Cedar firewood

Cedar trees are evergreen conifers that have a lovely woody fragrance and needle-like leaves. Although they come in various varieties, this article will focus on the Western red cedar and Eastern red cedar. They’re both commonly found in the United States and are also referred to as false cedars.

If you’d like to know whether cedar is good firewood, then read on. We’ll take a close look at how it compares to other popular varieties.

Is cedar good for firewood?

If you’re looking for firewood that offers high heat output, then cedar won’t be your best option. Eastern and Western red cedar both provide less heat than maple, black locust, and hickory. But don’t toss it away, the wood is excellent used as kindling or combined with other, slower-burning varieties like oak.

• Burns fast, producing low levels of heat.
• Poor coaling properties and gives off lots of sparks.
• Smoke gives off a nice aroma which many enjoy.

Cedar firewood burn qualities

1. Heat output

Anyone who lives in a cold climate should put heat output at the top of the list when evaluating firewood. Whether you’re sitting around a campfire or relaxing at home, you’ll need adequate warmth.

Cedar offers relatively low heat output compared to most other common firewood types. Western red cedar provides 18.2 million BTUs per cord while the Eastern variety only offers 13.0 million.

Cedar has similar BTU ratings as buckeye, sassafras, white pine, and spruce. Compared to the best firewoods on offer, it is much lower. Gambel oak and Osage Orange give off much more warmth than cedar.

Of course, low BTU doesn’t mean you shouldn’t burn the wood if you’ve got some old logs lying around. Cedar still makes useful kindling that lights easily, and it can be burned in the shoulder season when temperatures are still mild.

You can check out the following table that compares the heat output of cedar to various other common types of firewood.

Wood variety	Heat per Cord (Million BTUs)
Eastern red cedar	13.0
Basswood	13.8
Buckeye	13.8
Alder	17.5
Western red cedar	18.2
Boxelder	18.3
Hemlock	19.3
Apple	27.0
Gambel oak	30.7
Osage orange	32.9

2. Smoke

Cedar tends to produce moderate levels of smoke, so if you’ve got an open fire, we wouldn’t suggest using this wood as your only fuel source. Wood stove owners won’t find smoky wood such a big issue.

Any firewood must be well seasoned before getting added to the fire. Green wood is high in moisture content and will create smoke while burning. Unseasoned wood is also a less efficient fuel; the fire uses much of its energy to evaporate water rather than giving off heat.

3. Ease of splitting

Splitting cedar can vary depending on the tree you’ve felled or the logs you buy. In general, Eastern red cedar is easy to split, while Western red cedar takes a bit more brute force. No matter what variety you have to chop, if you’ve got knotty, gnarly wood then it won’t be easy to process.

Remember to split cedar when it’s green as this will speed up the drying process. Waiting for an icy cold morning will make splitting any firewood easier. You can also buy a heavy-duty maul or splitting axe to make the job easier.

4. Sparks

Cedar is notorious for sparking and popping as it burns. It is similar to pine, tamarack, and mulberry. This isn’t ideal because there’s a greater risk of unwanted fires or burns, whether you’re at home with an open fire or are sitting around a campfire.

In most cases, sparks aren’t a huge deal-breaker for choosing firewood. If you’ve got a wood stove or similar enclosed fire then sparking isn’t much of a safety risk. If you’ve got an open fireplace then make sure you have a fireguard in place.

5. Aroma

Cedar rates as one of the best types of firewood for its fragrance. When burning cedar firewood, you can expect a pleasant-smelling fire that permeates the room.

• Eastern red contains pungent natural oils that are pleasant. Also known as aromatic cedar, it is used in chests and closets to keep unwanted insects away.
• Western red gives off an earthy, citrusy smell that some compare to a freshly sharpened pencil.

Any cedar will emit a decent aroma as it burns, much better than some cottonwood logs or unseasoned red oak.

If you enjoy the smell of cedar then you’ll find it makes great firewood for campfires. Just keep an eye on those sparks.

6. Coaling

Firewood that has quality coals will provide heat that lasts longer. You won’t have to add wood to the fire as often.

Cedar ranks in the bottom few for coaling. That means you’ll need to constantly feed the fire if you need to maintain a hot, roaring fire.

You’ll need to restart the fire from scratch the next day. The embers will be burnt out, unlike popular wood like hickory. You may also like to check out our oak firewood review.

7. Creosote build-up

Creosote isn’t a big deal when you’re choosing firewood, it’s still worth mentioning. All firewood produces creosote as it burns, but some produce more than others. It’s an unpleasant black tar that gets deposited on the inside of a chimney as fires burn. Higher levels mean you’ll need to clean out the chimney more often.

Cedar does not produce high levels of creosote, so long as it’s properly seasoned. Green cedar contains sap and resin that will result in more buildup.

Cedar trees are evergreen conifers that have a lovely woody fragrance and needle-like leaves. Although they come in various varieties, this article will focus on the Western red cedar and Eastern red cedar. They’re both commonly found in the United States and are also referred to as false cedars.

If you’d like to know whether cedar is good firewood, then read on. We’ll take a close look at how it compares to other popular varieties.

Is cedar good for firewood?

If you’re looking for firewood that offers high heat output, then cedar won’t be your best option. Eastern and Western red cedar both provide less heat than maple, black locust, and hickory. But don’t toss it away, the wood is excellent used as kindling or combined with other, slower-burning varieties like oak.

• Burns fast, producing low levels of heat.
• Poor coaling properties and gives off lots of sparks.
• Smoke gives off a nice aroma which many enjoy.

Cedar firewood burn qualities

1. Heat output

Anyone who lives in a cold climate should put heat output at the top of the list when evaluating firewood. Whether you’re sitting around a campfire or relaxing at home, you’ll need adequate warmth.

Cedar offers relatively low heat output compared to most other common firewood types. Western red cedar provides 18.2 million BTUs per cord while the Eastern variety only offers 13.0 million.

Cedar has similar BTU ratings as buckeye, sassafras, white pine, and spruce. Compared to the best firewoods on offer, it is much lower. Gambel oak and Osage Orange give off much more warmth than cedar.

Of course, low BTU doesn’t mean you shouldn’t burn the wood if you’ve got some old logs lying around. Cedar still makes useful kindling that lights easily, and it can be burned in the shoulder season when temperatures are still mild.

You can check out the following table that compares the heat output of cedar to various other common types of firewood.

Wood variety	Heat per Cord (Million BTUs)
Eastern red cedar	13.0
Basswood	13.8
Buckeye	13.8
Alder	17.5
Western red cedar	18.2
Boxelder	18.3
Hemlock	19.3
Apple	27.0
Gambel oak	30.7
Osage orange	32.9

2. Smoke

Cedar tends to produce moderate levels of smoke, so if you’ve got an open fire, we wouldn’t suggest using this wood as your only fuel source. Wood stove owners won’t find smoky wood such a big issue.

Any firewood must be well seasoned before getting added to the fire. Green wood is high in moisture content and will create smoke while burning. Unseasoned wood is also a less efficient fuel; the fire uses much of its energy to evaporate water rather than giving off heat.

3. Ease of splitting

Splitting cedar can vary depending on the tree you’ve felled or the logs you buy. In general, Eastern red cedar is easy to split, while Western red cedar takes a bit more brute force. No matter what variety you have to chop, if you’ve got knotty, gnarly wood then it won’t be easy to process.

Remember to split cedar when it’s green as this will speed up the drying process. Waiting for an icy cold morning will make splitting any firewood easier. You can also buy a heavy-duty maul or splitting axe to make the job easier.

4. Sparks

Cedar is notorious for sparking and popping as it burns. It is similar to pine, tamarack, and mulberry. This isn’t ideal because there’s a greater risk of unwanted fires or burns, whether you’re at home with an open fire or are sitting around a campfire.

In most cases, sparks aren’t a huge deal-breaker for choosing firewood. If you’ve got a wood stove or similar enclosed fire then sparking isn’t much of a safety risk. If you’ve got an open fireplace then make sure you have a fireguard in place.

5. Aroma

Cedar rates as one of the best types of firewood for its fragrance. When burning cedar firewood, you can expect a pleasant-smelling fire that permeates the room.

• Eastern red contains pungent natural oils that are pleasant. Also known as aromatic cedar, it is used in chests and closets to keep unwanted insects away.
• Western red gives off an earthy, citrusy smell that some compare to a freshly sharpened pencil.

Any cedar will emit a decent aroma as it burns, much better than some cottonwood logs or unseasoned red oak.

If you enjoy the smell of cedar then you’ll find it makes great firewood for campfires. Just keep an eye on those sparks.

6. Coaling

Firewood that has quality coals will provide heat that lasts longer. You won’t have to add wood to the fire as often.

Cedar ranks in the bottom few for coaling. That means you’ll need to constantly feed the fire if you need to maintain a hot, roaring fire.

You’ll need to restart the fire from scratch the next day. The embers will be burnt out, unlike popular wood like hickory. You may also like to check out our oak firewood review.

7. Creosote build-up

Creosote isn’t a big deal when you’re choosing firewood, it’s still worth mentioning. All firewood produces creosote as it burns, but some produce more than others. It’s an unpleasant black tar that gets deposited on the inside of a chimney as fires burn. Higher levels mean you’ll need to clean out the chimney more often.

Cedar does not produce high levels of creosote, so long as it’s properly seasoned. Green cedar contains sap and resin that will result in more buildup.