Firewood Archives - Page 17 of 17

When it comes to the most annoying tree types to have in your yard, the Bradford pear is often listed high on the list. Because of its strong smell and annoying leaves, Bradford pears certainly are not a homeowner's first choice. But, is Bradford pear good for firewood? When it comes to firewood, however, the Bradford pear is actually a really great option. It is incredibly dense, heavy, and burns clean, making it a great choice for your campfire. Even though Oak, Hickory, and Ash tend to be more popular firewood types, the Bradford pear is a great choice for your firewood. It is a dense, heavy, and hot burning wood that can also be found pretty readily. Feel free to grab Bradford pear from your yard the next time you need some firewood. Bradford Pear as Firewood Part of the reason that Bradford pear makes such great firewood is that it is dense and heavy. The denseness allows it to create a coalbed, much like Oak and other hard firewood varieties. The denser the wood is, the longer-lasting it will be. Another reason why Bradford pear makes good firewood is that you can easily find broken branches or split trunks. Almost all Bradford pears die the same way. They split in half, meaning you can easily find an abundance of their dying wood. All around, Bradford pear wood is great for firewood because it is dense, burns easily, and is easy to find. How Does Bradford Pear Burn? Because Bradford pear is considered a hardwood, it burns relatively slowly. It will get hot and create a coalbed, much like Oak. At the same time, it doesn't produce a whole lot of smoke, and the smoke smell doesn't smell anything like the horrendous odor associated with this tree type. Everybody should have an emergency fire starter kit in their arsenal. This 5-in-1 fire starter kit by Swiss Safe will start a fire instantly. You will get over 15,000 strikes as well as a built in compass, whistle, and a steel scraper. Click Image for More Info What Is Its Heat Value? Because of the density of Bradford pear wood, it has a relatively high heat value. Per cord, Bradford pear has a BTU of 26.5. This is an incredibly high BTU, especially for a wood that you don't typically hear associated with firewood and heat purposes. In case you are unfamiliar, firewood BTU stands for British thermal units. It measures the heat of combustion. A BTU rating is measured in millions per cord. For Bradford pear, this means it has 26.5 million BTUs per cord. As we already mentioned, this is a pretty good BTU rating. It is actually higher than most Oak and Ash varieties, but it is slightly below Hickory. This means that you can expect Bradford pear to burn about as hot as these more popular firewood varieties. What Does Bradford Pear Smell Like? Before they are burned, Bradford pears are one of the most stinky trees. During springtime, they create a smell that is headache-inducing even for people who don't struggle with seasonal allergies. The smell is hard to describe, but it is something like rotten seafood. When burned, the smoke doesn't have this type of a smell. That's because the intense nasty smell associated with Bradford pears comes from the blossom, not the wood. The smoke is definitely a lighter flavor and it doesn't smoke too much either. Cooking Over Bradford Pear If you want a campfire for heat purposes, then Bradford pear is a great option. If you are intending to cook food over the fire, however, you should definitely select a different wood option. Bradford pears create a really bitter flavor in your food that most people want to avoid. About the Bradford Pear Even though Bradford pear would make good firewood, it is not known for this purpose. Instead, it is known for its ornamental value and horrendous smell. Don't let these facts deceive you, however. The Bradford pear is a great firewood choice. Although the name may be deceiving, the Bradford pear does not produce pears and it is planted for ornamental purposes. The tree is rather stunning, producing small hard fruit. Although some birds may be able to eat this fruit, humans don't consume it. The Bradford pear is an alternative to the Callery Pear tree. This type of tree is native to China and Vietnam, but it is an invasive species. As a result, the Bradford pear was created to be sterile. Recent reports have shown that this may not be the case because the tree seems to be spreading alarmingly. Although the tree is certainly stunning, it is most known for its disgusting smell. The smell is somewhat between rotten seafood and fish, making it less than ideal for many homeowners who have unfortunately planted this tree. Another unfortunate feature of the Bradford pear is that its limbs are relatively weak, meaning that they often break during storms. Even a little bit of snow or ice can cause limbs to snap. Their size grows at such an alarming rate that they typically die whenever their trunks split too. Final Thoughts All in all, Bradford pear is a great choice for firewood. It is incredibly dense and gets super hot, making it comparable to Oak and other hardwood types. Even though it is not most people’s go-to choice for firewood, don't be afraid to heat up next to a Bradford pear fueled fire. Once again, it is important to say you shouldn't cook over Bradford pear wood. Even though it won't make the food toxic or unsafe to consume, you certainly don't want the bitter taste that comes with Bradford pear smoke. Next time your Bradford pear breaks off some branches, find a way to dry the wood and store it for your next camping trip. You certainly won't regret using this unique and dense wood for your fire. Just don't go near a Bradford pear when they are in blossom or you will be met with a rather disgusting smell!