Bigleaf Maple

8 thoughts on “Bigleaf Maple”

1. I have been burning big leaf maple for over 30 years and have found it to be as every bit as good as a wood such as oak or madrone. It may not exactly rival the btu’s of these woods, but it is darn near close from the heat yield that I have had from it. It is a beautiful wood to cut, it splits very well, it dries relatively quick, and the heat penetration that it gives off is incredible. In my opinion, it is a very underestimated wood, as most people prefer primarly the two aforementioned woods above.

2. I second the notion that bigleaf is underrated. Not the densest stuff out there but an excellent all-around firewood, usable for anything from kindling to hard-core heating purposes. Seasons nicely and splits well.

3. I am having a hard time telling woods apart can you help example I already have the book trees in Canada a little to advanced is there something easier thanks

4. One of the nice thing about big leaf maple over woods like oak and madrone is it is easier to get going in the fire place. I put a small chunk of madrona in our fire place and it took me a half hour to get it burning and producing heat vs bigleaf maple would take 10 minutes or less to produce heat( although that chunk of madrona with no knots, it burned for a our and half and a peace of maple might burn for a half hour or less). But big leaf maple is a good firewood and produces great heat. I have put huge chunks with big knots in them and in a old fashioned, wood guzzling fireplace, they burn for up to four hours!!! Those fireplaces are like a 5 mpg truck as far as wood consumption.

5. Another cheer for Big Leaf Maple. I’m burning my first cord, and couldn’t be happier. It takes a little effort to get it going, but once combusting, it burns long and hot and clean. And it splits like a dream. A lot cheaper than oak or Madron, or other high BTU hardwoods, too. I live in southwest Oregon, and heat my 1.500 s.f. house entirely with an Englander wood stove located in the living room. It’s 34 degrees F. outside tonight, and we’re toasty warm with Maple logs. My wood supplier is a local logger, and this is what he burns at home.

6. I am burning nicely seasoned big leaf maple in my fireplace insert right this very minute.

   My property is covered with big leaf maple trees so since it grows so fast, it is just about an inexhaustible source of excellent firewood. People who turn their noses up at big leaf maple firewood are making a mistake. I love it, it’s easy to split, stacks nicely, and when nicely seasoned, just about cooks me out of the house.

   Along with Bigleaf Maple, I have heated my home with White Oak, Oregon Ash (an OUTSTANDING firewood), Black Locust , Madrone, Red Alder, Douglas Fir and, various species of Pine. All have their own qualities and seasoning times. But since Bigleaf Maple is so readily available for me, I use it a lot and it performs very, very well.

7. Maple in our area of Western Oregon is plentiful and as a firewood is our very favorite. Other woods we cut and burn are alder, myrtle, wild cheery and small amounts of softwood (i.e. fir, cedar). Maple splits well, dries well and starts well when lighting a fire (usually with cedar or fir kindling). It is far easier to split than myrtle, grows taller and straighter which means straighter grains (easier splitting). Alder does ok but it does not produce nearly as much heat and has a strong tendency to mildew if stacked even the least damp. Wild cheery is better than alder but very hard to split (the bark forms bands around the wood unlike almost any other wood). Only Madrone is better than maple in our area of W.O. but is very scarce in comparison and never easy to find in quantity.

8. I grew up in Southeast Alaska and never saw a maple tree until I visited my grandma in Oregon.