Wood guide
Willow, Poplar and the Worst Firewoods
The worst firewoods are light, very wet when felled and slow to dry: poplar, willow, alder, horse chestnut and spruce. Weight for weight, dry wood gives about the same heat whatever the species, so these woods aren't useless once dry. But a log of poplar or willow holds far less wood than a log of oak or ash, so it burns out fast, and some, like sweet chestnut, spit badly.
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In this guide
Willow and poplar at a glance
Salix and Populus species
- Heat per log
- Low per log
- Density
- About 385 to 400 kg/m³
- Drying time
- Slow. Both are very wet when felled
- How it burns
- Fast, with little heat per log
- Smoke
- Heavy if not fully dry
- Sparks
- Willow can spit
Usable once properly dry, but you'll need far more of it. Choose a denser hardwood if you have the choice.
Heat rating: our 1 to 5 scale based on density, where 5 is densest. Density: the Wood Database, at 12% moisture.
Which woods make poor firewood?
| Wood | Density (kg/m³) | Why it's poor |
|---|---|---|
| Poplar | 385 | Forest Research says fresh poplar has about half the energy of fresh ash, because it's so wet. |
| Willow | 400 | Very wet when harvested, hard to season, and can spit. |
| Spruce | 405 to 425 | Light, so it burns quickly. Hyndburn Council rates it low quality. |
| Horse chestnut | 500 | Soft and light. Hyndburn Council calls it a fairly poor firewood. |
| Alder | 535 | The Forestry Commission says it is not a good fuelwood. |
| Elm | 565 | Very wet when felled and very hard to split, so slow to dry. |
| Sweet chestnut | 590 | Dense enough, but Hyndburn Council says it spits continuously. Not for open fires. |
Densities from the Wood Database for solid wood at 12% moisture. Ratings from Hyndburn Council's firewood guide are traditional grades, not test results.
Are poor firewoods fine once they're dry?
Mostly, yes. Burnright says all types of wood give about the same heat energy per kilo. The catch is density: Forest Research says dense woods burn for longer than less dense woods. A stove full of dry poplar gives a quick, short fire, so you'll refill it far more often than with oak.
Why are these woods so wet?
Poplar is about 64% water when felled, against 32% for ash, according to Forest Research. Willow is wet when harvested too. Wet wood takes longer to dry, and Defra says natural seasoning is likely to take two summers or more.
How do I dry poor firewood?
- Split it small. Smaller pieces dry faster.
- Stack it off the ground. Somewhere sunny and windy, with the top covered and the sides open.
- Give it time. At least two summers, then check it with a moisture meter. See firewood moisture content.
Which woods spit?
Sweet chestnut is the worst for it. Hyndburn Council says it spits continuously and isn't for open fires, and a community energy leaflet lists willow and most softwoods as prone to spitting. Burn spitting woods in a closed stove, or behind a fireguard.
Questions
Is willow good firewood?
Not very. It's light, wet when cut and hard to season. Once dry it burns, but quickly.
Is poplar OK to burn?
Only when properly dry. Fresh poplar is very wet, and even dry it gives far less heat per log than oak or ash.
Is sweet chestnut good firewood?
It's dense enough to burn well, but it spits badly. Burn it in a closed stove, not on an open fire.
What's the best wood instead?
Dense hardwoods such as oak, ash and beech. See the best wood to burn.
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