Willow trees are grandiloquent , deciduous Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that may reach elevation of 30–80 feet and have a spread of 20–35 feet due to their gracefully arching branches . Native to the continents of Europe , Asia , and America , the tree ’ Ellen Price Wood has been adapted for many applications , including medicine and the manufacture of article of furniture , crates , and instruments . While its woodwind is notable for various uses , is it good for firewood ?
Is Willow Good for Firewood?
When see for firewood , willow tree in all likelihood should n’t be your first choice . This is because even after seasoning , it acquire small heat and burn off out tight , like paper . It also produce soot and hummer . However , if you pass to have willow wood just lying around on your property , you should n’t let it go to waste . you may break up it and let it dry over a few month so that you may use it later as firewood .
Heat Output
The amount of heat an objective can put up is its heat output . This is particularly crucial when limit whether to use sure woods as fuel .
In the case of willow tree , it produces 17.6 million BTUs per cord , which is rather low compared to other character of Grant Wood . It produces about as much hotness as spruce , chestnut , cottonwood , or alder tree . But less heat compared to hardwood like Osage orange and oak .
As such , Willow firewood is more preferred for kindling or in the articulatio humeri seasons when it ’s not as parky .
Smoke
Willow bring out little hummer , so you do n’t have to be too worried when building a fire out of it . Regardless , if you have any external respiration complications or allergy , it ’s advisable to burn up it in an assailable setting with enough airflow .
Like any form of firewood , willow woodwind instrument must be well temper before being used . If the Ellen Price Wood is green , it means that it still has high water content and will in all likelihood bring about a lot of roll of tobacco when burned . Also , it wastes a lot of energy on superfluous processes like evaporating water alternatively of warm the infinite .
Sparks
Willow firewood scarce ever sparks or pops . It ’s preferable to ache or mulberry , both of which tend to spark a lot . That eliminates the potential drop for embers to stain the carpet or start an undesirable fire .
Despite willow ’s scurvy sparking tendencies , anyone using it for firewood , even in an receptive area , should be thrifty . This is because a individual spark could start out a huge flaming .
Coal Production
Another agent that determines whether firewood is suitable is its coal property . More efficient coaling means the heat will last longer . Another plus is that you wo n’t have to constantly append Sir Henry Wood to the attack .
However , like pine or boxelder , willow tree burns quickly when used as coal , place it at the bottom of the rankings . It ca n’t even be compared to beech or oak , which lean to last longer . In the morning , you ’ll have to commence again with the fire since the coal will have burned out overnight .
Creosote Buildup
Creosote is a dark , tar - like substance that accumulates on the chimney ’s inner lining as smoke and embers go up inside the flue .
As long as the firewood has been decent flavor , it should not generate excessive creosote . Willow emits a lot of creosote while immature , but it ’s not excessive once it ’s all dry .
How Long Does It Take To Season Willow?
It read around six months of hot , ironical weather for willow to become usable . If you live in a plastered , stale surface area , the wood needs at least a yr to dry out out . One trouble is that it may rot before completely drying out , and as such , it ’s advocate that you split it before starting the drying mental process .
Useful Tips for Seasoning
Try these simple methods to hasten the seasoning of your willow .
Is Willow Firewood Expensive?
Willow is n’t a typical furniture wood in the United States , although it seems to be plentiful . Prices are anticipated to be relatively sane across its innate chain .
Sap Content
All willow species have a lot of watery or milklike bark sap . The sap is high in salicylic acid , a plant life hormone that aids plants in their defense against disease . Tree saps gamy in salicylic acid have long been used to alleviate fever , toothaches , and other types of irritation . Aspirin , a painfulness fireman , is derive from salicylic pane extracted from willow bark and leave .
Burning willow tree barque with sap is n’t grave , but more sap match more smoke , indicating that the wood postulate further seasoning .
How Does Willow Firewood Smell When Burning?
It has been observed that most someone do not like the olfactory modality of burning willow firewood , and some even believe it smells bad . However , the wood heating plant scale maintained by Utah State University submit otherwise , as it rates the perfume just balmy . Other mass in the main do n’t mind its smell .
Whether or not you observe willow appealing count mostly on the diverseness and your own diagonal . When burnt , the more common form , Weeping Willow , releases an scent evocative of urine . But red willow has a considerably more pleasing aroma , and when used to fume essence and fish , it may even give a sweet-smelling discernment .
How to Distinguish a Willow Tree
Willow tree have many miscellanea , which all look different ; these three are the most usually make love .
Weeping Willow
One of the most easily accredit species , the pee - love weeping willow tree ( Salix babylonica ) , has a short root word and swag branches that usually extend to the ground . They may reach heights of 30–70 feet and have long , serrated leaf that are smooth on the underside .
Pussy Willows
Also known as Salix caprea , these are low - lie shrubs that typically top out at about 25 feet in altitude . The bottom of their leaves are white , and they both have big , downy catkins .
Crack Willow
From 50 - 80 feet in height , the crack willow ( Salix fragilis ) is easily realize by its dark brown , extremely wrinkled bark . It also has sensationalistic , thin twigs and 2 - to 6 - in - farsighted minute leaf .
Pros and Cons of Willow Firewood
Pros
Cons
Ease of Chopping
Most willow tree rounds can be easily split with a standard ax and do not need special equipment . Although , wood that has many burl and fork will be more unmanageable to separate .
If you come across any particularly unmanageable logs , you may want to put off separate the wood until a frosty morning , when it ’s gentle to do so . Using a eminent - quality splitting axe or maul can also save you time and effort .
Can You Eat the Willow Tree?
While all willows can be eat , not all of them are tasty . Vitamin C levels in the leaves are seven to ten times high than in oranges . And many indigenous hoi polloi used to down the inner bark , but these Clarence Day nobody seems to trouble oneself with the extra exertion required .
How Invasive Are Willow Trees?
The racy , intrusive , shallow roots of cry willow trees may prolong up to three metre the tree ’s height and width ( from the trunk to the canopy ) . The roots of weeping willow trees are also notorious for make for mayhem on underground base , including water pipe , sewage pipes , and plumbing .
