For many, the heart of a home is the hearth. It provides warmth, light, and a gathering spot for family and friends. A roaring fire on a cold winter’s night is one of life’s simplest pleasures. However, the quality of that fire largely depends on the type of wood you burn. Enter: Hawthorn firewood.
When we discuss firewood, the species of wood you choose makes all the difference. In this guide, we’ll delve deep into Hawthorn firewood, exploring its unique properties, advantages, and even some of its drawbacks.
What is Hawthorn?
Hawthorn is a dense, hard tree commonly found in Europe, North America, and Asia. It is particularly recognized for its beautiful blossoms in spring and its small, apple-like fruits known as haws. But beyond its beauty and fruit, it offers excellent firewood qualities that are cherished by many fireplace enthusiasts.
Where to find hawthorn firewood
Hawthorn grows worldwide and has many varieties – from cultivated to wild. The best types of hawthorn for use as firewood grow in the moderate climate regions of North America. Hawthorn’s dense, fine-grained wood quality improves if there’s a cold winter. This conditions the wood to become even denser.
Advantages of Burning Hawthorn Firewood
- Slow-Burning: Due to its dense nature, Hawthorn burns slowly. This allows for long-lasting fires, ensuring you’re not constantly replenishing your fireplace or woodstove. For those looking for longevity from their logs, Hawthorn firewood is a top pick.
- High Heat Output: Hawthorn provides a substantial heat output. This makes it ideal for those chilly nights where you’re looking for more than just ambience from your fireplace. A few logs can make all the difference.
- Minimal Smoke: One significant advantage of Hawthorn is its low smoke output. This means less soot in your chimney and a clearer, more pleasant experience, especially if you’re sensitive to smoke.
- Pleasing Aroma: Hawthorn wood gives off a gentle, pleasing scent when burned. This adds another layer of enjoyment to your fireside experience.
How to split hawthorn firewood
One disadvantage of using hawthorn as firewood is that it’s hard to split. Like all short fruit trees, hawthorn has many knots and branches, so it’s hard to find straight sections of the trunk.
Another downside is the thorns. Hawthorn branches have sharp, sturdy spikes several inches long. Be cautious when sawing and splitting wood. The thorns are so solid that they can pierce even a shoe sole.
It’s best to split hawthorn logs with a maul with a long, balanced handle. We recommend using Finnish mauls like Fiskars (for example, Fiskars X27 Super (36″) Splitting Axe). These mauls are of superior quality, have stood the test of time, and are suitable for splitting most dense wood firewood.
More logs, one-strike splits—Fiskars makes it possible, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.
Fiskars 375841-1001 Super Splitting Axe, 36-Inch
Fiskars 378841-1002 X27 Super (36″) Splitting Axe, Inch, Black IsoCore Maul, 36-Inch
If you have an automatic log splitter, you can use it. It significantly eases the wood splitting process.
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Highly Rated  | SuperHandy Log Splitter Portable Electric 14 Ton
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Heavy-Duty  | SuperHandy Gas Log Splitter Portable 20 Ton
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Cons of Using Hawthorn Firewood
- Tough to Split: Due to its dense nature, Hawthorn can be challenging to split. If you’re preparing your firewood, ensure you have the proper tools and perhaps even a splitting machine.
- Scarce Availability: In certain regions, Hawthorn might be a bit rarer than other types of wood, which can drive up its price or make it harder to source consistently.
How to prepare and store hawthorn firewood
If you’ve personally chosen a dry hawthorn tree and cut it down, storing the firewood will pose no problems. Dry wood is immediately suitable for your fireplace. It’s trickier when purchasing firewood. You need to know how to distinguish dry firewood from wet.
The secret to good firewood is the amount of moisture inside the logs. If the tree was cut down when wet, the wood needs to dry for at least a year to reach an ideal state.
Dried firewood always burns better than freshly cut or green, as they produce more heat and accumulate less creosote in the fireplace. Green firewood is not only hard to ignite but also hard to keep burning due to the high moisture content inside.
Storing Hawthorn Firewood
- Keep It Dry: Store your Hawthorn wood in a dry place. A woodshed or a covered area is ideal. If it gets wet, let it dry out before burning to ensure optimal burn quality.
- Elevate from Ground: Stack the wood on pallets or rails. This prevents the wood from absorbing moisture from the ground and also protects it from pests.
- Allow Air Circulation: When stacking, ensure there’s space between the logs for air to flow. This promotes drying and prevents mold.
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Best Price  | Outdoor Firewood Log Cart with Pneumatic Tires
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Best Seller  | Firewood Log Cart Carrier
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Luxury  | Firewood Log Cart and Carrier with Pneumatic Wheels
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How can you tell if hawthorn firewood is dry?
To determine if hawthorn firewood is well-seasoned, you can simply look at it:
- Avoid choosing logs with bright wood as this indicates wet firewood.
- Well-seasoned firewood looks dusty and gray from prolonged storage.
- The internal surface will be lighter than the external one.
Hawthorn firewood seasons reasonably well. They don’t dry as long as other types of wood, like oak, but if you let them sit for at least six months to a year before using them, you’ll get a good result.
How does hawthorn firewood burn?
Hawthorn burns slowly and hotly, making it an excellent choice for your hearth in the winter. As a fruit tree, hawthorn, like apple or cherry, emits a pleasant fragrance when burned. Hawthorn’s heat output is comparable to that of apple, cherry, and other similar types of trees.
Moreover, hawthorn doesn’t produce many sparks and doesn’t crackle when burning, making it ideal for both heating and cooking. Hawthorn firewood produces very little smoke and leaves little ash. It produces minimal creosote when burned. You won’t have to clean the chimney as often and worry about the potential safety threat associated with creosote buildup.
Tips on Using Hawthorn Firewood
- Seasoning is Key: Like all wood, Hawthorn needs to be seasoned. This means letting it dry for at least a year after chopping. Properly seasoned Hawthorn will give you optimal burn quality.
- Start with Kindling: When starting a fire with Hawthorn, begin with softwood kindling. Once the fire is going strong, add your Hawthorn logs to sustain a long, hot burn.
- Maximize Airflow: Ensure that there’s adequate airflow in your fireplace or woodstove. This allows Hawthorn to burn efficiently and produce minimal smoke.
Conclusion
While no firewood is without its challenges, Hawthorn firewood stands out as a prime choice for those seeking long, hot, and aromatic burns. Its advantages, such as high heat output and low smoke, make it worth the effort of sourcing and preparing it.
When properly seasoned and stored, Hawthorn will reward you with some of the best fireside experiences. So, the next time you’re stoking up your hearth or fireplace, consider the many benefits of Hawthorn firewood. Your home and your loved ones will thank you for the warm, glowing ambiance.
