a lot of heat and does NOT stink. The trees themselves (leaves etc.) DO stink, but the mature wood does not. It is heavy, splits easy, dries easy, and does not rot if kept dry.

Species Higher Heating Value
(btu/lb.)
Ailanthus altissima 8,171 - 8,452
White Ash 8,246 - 8,920
Sugar Maple 8,190
Red Oak 8,037 - 8,690
Hickory 8,039 - 8,670
White Oak 8,169 - 8,810
Beech 8,151 - 8,760
Hemlock 8,885

This table is from: http://www.arboristsite.com/firewoo....../pub_Ailanthus-Control-and-Utilization.pdf

I would compare it favorably (as firewood) with White Ash. All this anecdotal talk about it being like burning paper must be based on burning the light weight branches, because the large trunk wood is quite useful as firewood.

JC missed something important in that chart. It is comparing wood btus per pound, not by volume. All wood has pretty much the same Btus per pound. The problem with TOH other than that it stinks when you burn it (and it does) is that it will take 3 times as many pieces to equal that pound as it will with something like ash, hickory, or oak.

I have burned TOH before and I will probably burn it again but there is no way it compares to ash or other hardwoods in BTUs per cord. It is light when green and even lighter when dry. I have never seen one 4' DBH as the wood is weak and usually the tree fails long before they get that big.

I would much rather burn pine. But I would take it if it was free and easy to get.

 

[stihly dan]

TOH tends to be a city tree imported and planted. Most that I have seen have been huge. Not many, if any in the woods here.

 

[GeeVee]

Originally Posted by John Clark
Ever notice how young walnut has white wood in the small to medium branches? And the white wood is worthless to burn? Well, that is ailanthus. If you are out there trying to burn small ailanthus, then you aren't going to get your "money'sworth" out of it. If, on the other hand, you have a big 4 foot diameter monster, that blows down one windy day, you are in luck. The, shall we say, heartwood on these things burns very well, puts out a lot of heat and does NOT stink. The trees themselves (leaves etc.) DO stink, but the mature wood does not. It is heavy, splits easy, dries easy, and does not rot if kept dry.

Species Higher Heating Value
(btu/lb.)
Ailanthus altissima 8,171 - 8,452
White Ash 8,246 - 8,920
Sugar Maple 8,190
Red Oak 8,037 - 8,690
Hickory 8,039 - 8,670
White Oak 8,169 - 8,810
Beech 8,151 - 8,760
Hemlock 8,885

This table is from: http://www.dof.virginia.gov/.../pub_...tilization.pdf

I would compare it favorably (as firewood) with White Ash. All this anecdotal talk about it being like burning paper must be based on burning the light weight branches, because the large trunk wood is quite useful as firewood.



And gives accurate, useable information instead of repeting old wives tales.

Harry K

And hasn't been seen since....


I spent a bunch of time in the Green Industry, and message boards perpetuated myths and wives tales as bad as any.

One of my signature lines went something like....

Just because a plant or turf works good for you in your temperate zone, don't be a know it all when you have a limited field of vision.

Same with wood, and burning. You have to allow for temperate climate, factor ones ability and capability, skills and resources, desire and need, and make allowance for all kinds of socio-cultural and economic variables.

In other words-

Walk a mile. A thousand dollars might seem like a lot of money to one, and be pocket change next to the lint, to the next.

 

[steved]

It is light when green and even lighter when dry. I have never seen one 4' DBH as the wood is weak and usually the tree fails long before they get that big.

I would much rather burn pine. But I would take it if it was free and easy to get.

This stuff green is heavier than any oak I have dealt with? And like I said, some of this is 24"D.

I have not seen this standing, only cut up. The owner originally told me it was Sumac, but it does not match any description for Sumac. It has every characteristic of ToH. I'll get some pictures tomorrow.

 

[woodchuck357]

Back in the 'ole days

some folks planted groves of tree of heaven with the idea of a fast growing firewood supply.

 

[Impalervlad]

A friend offered me four cords of TOH split and stacked at my house. I took it and burned it but, the four cords went up in smoke like two cords. I was constantly feeding the stove and it wouldn't sustain an overnight burn. Some of the wood got wet and got punky real quick.
So, like previously stated, if it's free, take it and burn it. But I wouldn't pay for it and I wouldn't go out of my way to get it unless I was desperate.

 

[steved]

Again, not my first choice for firewood; but free is good...so does it really matter if I burn twice as much? If the other place comes through, I have a big source of free Christmas trees (on steroids), which I believe are mostly white pine.

Here are pictures of what I have...the big stuff is buried in the pile. I would say most of it averages 8-12 inches.

One trailer load:

Closeups:

Notice how its gotten moldy? That's even sitting out in the cold air.