Black locust is an excellent firewood to burn. It boasts an incredibly long burn time, a beautiful flame, and a pleasant aroma, making it one of the top firewoods.
In this guide, we’ll delve into everything you need to know about black locust firewood – from its remarkable benefits to its minor drawbacks and how it compares to other popular firewoods.
What Makes Black Locust an Excellent Firewood:
- Intense Heat: Burns hotter and longer than oak and maple.
- Maximum Burn Time: Enjoy hours of warmth with less reloading.
- Pleasant Aroma: Creates a cozy atmosphere with a subtle scent.
- Rot-Resistant: Store it outdoors with minimal worry.
- Manageable Splitting: Splits easier than other hardwoods.
Table of Contents
- Black Locust Firewood: Key Benefits
- Black Locust Firewood: Potential Drawbacks
- Comparing Black Locust to Other Firewood
Black Locust Firewood: Key Benefits
Black locust firewood earns its reputation thanks to a compelling list of advantages.
High Heat Output
Black locust is a true heat champion, boasting an impressive BTU (British Thermal Unit) rating, typically around 27.9 million BTUs per cord. This surpasses even other popular hardwoods like oak (24-26 million BTUs) and maple (around 25 million BTUs).
This means you'll need less wood to achieve a toasty temperature, making your woodpile last longer.
Long Burn Time
Density is key when it comes to burn time, and black locust is exceptionally dense. This density translates to a slow, steady burn that outlasts many other firewood options.
You can enjoy a warm fire for hours without constantly needing to reload, making it ideal for overnight burns or those chilly evenings when you want to relax by the fire without interruption.
Beautiful Flame and Pleasant Aroma
Beyond its practicality, black locust offers a touch of elegance to your fireplace. It burns with a vibrant, attractive flame and emits a subtle, pleasant aroma, unlike the more pungent smoke of some woods. This makes for a more enjoyable fireside experience.
Related: What Firewood Smells the Best: Our Top Choices
Easy Splitting
While black locust’s density might make you think it’s difficult to split, it's surprisingly manageable. Using a sharp splitting maul or hydraulic splitter, you can conquer this wood without excessive effort.
While not as easy as splitting pine, it's certainly less challenging than some other hardwoods.
Rot Resistance
One of the biggest advantages of black locust is its natural resistance to rot and insect infestation. This means you can store it outdoors with minimal cover, saving you precious storage space and reducing the risk of losing your precious firewood to decay.
Sustainable Choice
Black locust is a fast-growing tree species and is known for its nitrogen-fixing properties, meaning it helps enrich the soil where it grows. While this doesn't directly affect its burning qualities, environmentally conscious firewood users might find this a bonus.
Black Locust Firewood: Potential Drawbacks
While black locust firewood offers a plethora of benefits, it's essential to be aware of its few drawbacks to manage expectations and ensure a safe and enjoyable burning experience.
Difficult to Start
Due to its high density, black locust can be challenging to ignite. It requires good-quality kindling and dry tinder to get a fire going. Patience and proper fire-starting techniques are key to overcoming this hurdle.
Sparks and Popping
Black locust is known for producing more sparks and popping than some other firewood types. This is due to the sap trapped within the wood. While the crackling can add to the ambiance, it also presents a safety concern, especially with open fireplaces.
Using a fireplace screen is highly recommended to prevent embers from escaping and potentially causing damage or injury.
Availability
Depending on your location, sourcing black locust firewood might be more challenging than finding common options like oak or maple. It's not as widely available commercially, so you may need to put in some extra effort to locate a reliable supplier.
Comparing Black Locust to Other Firewood
How does black locust measure up against other popular firewood options? Let's compare it to some common alternatives to help you make the best choice for your needs:
Black Locust vs. Oak
Oak is a readily available and popular firewood choice, offering good heat output and a decent burn time. However, black locust surpasses oak in both categories, burning hotter and longer. While oak splits relatively easily, similar to black locust, it doesn't offer the same excellent rot resistance.
Black Locust vs. Maple
Maple is known for its sweet aroma and good heat output. While reasonably easy to split and readily available, maple's burn time is shorter than black locust, and it doesn't hold up as well against rot. Black locust wins out with its longer burn and superior resistance to decay.
Black Locust vs. Hickory
Hickory is a strong contender, rivaling black locust in heat output and boasting a long burn time. However, hickory can be significantly more difficult to split. While both offer good rot resistance, some find hickory's strong, smoky aroma overpowering, whereas black locust has a more subtle, pleasant scent.
Related: Is Hickory Good Firewood?
Black Locust vs. Pine
Pine is the easiest of these to split and readily available, making it a tempting option. However, its low density means it burns quickly and produces less heat than black locust. Pine's high sap content also leads to increased sparking and creosote buildup, whereas black locust, while producing some sparks, offers a cleaner burn.
Additionally, pine's susceptibility to rot makes it a less desirable choice for long-term storage.
Related: Is Pine Good Firewood? Pros, Cons, and Best Practices
While each firewood type has its merits, black locust stands out with a winning combination of high heat, long burn time, pleasant aroma, and impressive rot resistance. While starting it might require a bit more effort and it produces some sparks, its overall performance makes it a top contender for the best firewood choice.
More Articles for You: