# Fastest growing tree.



## ggans (Jan 21, 2010)

If you could grow your own what would be the fastest growing tree that could be used for firewood..


----------



## berlin (Jan 21, 2010)

black locust.

http://www.winrock.org/fnrm/factnet/factpub/FACTSH/R_pseudoacacia.html

http://ablacklocustconnection.com/about.htm


----------



## wolfram (Jan 21, 2010)

I'll second:  Black Locust, depending on where you live.  It's pretty fast here in NY.  

However, since you asked about "fastest", and BTU content is approx constant, dry pound for dry pound, check out the hybrid poplars.  Firewood in 5-7 years.  Inferior material perhaps, but FAST.  And the stumps will sprout after cutting.


----------



## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 21, 2010)

Do NOT plant the Poplars anywhere near the house, septic system/underground utilities, or anywhere you plan to use a mower!

The leaves come down VERY late (i.e. on top of the snow) and the roots come up through the soil.

Oh, yeah, plus the wood sucks. Wouldn't that be the theory behind fast growth?

Stick with Black Locust. I plant more every year


----------



## kestrel (Jan 21, 2010)

This is sort of unrelated to this thread but on a similar note, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, we planted some eucalyptus.  You should have seen that stuff grow.  Within a year the trees were over your head.  In 2-3 years you had a 20 ft. tree.  

Some people were upset that we planted Eucalyptus because it wasn't native but the idea was to plant it as a firewood tree (for cooking) to take the pressure off the remaining native forests where the people were harvesting wood.


----------



## savageactor7 (Jan 21, 2010)

The fastest growing tree we have here are Poplar ...it's not high on the BTU scale but they're easy takes to harvest much like the straight growing and short limbed ash. Because they grow straight there are more of them in comparison to other candidate trees in the same available foot print or acreage. <----I read that in Mother Earth back in the day. 

We burn a lot of it only cause it's right out back...it gets better mileage with the newer stoves. But if your the type that always clocking the stove for long burns Poplar is not for you.


----------



## smokinj (Jan 21, 2010)

Ash does very well.


----------



## wolfram (Jan 21, 2010)

ISee, you say that "the wood sucks" regarding the hybrid poplars?  Do you mean that it has a lower BTU content?  Or is there something else about the wood that sucks?

Dry pound for dry pound, all of our typical hardwoods are +/-5% in BTU content.  For example,

Black Locust: 6,900 BTU per pound
Poplar:  6,400 BTU per pound

Not much difference at all for seasoned firewood.  Now, of course, poplar BTUs are harder on the back while gathering in the forest since you will need to haul more embedded water...But after seasoning, they all have about the same energy content.

I wonder if one calculated BTUs per planted acre per year what tree species (available to us in the USA) would be at the top of the list.  Hybrid Poplars might be at the top.  I don't know.


----------



## smokinj (Jan 21, 2010)

wolfram said:
			
		

> ISee, you say that "the wood sucks" regarding the hybrid poplars?  Do you mean that it has a lower BTU content?  Or is there something else about the wood that sucks?
> 
> Dry pound for dry pound, all of our typical hardwoods are +/-5% in BTU content.  For example,
> 
> ...



it will take alot more poplar to get a pound


----------



## Troutchaser (Jan 21, 2010)

Some of my five year old black locusts are as big around as my calf.  Others are about the size of my arm.  But man they are growing fast.  I'm already thinking some growing in the most productive spots will be ready to harvest in another five to ten years.  And they spread by roots so you shouldn't run out of them.  Not to mention they start to seed at age five.

I've also planted sawtooth oaks that can nearly keep up with them if you don't mind killing the weeds down around them in the spring.
Six year old pitchXloblolly pines are as big as my calf as well.
The life of the white ash is limited with the borer invastion.  At least in IN.
Black cherry does pretty good on its own too.  

BTW- I'm 5'10 and 170lbs.


----------



## FLINT (Jan 21, 2010)

smokinjay said:
			
		

> it will take alot more poplar to get a pound



my thought exactly, a dry stick of locust weights a whole lot more than a dry stick of poplar.  sometimes it seems like dry locust hardly weighs less than green locust.  

anyways, yes, locust does grow pretty darn quick in western virginia - it forms a lot of the fence rows in the shenandoah valley, and if you can get a grove of it growing, it will keep sprouting up on its own as you cut them down.  

however, it doesnt do well with competition for light - so don't try to plant it in the woods - you need to plant it in a field.  its an early successional species - so if you want a pure grove of it, it might take some maintenance.


----------



## fire_man (Jan 21, 2010)

ISeeDeadBTUs said:
			
		

> Do NOT plant the Poplars anywhere near the house, septic system/underground utilities, or anywhere you plan to use a mower!
> 
> The leaves come down VERY late (i.e. on top of the snow) and the roots come up through the soil.
> 
> ...



I don't understand this comment. Even softer hardwoods have their place in a burn cycle - they are good for some quick, short term heat when you don't want to build up the coal base. Like when you want to stretch a burn cycle from a long daytime burn to a long nite time burn, use soft woods *between* the burn cycles. Oak and Locust generate great long-term heat, but they take forever for the coals to burn down, softer woods still give heat but burn down quicker so you can be ready for a full-reload at bedtime.


----------



## Adios Pantalones (Jan 21, 2010)

Locust grows fast and will grow well on marginal land without fertilizer because it's a legume.  A little organic matter and it's off to the races.  Very dense.


----------



## r_d_gard (Jan 21, 2010)

kestrel said:
			
		

> This is sort of unrelated to this thread but on a similar note, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, we planted some eucalyptus.  You should have seen that stuff grow.  Within a year the trees were over your head.  In 2-3 years you had a 20 ft. tree.
> 
> Some people were upset that we planted Eucalyptus because it wasn't native but the idea was to plant it as a firewood tree (for cooking) to take the pressure off the remaining native forests where the people were harvesting wood.



But Gum trees, that's what Eucalyptus is called in Australia, don't grow in cold weather.  Of the 600 different varieties only half a dozen or so grow in the highlands or snow country.  These trees are all very short and wirey.  The tall Eucalyptus which you refer to are great to burn, very hard wood, burns hot and long and can survive one complete felling.  In Australia the timber companies have leases with the farmers to utilize unused paddocks to plant the fast growing Gum trees, the leases are for 40 years and the get 2 full cuts from the same tree.  I would like it if I could get my hands on Eucalyptus here in the states, yet I would have to be in California for that.  Or I suppose I could ship it in from home

A bit of a rant, sorry

Ray


----------



## Bigg_Redd (Jan 21, 2010)

FLINT said:
			
		

> smokinjay said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That's because it doesn't.  Lucust is very very low MC so it loses very little weight as it dries.



I third or 4th Locust.  Nothing that is worth a sh_t grows faster.  And as it turns out it's as good as firewood gets.


----------



## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 21, 2010)

wolfram said:
			
		

> ISee, you say that "the wood sucks" regarding the hybrid poplars?  Do you mean that it has a lower BTU content?  Or is there something else about the wood that sucks?
> 
> Dry pound for dry pound, all of our typical hardwoods are +/-5% in BTU content.  For example,
> 
> ...



How far West in NY and how much Black locust ya got?

Cause if you believe they're about equal, I'll trade ya cord for cord. Sometimes ya gotta put the books down and actually try some of this stuff. Then you'll stop singin the praises of Aspen.


----------



## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 21, 2010)

fire_man said:
			
		

> ISeeDeadBTUs said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



First off, don't try to understand my comments. Can't be done.

Second off. . . . Do you guys with stoves really have to fuss around as much as some of you talk?!?? :roll:  'Cause where I come from, we try to maximize BTU per effort input. A piece of Oak the same size as a piece of Aspen take up the same amount of space in the combustion chamber (and wagon, FEL, wheelbarrow, etc). But the Oak will produce heat for, say, twice as long. Hopefully its obvious I'd rather make one trip to get wood versus two for the same heat.


Oh, BTW . . .someone asked where I get my Black Locust seedlings . . . I get it through my local Soil & water conservation office.


----------



## Danno77 (Jan 21, 2010)

ISeeDeadBTUs said:
			
		

> Oh, BTW . . .someone asked where I get my Black Locust seedlings . . . I get it through my local Soil & water conservation office.


for free, for low cost? I was gonna try to transplant some trees from one location in the timber to another, but this kills one step if it's cheap/free.....


----------



## wolfram (Jan 21, 2010)

ISee, thanks for the clarification.  You're right, and I mentioned above, that more effort will be used up handling poplar.  Poplar is less dense than black locust.

Also, I never mentioned that they were near equal in BTUs "cord for cord."  It's "dry pound for dry pound."  Yep, poplar is less dense.  Yep, you gotta gather a lot more poplar for the same BTUs.  But so what if it grows the fastest and you like to play in the woods?

I don't burn much poplar.  I was just addressing the OP about planting fast growing trees for firewood.  I still wonder if the hybrid poplars would produce more BTUs per acre per year than some of our other hardwoods under the same growing conditions.  It would be great if a forester would chime in.

The OP is not about the "best" firewood.  It's about planting the fastest growing tree for firewood.  I don't know the answer.


----------



## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 21, 2010)

Just shy of $1 per, but I pick them up in person. Not sure about shipping.


----------



## Battenkiller (Jan 21, 2010)

wolfram said:
			
		

> I wonder if one calculated BTUs per planted acre per year what tree species (available to us in the USA) would be at the top of the list.  Hybrid Poplars might be at the top.  I don't know.



I believe along with most of the pack here that black locust is the winner.  That's the wood that was being pushed here in NY for self-sustaing woodlots.  A friend of mine planted about a thousand black locust seedlings on his property about 20 years ago.  They told him he could start harvesting them in about ten years.  He got real sick with leukemia and stopped burning wood altogether before they ever got big enough to cut.  He's better now, but I haven't seen his place in many years, so I have no idea how big they are at the present.  I imagine they're a nice size.


----------



## TreePapa (Jan 21, 2010)

[quote author="rayza" date="1264113508But Gum trees, that's what Eucalyptus is called in Australia, don't grow in cold weather.  Of the 600 different varieties only half a dozen or so grow in the highlands or snow country.  These trees are all very short and wirey.  The tall Eucalyptus which you refer to are great to burn, very hard wood, burns hot and long and can survive one complete felling.  In Australia the timber companies have leases with the farmers to utilize unused paddocks to plant the fast growing Gum trees, the leases are for 40 years and the get 2 full cuts from the same tree.  I would like it if I could get my hands on Eucalyptus here in the states, yet I would have to be in California for that.  Or I suppose I could ship it in from home

A bit of a rant, sorry

Ray[/quote]

I'd ship you some eukie wood but the frieght would be a bit costly. Eukie burns great and hot and is the most common "hardwood" firewood sold in So. Calif. It also burns really hot in wildfire situations, which, I understand, the Forest Service et. al. is not currently encouraging landowners to plant eukie trees. In any event, a cord of Eukie sells for about $300 ish here. A cord of Oak, over $400. A cord of Pine, about $150. From experience, when pine and eukie are fully seasoned, I would guess that the eukie weighs more than double what the pine does. I picked up a Ranger load of eukie last Fall. It was cut to FP length and prolly about 2 or 3 years old. The homeowner said "It doesn't burn very well" ... duoh! none of it was split, and it was average about 6 to 8 in in dia. Ya' ain't gonna be able to burn an unsplit six inch, dense hardwood log in a fireplace unless you already have a really, really hot fire going. I took the wood home and tried to split it with Thumper (Mega Maul clone). Not much luck. I later rented a splitter and it split realy nice and burns rite nice in the FP, too.

Peace,
- Sequoia


----------



## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 21, 2010)

TreePapa said:
			
		

> Ya' ain't gonna be able to burn an unsplit six inch, dense hardwood log in a fireplace
> . . .
> Peace,
> - Sequoia



Are fireplaces for heat? If not, then is it actually 'Green' to waste biomass resources?

Cause the GW (and, I suspect, every other boiler represented here) would laugh at those 6"hardwood rounds while heating the entire house VSF :lol:


----------



## Danno77 (Jan 21, 2010)

ISeeDeadBTUs said:
			
		

> Just shy of $1 per, but I pick them up in person. Not sure about shipping.


nah, i can just stop by the local office. at least now I know it's worth checking....


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Jan 21, 2010)

On that hybrid poplar:  it is a much different wood than regular poplar. It is a higher moisture content, it stinks to high Heaven, and when it dries (it dries fairly fast) there just is not much to it. A round, say 16" across and cut to 16" would sound like a pretty good log but there is not much weight to it at all once it dries, therefore, it is gopher wood of the worst kind.

Also I highly agree that the darned things grow tremendous roots that tend to grow so that a lot of root is on top of the ground. In addition to that, there will be about 5 times or more of trimming to do because they grow so many limbs.

Finally, do not believe what you read when they say you can have firewood from those things in 5-7 years. Oh you might get some but not much. My advice it to stay away from this junk. Same goes for hybrid elm.


----------



## Wood Duck (Jan 21, 2010)

The OP asked for the fastest growing tree that could be used for firewood. It is the second clause that we're all talking about. The fastest growing trees are hybrid poplars, but they don't make very good firewood. I think for fast firewood, you can't beat Black Locust. it grows fast and is great firewood, but if I was planting any appreciable amount of acreage, I'd plant a mix of species. I would want several things from my trees in addition to firewood. I'd want to attract wildlife, I'd want some evergreens (unless I was in a forest that is mostly evergreen), I'd want the potential for lumber, and I'd most of all want an attractive and interesting forest to look at, walk in and generally enjoy. I'd start with Black Locust, then in between put a mix of other hardwoods and some softwoods, too. Once they get going, most hardwoods grow reasonably fast, and even oaks, which have a reputation for slow growth grow pretty fast in a good location. Softwoods are even faster in many cases. I recommend a nice selection of the trees that are native in your region, plus extra Black locust and a fast-growing softwood that I would plan to selectively thin, leaving them mixed with other trees.


----------



## tpmallofus (Jan 21, 2010)

Locust does not like Ireland, I've tried, for speed of growth I'm bringing on some hybrid willow, originally engineered for commercial biomass ventures. I'm only a year in and the plugs sprouted 6'-10' finger thickness stems. I have about 2,500 plants on about 1/3 -1/2 acre. Plan is to continually coppice and chip for firewood on a 3 year cycle. It certainly is satisfying to see the growth.

Work is being done at the nearby Ag. college on Eucalyptus, (they even have one that smells of lemon balm) to see if they are viable for commercial biofuels in our climate (frost hardiness an issue) but the interest and potential is there.

Other contenders are European, Ash (Fraxinus Excelsior) which grows at a pretty good clip and also takes coppicing well.

(although not the fastest growing) My personal favourite was Red Maple which I had access to when living on Cape Cod MA, split nicely, dried light and had pretty good burn length. I have seeds and will report how they get on....


----------



## FLINT (Jan 21, 2010)

yeah, i was just thinking that maple also grows pretty darn quick.  I'm burning a bunch of silver maple right now, which seems lighter than red maple dry, and that stuff burns really hot, but doesnt last super long.  I'm happy to mix it in though.  I think silver maple grows even faster than red maple.  I think its almost considered a weed in some areas.  I think it prefers wet areas though.


----------



## fire_man (Jan 21, 2010)

ISeeDeadBTUs said:
			
		

> fire_man said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Unfortunately, Some EPA stoves, especially if they are undersized in a drafty old house, have a tendency to build up a big annoying coal base (even with dry wood). The problem happens when you try to stuff too much wood in before the last load burns down. Wood like pine and soft hardwoods reduces this tendency since the coals go quicker to ashes. My old Resolute drafted air directly on the coals, so the coal bed was never a problem. Newer EPA stoves usually bring in air from the top, above the glass - further from the coals. All I'm saying is soft woods sometimes come in handy.


----------



## Jeff S (Jan 22, 2010)

I'm with Wood Duck as far as having a variety of tree's especially in case of some kind of blight or infestation.My neighbors woods is almost 100% Ash that got wiped out by the Emerald Ash borer.Fortunately my property is more diverse with Ash(all dead),Maple,Hickory,White Oak,Black Locust ,Cherry,Hornbeam, birch ,Aspen and even a few Elm that are still surviving.After I remove the Ash I will still have backup wood for years to come.


----------



## Jeff S (Jan 22, 2010)

I'm with Wood Duck as far as having a variety of tree's especially in case of some kind of blight or infestation.My neighbors woods is small but is almost 100% Ash that got wiped out by the Emerald Ash borer.Fortunately my property is more diverse with Ash(all dead),Maple,Hickory,White Oak,Black Locust ,Cherry,Hornbeam, birch ,Aspen and even a few Elm that are still surviving.After I remove the Ash I will still have backup wood for years to come.


----------



## Jeff S (Jan 22, 2010)

Sorry for the double post


----------



## Bigg_Redd (Jan 22, 2010)

Plant Black Locust and variety will follow.  

Monoculture is a myth.


----------



## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 22, 2010)

Plant nothing and birch and Aspen will take over


----------



## pyper (Jan 22, 2010)

Everything you want to know about black locust:

http://www.wildwnc.org/education/trees/black-locust-robinia-pseudoacacia-leguminosae-legume-family

It doesn't sound like it would grow very well at my site.

I don't have much experience with burning wood yet, but I've had oak, silver maple, pine, and flowering pear.

The flowering pear grows fast here, and seems to be pretty heavy & dense when dry. It burns really hot, in comparison to the maple.


----------



## CrawfordCentury (Jan 22, 2010)

Adios Pantalones said:
			
		

> Locust grows fast and will grow well on marginal land without fertilizer because it's a legume.  A little organic matter and it's off to the races.  Very dense.



And just a quick word of caution - locust is kinda the potatoe chips of trees. Ya can't have just one. Once they set their roots in, they set out them runners and little locust saplings crop up all over the place. I'm at war with a locust colony that a previous owner thought would be a swell landscape enhancement.

They're like a plague.

A plague of locust.


----------



## tpmallofus (Jan 22, 2010)

Correct on the invasive nature of locust, always amazed me when mowing the lawn 50' + from a tree to see sturdy suckers piling up through the ground. They do look nice as a group planting / grove about 5-10 years old.

Although locust always burned well for me, it was hell on the saw; the bark on larger trees seems to pick up sand/dirt that just dulls the blade after even a few cuts. Furthermore whenever I burnt it there was a strong smell like burning marijuana, perhaps the wood / bark was still green.

For a better aroma I prefer Cedar which appears to have the best BTU value for its dried weight (comparable to Aspen), generally splits well too. Once established a pretty fast grower

One advantage of Aspen is that it dries fast, six months and its good to go.


----------



## ISeeDeadBTUs (Jan 22, 2010)

Terence said:
			
		

> One advantage of Aspen is that it dries fast, six minutes and it's a good time to go put more wood in the fire.


----------



## tpmallofus (Jan 22, 2010)

Six Minutes, yes very clever.
I could make snide comments about European Aspen over whatever is grown in NY BUT I won't.
How many Aspen burners need to join weight watchers. We are lean chopping machines


----------



## golfandwoodnut (Jan 22, 2010)

I agree that Locust is a good choice for fast growing, hot burning wood.  However, it kind of stinks.  Another good choice may be cherry.  It smells great and is actually one of the first trees to start growing in a cleared piece of land.  That is what happened here when they put in my driveway/road.  Cherry trees popped up everywhere and the forest rangers said that was common because the birds would carry the seeds.  Cherry is a highly prized wood for both burning and selling.  Everyone is getting cherry floors and cabinets now and it smells sweet, seasons quick and burns nice.  Not as hot as Locust but it sure smells alot better.


----------



## Troutchaser (Jan 24, 2010)

And don't discount mulberry.  It too is seeded by birds and will come up if you have any seed trees in the neighborhood.  Grows fast and without fuss.  Not sure on growth rates, but I doubt it's much behind the black locust.

I've reforested ten acres of crop field.  Black locust is great for beginning the process.  Eventually these trees will be taken by insects and will be shaded out by oak, pines, maple, or whatever.  Don't plant a black locust in the yard.


----------

