Choosing the right firewood can transform your experience, whether you’re heating your home in winter, gathering around a cozy outdoor firepit, or smoking a delicious meal. Among many hardwoods, mulberry is often overlooked. But is mulberry a good firewood option?
The short answer is yes, mulberry is excellent firewood. It’s dense, burns hot, produces long-lasting coals, and gives off a pleasant aroma. However, it also sparks more than some other hardwoods, which is important to know before tossing it into your fireplace or fire pit.
In this complete guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about mulberry firewood, its heat output, burning qualities, seasoning, pros and cons, and how it compares to other popular types of firewood.
Before diving into its firewood qualities, let’s briefly look at the tree itself.
Mulberries (genus Morus) are fast-growing, medium-sized hardwood trees found in many parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. They’re more commonly known for their delicious berries, which are eaten fresh, dried, or used in jams and wines.
Mulberry wood is not typically a commercial timber because the tree is valued more for its fruit. However, homeowners and landowners often harvest mulberry trees that are cut down for landscaping or maintenance, making the wood available for firewood use.
There are different types of mulberry, including:
All types of mulberry provide excellent firewood once properly seasoned.
Not all wood is created equal when it comes to burning. Good firewood typically has:
Now, let’s see how mulberry measures up against these criteria.
One of mulberry’s strongest qualities is its impressive heat output. On average, seasoned mulberry produces about 25.8 million BTUs per cord, which places it in the same category as oak and just below hickory.
This means mulberry produces more heat than many common firewoods, making it a fantastic choice for heating homes in cold climates.
Mulberry has several notable qualities that affect how it burns:
Thanks to its density, mulberry burns slowly and steadily. A few logs can keep a fire going for hours, making it ideal for overnight burns in a wood stove.
Mulberry produces high-quality coals similar to oak and hickory. These glowing embers provide heat long after the flames die down, making it easy to restart fires the next morning.
Mulberry produces a sweet, mild, and somewhat fruity-smelling smoke. Many people compare it to fruitwoods like apple or cherry. Because of this, it’s often used in smoking meats and barbecue, giving food a unique flavor.
One downside is that mulberry tends to spark and pop more than oak or maple. This happens because of tiny pockets of moisture and resin inside the wood. While not a dealbreaker, it does mean you should take extra precautions when burning mulberry in an indoor fireplace—always use a fireplace screen or stove door.
Like most hardwoods, mulberry needs proper seasoning before use. Freshly cut wood, or “green” wood, has too much moisture, which makes it smoke excessively, burn inefficiently, and increase creosote buildup in chimneys.
Once fully seasoned, mulberry burns hot and clean, with very little smoke.
Splitting mulberry can range from moderate to difficult, depending on the tree.
A sharp splitting maul or hydraulic wood splitter makes the job much easier.
Mulberry is not a common commercial firewood like oak or maple, but it’s often available locally if you know where to look.
Because mulberry trees are relatively fast-growing and resilient, they are often available to those who own rural property or work with tree services.
Here’s how mulberry stacks up against other popular firewood types:
| Wood Type | Heat Output (BTUs) | Sparks/Pop | Smoke | Ease of Splitting | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mulberry | ~25.8 million | High | Low | Medium-Hard | Heating, smoking food |
| Oak | ~24.6 million | Low | Low | Medium | Home heating |
| Hickory | ~28 million | Medium | Low | Hard | Smoking meats, heating |
| Maple | ~20 million | Low | Low | Easy | Indoor fireplaces |
| Pine | ~16 million | High | High | Easy | Kindling, outdoor fires |
Mulberry is versatile and can be used for:
Since mulberry sparks more than some other hardwoods, safety is key.
Mulberry has been used for centuries, not only for firewood but also for other purposes:
This history adds to the value of mulberry as a truly multifunctional tree.
Yes—mulberry is excellent firewood. With its high heat output, long-lasting coals, and pleasant aroma, it competes with oak and hickory as one of the best woods for heating and cooking.
Its only downsides are the sparking and the longer seasoning period, but with proper precautions, these issues are manageable. If you have access to mulberry, it’s well worth harvesting and stacking for your firewood supply.
Also Read: Where To Buy Firewood in Flathead Valley?
