Why Locust is an Excellent Firewood to Burn

While popular options like oak and maple often take center stage, locust wood makes an equally good firewood that you can burn in your fireplace or wood stove.

In this article, we'll delve into the burning qualities of locust wood, exploring its BTU rating, burn time, ease of splitting, and overall value compared to other common firewood choices to help you determine if it's the right fuel for your needs.

Key Takeaways:

Locust is an excellent firewood.
Offers high BTUs, a long burn time, and excellent coals.
Rivals top-tier firewood like hickory.
Black locust is superior to honey locust.

Locust Wood's BTU Rating
Burn Time and Qualities of Locust Firewood
Black Locust vs. Honey Locust: Is There a Difference?
Splitting and Seasoning Locust Wood
Pros and Cons of Using Locust Firewood
Locust Firewood Compared to Other Popular Choices

Locust Wood's BTU Rating

BTU, or British Thermal Unit, measures the amount of heat energy produced by burning a specific amount of fuel. A higher BTU rating means more heat output, translating to a warmer home and less wood consumed.

Locust wood boasts an impressive BTU rating, generally ranging from 27 to 30 million BTUs per cord, placing it firmly amongst the top-performing firewood species.

This impressive heat output rivals, and even surpasses, that of other popular hardwoods like:

oak (24-28 million BTUs)
and maple (25-27 million BTUs)

This means that locust wood can provide significant warmth, making it a highly efficient choice for heating your home. However, the specific BTU can vary slightly based on the species of locust (black locust or honey locust) and its moisture content.

Burn Time and Qualities of Locust Firewood

Locust firewood offers a unique combination of desirable burning characteristics that make it an excellent firewood:

Long Burn Time: Thanks to its dense structure, locust wood burns slowly and steadily. This means fewer trips outside to restock your wood supply.
Hot and Intense Flames: Locust produces a hot fire, effectively heating your home.
Long-lasting Coals: The coals formed by burning locust retain heat exceptionally well, extending the warmth and making them perfect for overnight burns or even cooking.
Minimal Aroma: Locust wood doesn't have a strong or distinctive smell when burned, a plus for those sensitive to smoky or fragrant woods.
Clean Burning: Locust produces relatively little creosote compared to some other wood types, reducing the risk of chimney fires.

This combination of long burn times, hot flames, and excellent coal production makes locust firewood a highly efficient and desirable heating option.

Black Locust vs. Honey Locust: Is There a Difference?

While both black locust and honey locust trees bear the "locust" name, they have distinct characteristics that affect their suitability as firewood. Understanding these differences is crucial for choosing the best option for your needs.

Black Locust

This is the preferred variety for firewood. Black locust wood is incredibly dense, hard, and rot-resistant. It boasts a high BTU output, burns long and hot, and produces excellent coals. Finding black locust can sometimes be challenging due to its limited availability in some regions.

Honey Locust

Honey locust, while still usable as firewood, isn't as desirable as its black counterpart. It's less dense and has a lower BTU output. While it still burns, it doesn't produce the same long-lasting heat as black locust.

One major drawback of honey locust is the thorns that cover its branches and trunk, making harvesting and processing considerably more challenging.

In short, if you have a choice between the two, opt for black locust for its superior burning qualities.

Splitting and Seasoning Locust Wood

Preparing locust wood for burning involves two key steps: splitting and seasoning. Both are essential for achieving optimal burning efficiency and minimizing smoke.

Splitting

Due to its density, splitting locust wood can be a bit more challenging than splitting softer woods. However, with the right tools and technique, it's certainly manageable.

A splitting maul and a splitting wedge are recommended for tackling tougher pieces.
Smaller pieces can be split with a splitting axe.
Aim for pieces around 4-6 inches in diameter for optimal burning.

While locust wood is dense, it tends to split fairly straight, making the process less frustrating than with some knotty wood species.

Seasoning

Seasoning firewood is crucial for achieving a clean, efficient burn. Green, unseasoned wood contains a high moisture content, which reduces its BTU output and produces excessive smoke.

Locust wood, like all hardwoods, requires proper seasoning. Ideally, locust wood should be seasoned for at least 6-12 months, allowing the moisture content to drop below 20%.

Here are some tips for seasoning locust wood effectively:

Stack it properly:
- Create a well-ventilated stack, allowing air to circulate freely around the wood.
- Avoid stacking directly on the ground to prevent moisture absorption.
- Use pallets or other supports to elevate the wood.
Cover the top: Protect the woodpile from rain and snow with a tarp or other covering. Ensure the sides remain open for ventilation.
Choose a sunny location: If possible, stack the wood in a sunny location to accelerate the drying process.
Use a moisture meter: Periodically check the moisture content of the wood with a moisture meter to ensure it's properly seasoned.

Properly splitting and seasoning your locust wood is essential for maximizing its heat output, minimizing smoke, and enjoying a clean, efficient burn.

Pros and Cons of Using Locust Firewood

Like any firewood option, locust has its advantages and disadvantages. Weighing these pros and cons will help you decide if it's the right choice for your heating needs.

Pros of Locust Firewood

High BTU Output: Locust wood generates significant heat, making it a highly efficient fuel source.
Long Burn Time: Its dense structure allows for a slow and steady burn, reducing the need for frequent refueling.
Excellent Coals: Locust produces long-lasting coals that extend the warmth and are ideal for cooking.
Clean Burning: It produces relatively little creosote, minimizing chimney buildup and fire hazards.
Relatively Easy to Split: While denser than some woods, locust splits fairly straight, simplifying the processing.

Cons of Locust Firewood

Can be Difficult to Find: Depending on your location, sourcing locust firewood might be more challenging than finding other common hardwoods.
May Produce More Smoke than Some Hardwoods: While less smoky than softwoods, locust can produce more smoke than some other hardwoods like hickory or oak, especially if not properly seasoned.
Thorns (Honey Locust): Handling honey locust can be challenging due to the thorns on the branches and trunk.

By carefully considering these pros and cons, you can determine if locust firewood aligns with your heating priorities and resource availability.

Locust Firewood Compared to Other Popular Choices

To fully understand locust firewood's value, let's compare it to other popular hardwood options: oak, maple, and hickory.

Locust vs. Oak

Locust and oak are both high-BTU hardwoods offering long burn times. Locust often boasts slightly higher heat output, while oak may be easier to find depending on your region. Oak generally produces less smoke than locust. Both create good coals, although locust coals tend to last a bit longer.

Locust vs. Maple

Locust significantly outperforms maple in terms of BTU output and burn time. Maple is generally easier to split and readily available, making it a convenient option. However, if heat output and long burns are priorities, locust is the clear winner. Both woods burn relatively cleanly with minimal aroma.

Locust vs. Hickory

Hickory generally holds the crown for highest BTU output, but locust is a close second. Both produce excellent, long-lasting coals. Hickory is known for its distinctive sweet aroma, which some find appealing while others may not. Splitting hickory can be significantly more challenging than splitting locust. Availability for both can be regional.

Related: Is Hickory Good Firewood?

Key Takeaways

BTU Output: Hickory generally edges out locust in terms of BTU output, but locust still outperforms oak and maple.
Burn Time: Locust, oak, and hickory all provide long burn times. Maple burns a bit faster.
Ease of Splitting: Maple is generally the easiest to split, followed by oak and locust. Hickory is notoriously difficult to split.
Coals: Locust and hickory produce the best coals, ideal for extended warmth and cooking.
Aroma: Hickory has a distinctive sweet aroma, while locust, oak, and maple have milder scents.
Availability: Oak and maple are generally more widely available than locust and hickory, which can vary by region.

Locust firewood presents a strong balance of desirable qualities, making it an excellent choice if you can find it. Its high BTU output, long burn time, and excellent coals make it a worthy competitor to even the most popular firewood options.

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