Are you going to be heating your house in the winter or planning a camping trip and need firewood? It’s important to remember that different types of firewood will serve you best in different situations.

Cedar is good firewood for kindling because it splits easily, burns hot, and has a very unique, pleasant aroma.  It pops and sparks a little so if you use it in a fireplace make sure you have a protective screen or glass doors.

Keep reading to learn more about Cedar and whether you want to choose it as your firewood.

Common Characteristics of Cedar Trees

Cedar is a softwood with a distinctive, spicy scent. True Cedars are typically found in the Mediterranean. The Cedar that we think of in the United States are considered “New World Cedars” and are part of the cypress family.

When most people think about a Cedar tree they think about its aroma! This smell comes from the oil found in the center heartwood of the tree. The oil is only found in older, more mature trees.

Cedar wood is very stable. It doesn’t expand or shrink much with the change of moisture or temperature. Those qualities make cedar easy to work with and reliable for making furniture with it.

Sometimes they are considered an invasive species because they spread and grow quickly, stealing water from other plants and shading and killing many grasses at the same time.

Common varieties of Cedar trees used for firewood

There are a variety of species of Cedar trees but two of the most common are the Eastern Red Cedar and the Western Red Cedar.

Eastern Red Cedar, sometimes called the Eastern Juniper, is found primarily along the eastern coast the United States. They grow around 16 to 66 feet tall and 12 to 39 inches in diameter, which is much shorter than the Western Red Cedar. They can live around 900 years. Birds eat juniper berries which grow in the winter.

It’s leaves are short and needle-like. The flowers bloom during the late winter and the early parts of the spring. Its bark is very thin. The inner bark is bright orang and the outer bark is a light brown.

Western Red Cedar is found primarily in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It technically is not a true Cedar, but a member of the genus Cedrus. It is an evergreen and typically grows between 210 to 230 feet tall and 10 to 13 feet in diameter. Some grow to be 1,400 years old.

It’s leaves grow in opposite pairs, ninety-degrees to one another. This makes a flat lattice-like structure to the tree. When the leaves are crushed they give off a strong smell.

Cones are grown by the Western Red Cedar. They have a reddish-brown hue similar to the bark of the tree. The bark has vertical ridges that run up and down the entire length of the tree.

Working with Cedar Firewood

What does Cedar smell like?

Cedar has a very pleasant aroma! This is one of its most distinguishing features.

When deciding what firewood to burn smell can be a key factor. Not all firewood smells good. For example, Eucalyptus wood produces a medicinal-like smell that most individuals find unpleasant.  Fresh Red Oak smells like vinegar when it burns. Fresh Cottonwood has been known for smelling like cat pee.

So, you’re pretty safe by choosing to use Cedar when it comes to an enjoyable aroma.

Is Cedar sap messy?

All trees have sap. It’s the like the life-blood of a tree. Cedar trees are not noted for clogging your chain saw with sap or coating your gloves or clothing like Pine trees are. When cutting up a Pine tree the sap can get on everything!

How hard is Cedar to split?

Cedar trees are known for splitting easily whether dry or green. Some people prefer to leave Cedar firewood in rounds instead of splitting them because big chunks of Cedar last longer than small pieces.

Cedar trees are not particularly difficult to cut down with a chain saw but the stump must be ground out completely or a new tree will quickly sprout.

How long does Cedar take to season?

If you are going to split your Cedar logs, cut them into the proper length for your fireplace or wood stove and allow to season for around 9 months. Stack them allowing for plenty of ventilation between the logs. During the seasoning process, Cedar becomes brittle and lightweight.

Make sure it is well seasoned or it will spark like crazy, which isn’t the best for an indoor fire. One tip is to remove the bark to help it season faster.

Buy an inexpensive easy to use moisture meter like this one, to ensure your split wood is ready for the fire.

Heat Output and Efficiency of Cedar

Depending on the species, Cedar produces anywhere from 12.2 to 13.0 million BTUs per cord.

On average a cord of Cedar is equal approximately to the following common heat sources:

• 12,150 cubic feet of natural gas.
• 138 gallons of propane.
• 91 gallons of heating oil.
• 3,693 kilowatt hours of electricity.

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. One BTU the amount of energy required to heat one pound of liquid water by one degree Fahrenheit.

A cord of firewood is equal to 128 cubic feet of wood. Typically firewood is cut into 16 inch lengths and is tightly stacked in three rows, 4 feet high and 8 feet long, totaling 128 cubic feet.

How does Cedar compare to other types of firewood?

Overall, Cedar firewood is on the low end when you are ranking best firewoods in terms of heat produced. Cedar has a BTU of around 12.2 to 13 while Hickory has a BTU of 27.7 and Oak has a BTU of 25.7.

On the other hand if you are raking firewood by its aroma, Cedar is at the top! This is one of its best features.

Unless you are a firewood snob, there is no bad firewood except wet stuff and logs you can’t split! 🙂

Fire quality, amount of smoke and creosote.

Well seasoned Cedar is considered one of the cleanest burning evergreens by some with a moderate amount of smoke. That being said, you still need to be aware of creosote build up in your chimney. Creosote can clog your chimney and make a dangerous fire hazard. Be sure to clean your chimney once a year.

Cedar burns without too much effort and produces high intensity heat. It’s an oily wood which make it a more volatile fuel. It’s ideal for getting the stove heated up quickly on a cold morning and then switching to something else that burns longer.

The Pros and Cons of Burning Cedar as Firewood

Pros

• Easy to light.
• Pleasant aroma.
• Makes great kindling.
• Hot flames.
• Splits easily.

Cons

• Pops and crackles.
• Burns quickly.

Other Common Uses

Closets are sometimes lined with Cedar because it is a repellant to moths and other insects.

Cedar is also used for roof shingles. The softness of the wood makes it easy to split on the spot, which is an important feature for fitting wood shingles. The wood has anti fungal qualities that make it very resistant to rot, so it lasts for a long time in outdoor locations.

People love to smoke fish or meat with Cedar because it is so aromatic!

There are many different firewood species to choose from. However, not all of the options will be available to you since some trees only grow in certain parts of the country. In my opinion, Cedar is a great choice for kindling and campfires!

Tell me what your favorite type of firewood is in the comments below.