In short: Dry wood matters more than species. Burn logs at 20% moisture or less, the limit England sets for wood sold in small loads, since a fresh log has about half the energy of a seasoned one. Once dry, denser hardwoods give more heat per log. UK sellers mostly stock ash, birch and oak; US sellers stock oak, hickory and maple.
What makes a good firewood?
- Moisture content - by far the biggest factor. Water in the wood has to boil off before the wood burns, so wet logs smoulder, make smoke and tar the flue. Well-seasoned logs can have roughly twice the heat value of green logs (Forest Research, Wood as Fuel, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
- Density. Kilo for kilo, dry wood of different species holds very similar energy - Forest Research says the difference between species is "usually extremely small". But a cubic metre of dense hardwood weighs more than a cubic metre of softwood, so buying by volume, you get more heat from hardwood (Forest Research, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
- Burning behaviour. Because of their resins, softwoods tend to smoke and spark more and produce more creosote, the tar that builds up in chimneys (Nebraska Extension, G1554, accessed 01-Oct-2026). They are still useful: softwoods light easily and are often cheaper (Forest Research), which makes them good kindling.
Firewood people actually buy, by country
Densities below are The Wood Database's average dried weight at 12% moisture content; real logs vary by around 10% either way (The Wood Database, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Each species links to its AnyOneWood fact sheet.
United Kingdom and Ireland
Our check of five UK log sellers' ranges (01-Oct-2026) found kiln-dried ash, birch and oak stocked by all five. Beech, sycamore, alder, hornbeam and softwood (larch, spruce) appeared less often, usually as cheaper or mixed loads.
| Species | Type | Density at 12% MC (kg/m3) | Notes | Fact sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak (European) | Hardwood | 675 | Dense; needs long drying | Oak |
| Beech | Hardwood | 710 | Dense | Beech |
| Ash | Hardwood | 680 | Naturally low moisture when green (Forest Research) | Ash |
| Birch (silver) | Hardwood | 640 | Birch | |
| Sycamore | Hardwood | 615 | Sycamore | |
| Alder | Hardwood | 535 | Lighter hardwood | Alder |
| Larch | Softwood | 575 | Densest common softwood | Larch |
| Spruce | Softwood | 405 | Kindling | Spruce |
United States and Canada
US log sellers we checked all offered oak and hickory. University extension figures show why: a cord of dry white oak gives about 29.1 million BTU, against 15.5 for spruce (Nebraska Extension, G1554, Table I, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
| Species | Density at 12% MC (kg/m3) | Heat per dry cord (million BTU) | Fact sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| White oak | 755 | 29.1 | White Oak |
| Shagbark hickory | 800 | 27.5 | Hickory |
| Apple | 830 | 27.0 | Apple |
| Hard (sugar) maple | 705 | 25.5 ("maple, other") | Maple |
| Red oak | 700 | 24.6 | Red Oak |
| Black cherry | 560 | 20.4 | Cherry |
| Spruce | - | 15.5 | Spruce |
Heat values: Nebraska Extension G1554, Table I. Apple and cherry are mostly sold in small amounts for cooking and smoking.
Australia
Every Australian firewood seller we checked (01-Oct-2026) sold red gum, priced by the tonne; box and blue gum were also listed. Jarrah is a dense West Australian eucalypt that is also burned locally.
| Species | Density at 12% MC (kg/m3) | Fact sheet |
|---|---|---|
| River red gum | 870 | - |
| Jarrah | 835 | Jarrah |
| Tasmanian blue gum | 820 | Blue Gum |
| Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) | 730 | Black Wattle |
What you get for your money
- UK - look for "Ready to Burn". In England, wood sold for home burning in units under 2 cubic metres must be certified at 20% moisture or less and carry the Ready to Burn logo. Larger loads can be sold wet, but must come with a notice telling you to dry them, for at least two years (SI 2020/1095, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
- Ask what a "load" means. Most UK suppliers sell by the "load", so ask whether it is measured by weight or volume, whether the logs are green or seasoned, and whether delivery is included (Forest Research, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Logs thrown loose into a bag take up more space than the same wood stacked.
- Buying by weight means paying for water. Green wood is heavy: a cord of white oak weighs about 5,573 lb green but 4,200 lb dry (Nebraska Extension, Table I, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Green logs are cheaper, but you have to store and dry them yourself (Forest Research).
- US - the cord is the legal unit. In California a cord must equal 128 cubic feet (for example 4 x 4 x 8 ft), and terms such as "face cord", "rack", "truckload" or "pile" have no legal meaning. Get an invoice showing the seller, date, quantity and price (CDFA, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Rules vary by state.
- Australia - check the source. A legitimate seller can tell you where the wood came from and will give you a tax receipt with a business name and ABN. Wood sold cheaply on social media or at roadside stalls may have been taken illegally from state forests (Victoria State Government, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
Browse firewood, briquettes and log burner kit from sellers on Wooduburn.
What happens if you just cut a tree down for firewood?
- You get green wood, not firewood. A fresh green log has only around half the energy of a well-seasoned one, and it will smoulder and tar the flue until it is dried (Forest Research, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Plan on one to two years of drying before you burn it (see Seasoning below).
- UK - you may need permission. In England you need a Forestry Commission felling licence to fell more than 5 cubic metres of growing trees in a calendar quarter (of which you may sell no more than 2), and felling without one is an offence (GOV.UK, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Trees in gardens, orchards, churchyards and public open spaces are exempt from the licence, but trees under a Tree Preservation Order or in a conservation area need your council's consent or notice first (GOV.UK, Tree felling: getting permission, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
- Australia - public land has permits. In NSW you need a permit to collect firewood in river red gum reserves, felling trees is prohibited, and the wood is for your own use only (NSW NPWS, accessed 01-Oct-2026). In Victoria, firewood from state forests is for personal use only, and native trees on private land generally need a council permit (Victoria State Government, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
- US - don't move it far. Firewood can carry tree-killing insects and diseases. Buy it where you burn it, or buy certified heat-treated firewood (Don't Move Firewood, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
Processing your own logs needs kit: see log splitters, saw horses and log stores on Wooduburn.
Seasoning: how to dry firewood
- Split it. If you can, split logs to under 10 cm across so moisture can escape from the centre (Forest Research, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
- Stack it off the ground, top covered, sides open, in a sunny, windy spot (Forest Research; US EPA, accessed 01-Oct-2026). Covering the sides traps moisture (US EPA).
- Give it time - longer in a damp climate. The legal notice on wet wood in England says "at least two years" (the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020, Schedule 2), and Forest Research says reaching 20% by air drying is "likely to take two summers or more". In drier climates, US guidance gives at least six months (US EPA), or six to 12 months (Nebraska Extension).
- Test before you burn. Radial cracks and bark that comes away easily are signs of dry wood (Forest Research). Seasoned wood is also darker, lighter and sounds hollow when knocked together (US EPA). Best of all, use a moisture meter on a freshly split face and aim for 20% or less (the same Regulations, Schedule 2).
A ventilated log store makes this easier - see the log stores on Wooduburn.
What not to burn
Don't burn painted, coated or pressure-treated wood, plywood, chipboard or anything with glue in it, driftwood, or wet, rotten or mouldy wood. Never burn household rubbish or plastics (US EPA, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
Smoke control areas: many parts of the UK are smoke control areas, where wood can only be burned in a Defra-approved (exempt) appliance. In England, inside a smoke control area you may have to pay a penalty of up to £300 if your chimney releases smoke, and you can be fined up to £1,000 for buying unauthorised fuel to use in an appliance that isn't Defra-approved (GOV.UK, accessed 01-Oct-2026).
Hardwood or softwood for the fire?
Hardwoods (broadleaved trees) are usually denser than softwoods (conifers), so a tonne of hardwood logs takes up less space and burns longer between top-ups (Forest Research, accessed 01-Oct-2026). On AnyOneWood's live fact sheets (01-Oct-2026), the median hardwood weighs about 670 kg/m3 and the median softwood about 515 kg/m3. A common approach is softwood to start the fire and hardwood to keep it going. See hardwood vs softwood.
Questions people ask
What is the hottest wood to burn? Per kilo of dry wood, species differ very little (Forest Research). Per load or per log, the densest dry hardwoods give the most heat. Among woods commonly sold, that means oak, hickory and red gum - for example, white oak gives about 29.1 million BTU per dry cord (Nebraska Extension). Dryness matters more than any of these.
Is black wattle good firewood? Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) is a fairly dense hardwood, about 730 kg/m3 at 12% moisture (The Wood Database, accessed 01-Oct-2026), so like other dense hardwoods it burns well once seasoned. See the black wattle fact sheet.
Is blue gum good firewood? Tasmanian blue gum is dense, about 820 kg/m3 at 12% moisture (The Wood Database), and appears on Australian sellers' lists. Season it well before burning. See the blue gum fact sheet.
Is willow good firewood? Willow is light - about 400 kg/m3 for white willow at 12% moisture (The Wood Database) - and low-density hardwoods like willow burn quickly and give less heat per cord (Nebraska Extension). It is fine once dry, but you will get through more of it. See the willow fact sheet.
How much does a cubic metre of firewood weigh? That depends on species, moisture and how the logs are stacked. See WooduWeigh's firewood weight guide and calculator.
This article was created by a human, written with some help from AI and edited by a human.
