Firewood heat values
The highest figure in the cited table is 28 million BTU per cord, listed for Hickories at 25 to 28 million BTU per cord and Oaks: red oak family at 24 to 28 million BTU per cord.
Black locust is listed as 27 million BTU per cord, so the ranges overlap and the table does not name one species as hottest.
Source: University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, table compiled from USDA Forest Service Leaflet No. 559, retrieved 2026-10-23.
These are not stove ratings and they are not EPA certification numbers. A cord here is the cord the extension table uses. Heat per cord is not heat per hour.
| Species | Million BTU per cord | Splitting | Sparks | Smoke | Coaling | Extension rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickories | 25 to 28 | Medium | Few | Low | Excellent | Excellent |
| Oaks: red oak family | 24 to 28 | Medium | Few | Low | Excellent | Excellent |
| Black Locust | 27 | Difficult | Few | Low | Excellent | Excellent |
| Oaks, white oak family | 24 to 27 | Easy | Few | Low | Excellent | Excellent |
| Honeylocust | 26.7 | Easy | Few | Low | Excellent | Excellent |
| American Persimmon | 26.4 | Easy | Few | Low | Excellent | Very Good |
| Ash, white | 24 | Medium | Few | Low | Good | Very Good |
| Pine | 22 | Easy | Few | Heavy | Poor | Fair |
| Elm | 20 | Difficult | Few | Moderate | Good | Good |
| Eastern Red Cedar | 19.7 | Easy | Many | Moderate | Poor | Fair |
| Soft Maples (red & silver) | 19 | Easy | Few | Low | Excellent | Good |
| Willow | 16 | Easy | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor |
| Cottonwood | 15.9 | Easy | Moderate | Low | Poor | Poor |
Source for every row: University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. The page says the heat values were compiled from USDA Forest Service Leaflet No. 559. Retrieved 2026-10-23.