The burning quality of different woods, an important consideration when choosing fuel for a wood stove, is listed in the table below.

 

Species	Density (lb./cu.ft.)	Weight per cord (lb.)	BTUs per cord (millions)	Recoverable BTUs per cord (millions)	Units needed to produce 1 million BTUs
black locust	52.5	4462	28.5	19.95	0.051
hickory	50.9	4327	27.7	19.39	0.052
east hophornbeam	50.2	4267	27.3	19.11	0.052
apple	48.7	4100	26.5	18.55	0.054
white oak	47.2	4012	25.7	17.99	0.056
sugar maple	44.2	3757	24	16.8	0.060
red oak	44.2	3757	24	16.8	0.060
beech	44.2	3757	24	16.8	0.060
yellow birch	43.4	3689	23.6	16.52	0.061
white ash	43.4	3689	23.6	16.52	0.061
hackberry	38.2	3247	20.8	14.56	0.069
tamarack	38.2	3247	20.8	14.56	0.069
paper birch	37.4	3179	20.3	14.21	0.070
cherry	36.7	3121	20	14	0.071
elm	35.9	3052	19.5	13.65	0.073
black ash	35.2	2992	19.1	13.37	0.075
red maple	34.4	2924	18.7	13.09	0.076
box elder	32.9	2797	17.9	12.53	0.080
jack pine	31.4	2669	17.1	11.97	0.084
norway pine	31.4	2669	17.1	11.97	0.084
hemlock	29.2	2482	15.9	11.13	0.090
black spruce	29.2	2482	15.9	11.13	0.090
ponderosa pine	28	2380	15.2	10.64	0.094
aspen	27	2290	14.7	10.29	0.097
white pine	26.3	2236	14.3	10.01	0.100
balsam fir	26.3	2236	14.3	10.01	0.100
cottonwood	24.8	2108	13.5	9.45	0.106
basswood	24.8	2108	13.5	9.45	0.106