Cherry firewood – the best firewood for indoor fireplaces, without a doubt!
Aside from its pleasant aroma and non-smoky nature, cherry wood is among the most popular types of wood to burn in fireplaces.
In addition to being very easy to split, the wood burns at a medium temperature and doesn’t produce a great deal of smoke. It can, however, spark more than an average hardwood and be more expensive.
Cherry firewood, being one of the many types of hardwoods for burning, is a popular choice for the majority of homeowners. Even though cherry isn’t as popular as oak, maple, and beech, it is still capable of providing sufficient heat for warming up your entire house.
It splits extremely easily and dries much more rapidly than other hardwoods, so cheery wood may be a moderate producer, but it is very user-friendly. Additionally, splitting rounds using a splitting ax or maul is a joy since you can usually split a round with a single strike!
Cherry is moderately durable, and the heart of this wood is able to resist decay and rot. However, other hardwood varieties such as oak, are known to be more durable than Cherry.
if you’re somebody looking after the structure of cherry firewood, Cherry has a relatively porous structure and so, the rings in the wood might be hard to distinguish at first.
This article further contains information regarding the use of cherry firewood for burning purposes and by the end, you’ll know that it’s just worth it!
Is Wild Cherry Good Firewood?
Yes. Wild cherry firewood is a great choice for homeowners to warm up their indoors during winters. Not only that, but wild cherry is also an amazing choice for camping and barbeque. It is wild cherry wood that is most valuable in America for furniture and is sold most frequently because of its aging process and rich color.
Cherry Firewood – A Magnificent Choice for Cooking!
The flame of cherry wood is low, similar to that of apple wood. This, along with its mild, fruity taste, makes it a remarkable choice for cooking.
Cherry firewood is easy to ignite and has a blue flame. Eastern U.S. forests are filled with wild cherry trees, and cherry wood is known for its highly desirable color and aroma. Cherry wood’s beautiful colors and grain make it stand out from other woods.
- Smoking Content: Light, sweet and delicate
- Easily burns at high temperatures and with a relatively long burning time
- Ideal for smoking chicken, fish, turkey, and ham
Cherry Firewood Details – Its Heat Output and the Qualities
Cherry trees come in different kinds, and they burn differently. The best way to determine this is to burn it and see for yourself. Make sure it is well seasoned. Other than the popping, there are no other safety concerns.
The cherry does not burn for as long as oak or ash in the fire, one of the many things we’ve found while we were experimenting with this firewood. However, overnight burning is not recommended. It’s best used while you’re awake.
Let’s discuss the heat output and a few other qualities of Cherry firewood.
- In comparison with other common firewood in our area, cherry has a relatively low BTU output, so if your goal is to heat, this is not the best choice.
- Although everyone has their own preferences when it comes to smelling things, most people agree that Cherry is at the top of their list.
- Cherries produce excellent coal and outperform several heavier types of wood in this category, such as Ash and Walnut.
- In general, cherry wood is a very desirable wood to work with. When dry, the cherry is very easy to split.
Examples of Hardwoods
Cherry is one of the hardwoods and the versatility of hardwood can be seen in its use in fine furniture, construction, musical instruments, etc.
Here are some common hardwoods.
Oak – Among the best species for firewood is oak, which is abundant in the United States. A properly dried log can produce a hot and slow-burning fire. However, it needs to be seasoned for at least a year or two. Once oak is burning with intense, sustained heat, you will be rewarded! Although Oak is difficult to ignite, it’s worth the effort!
Hard Maple – Hard maple is abundant in the northern US and Canada due to its dense, heavy composition, which makes it burn slower than other hardwoods like oak or hickory.
Cherry – Cherries make for one of the most popular fireplace woods due to their easy-to-burn, non-smoking nature. Splitting is easy, it burns at medium heat, and it doesn’t produce much smoke.
Elm – A lot of elm wood is affordable, but it is extremely difficult to split by hand. Despite its strong aroma, the wood-burning fire does not produce too much smoke or ash and has a medium heating temperature, so it is an ideal option for the fireplace.
Chestnut – The smoke produced by the Chestnut wood tends to be heavier than that of the other woods. While this wood can be used indoors, it is primarily used in outdoor fireplaces.
Birch – Birch firewood gives off a great deal of heat and is very attractive. The downside is that it burns fast. So, you should mix it in with other types of firewood and use it in combination with them.
Does Cherry Wood Burn Well?
Yes. Cherry wood burns extremely well indoors. In a fireplace or wood-burning stove, cherry wood burns slowly and produces a good amount of heat, and smells nice. You can also use strips of bark to start your log burner or fire as natural firelighters. However, you will need to season the logs first.
What Does Cherry Firewood Look Like?
An American hardwood with a tinge of pink or dark red, cherry wood looks like a brownish-red shade. And not only that, but the red color also remains consistent throughout the wood. As it ages, it darkens, and it is considered both desirable and beautiful.
The heartwood of fresh cherry wood has a light pinkish brown color; with time and exposure to light, it transforms to a darker golden brown. Its sapwood is yellow, typically 1-2 inches wide, and is pale in color.
Cherry Vs Oak
Both the Cherry and Oak firewood are considered to be the very best firewood for burning. Cherry takes between 6-12 months to fully season, it comes down to how and where it’s stored. Whereas oak takes up to two years. Here are some tips for better and faster seasoning of firewood.
Cherry wood is an excellent source of firewood for those who use it throughout the winter since it can be harvested in the early spring and is ready to burn by winter.
However, if you can possibly season Oak for up to 2 years, it would be an even better choice for burning firewood.
Oak burns at 24.6 million BTUs per cord whereas cherry burns at 20.4.
Hickory Vs Cherry Firewood
Hickory and cherry firewood are very much alike in their appearances, and color and they work well together as well. They both have warm undertones and look yellow, or red. Hickory and cherry may vary in their darkness and grain, yet they both produce great fires.
Hickory burns at 28.5 million BTUs per cord while cherry burns at 20.4 million BTUs per cord.
Cherry Firewood – FAQs
Conclusion
As cherry wood burns with a pleasing aroma, it has become a popular choice for fireplaces. When burned in an open fireplace, cherry seems to spark more than other hardwoods, which may cause an issue sometimes. If that’s what you’re experiencing, we’d recommend installing fireplace screens to prevent sparks from escaping.
