The oak is an abundant tree that can supply a lot of great, dense, long burning firewood. Firewood produced by the red oak is comparable to cherry or walnut. Is this popular European style better than stacking firewood in rows? Water oak is the most common oak species in my area of Atlanta. Color/Appearance: Has a light to medium reddish-brown color, though there can be a fair amount of variation in color. IT BIT ME and there was no bug under me ya so that is my experience with water oak trees. It often checks and cracks.

But, it has a significant crack… Read more », I think they were bugs that bit you! Itch Mites Itch mites are a fairly new insect discovery, first noted in 2004, according to University of Nebraska at Lincoln Extension. Odor: Has a tell-tale smell that is common to most oaks.

Use the Campfire Can fire starter kit to make building your next fire quick and easy. You just couldn’t see them. The acorn also serves as the seed for the oak tree, allowing the tree to spread and the species to survive.

Copyright © 2008-2020 Eric Meier | All Rights Reserved. The oak tree can live for 200 years and grow as tall as 100 feet. The trees are moderate to fast growing and can thrive in a variety of soil conditions.



The pin oak, also called the spanish swamp oak, is native to Northern American and is typically found in the eastern United States and southern Canada. Common Name Species Name Weight(lbs./Cord) MBTU/Cord Months to Dry; Osage Orange (Hedge) Maclura pomifera: 4,845: 30.0: 12: Oak, Gamble: Quercus gambelii: 3,818 Question Water Oak in Mississippi is plentiful. However, only a small percentage of acorns actually become an oak tree. The trees start producing acorns when they are 20 years old. If you let the wood season, it will be worth the wait.

(This is a monthly update, and your email will be kept private.). Here's a discussion of some Oak tree varieties and some information on their characteristics. Return from Oak Firewood to Firewood Types. The wood is very dense, heavy and provides excellent heat for your home. Conversely, White Oak tends to be slightly more olive-colored, but is by no means a reliable method of determining the type of oak. Even in the most ideal conditions, the oak will only produce an excellent crop about every 4-10 years.

Comments: Water Oak falls into the red oak group, and shares many of the same traits as Red Oak (Quercus rubra). A full review of the Hults Bruk splitting axe. Common Uses: Cabinetry, furniture, interior trim, flooring, and veneer. Workability: Easy to glue, and takes stain and finishes very well. The oak species consists of about 600 different types of trees. One thing I have found with oak is that it's difficult to split and takes a long time to season. While not as hard as the white oak, the red oak is a nice hardwood suitable for many purposes. Most find it appealing. The pin oak has several small dead branches that stick out from the trunk like "pins" resulting in the name of the tree.

More than 16,000 mites can fall from a single infected leaf, according to UNL Extension. Are Rosewoods (and Bubinga) really banned by CITES? … I have a bo staff I bought on-line and later deduced from the grain that it is water oak. Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation, Job Opportunities and Woodworking Services, Locally common names for Oak varieties can cause confusion. Water oak is the most common oak species in my area of Atlanta. Read more: Mites on Oak… Read more ». Oak firewood is a popular choice for many people who use firewood for heat. The trees grow in swampy, lowland areas and produce a small thin acorns which are dispersed from September to December. Water oak makes fine boards, especially if stem diameter is between 2 and 3 feet.

See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information. We have a very large one to cut down today and I was wondering what to do with it. Generic description does not note the unique grain of the water oak. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation, as well as asthma-like symptoms. The acorns are an important food source for many animals.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. As a reminder, we may receive a small share of the sale. Identifying and Using Hundreds of Woods Worldwide, POSTER: Worldwide Woods: Ranked by Hardness. Mites need about four hours on a human before they start biting. The oak leaf gall mite feeds on the larva of midges. We hope you love the products and ideas we recommend! Reply? Here in the South I've always heard it called water oak or pin oak. Had to take down a small tree in a bad spot in my backyard. Three common species of oak are the northern red oak, white oak and pin oak. Tree Size: 50-80 ft (15-24 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1 m) trunk diameter, Average Dried Weight: 45 lbs/ft3 (725 kg/m3), Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .56, .73, Modulus of Rupture: 16,620 lbf/in2 (114.6 MPa), Elastic Modulus: 2,034,000 lbf/in2 (14.02 GPa), Crushing Strength: 6,770 lbf/in2 (46.7 MPa), Shrinkage:Radial: 4.4%, Tangential: 9.8%, Volumetric: 16.1%, T/R Ratio: 2.2. Is the Sarek the perfect axe for camping or splitting firewood? Fluorescence: A Secret Weapon in Wood Identification, Bow Woods (from a mathematical perspective), Brazilian Rosewood, East Indian, and Other Rosewoods, Genuine Lignum Vitae and Argentine Lignum Vitae, BOOK: WOOD! Red oak will produce 24.6 million BTU's per cord. But, you can see in the pictures.

Green firewood only gives off about 40% of the energy of dry firewood.

The pin oak is one of the most popular ornamental trees found in the United States. I have a little experience with water oak as firewood. The trees thrive in low land, acidic soils, so if they are planted in poor soil with a low iron content the trees can become sick, causing the lower branches to droop. True or false? From the original questioner: ... What is confusing about water oak and "pin oak" in the South is that locally in many places, willow oak and laurel oak are called "pin oak." The wood is harder than the red oak and its premium firewood is comparable to beech or maple. Trying to plane a 2″ thick slab will often result in only sawdust, as every pass results in some significant checks. February 9, 2008, KnowledgeBase: Lumber & Plywood: Wood Identification, KnowledgeBase: Wood Engineering: Wood Properties. Click here for more information. Prone to checking, warping, bowing, twisting like they say? We hope you love the products and ideas we recommend! Has been nearly a year since I took down the tree and cut it into logs, it still burns like greenwood: sputters sap out of the ends. Depending on who you ask the answer could be yes. Forum Responses Only about 1 acorn in 10,000 will become an oak tree. Thicker 8/4 planks, or quartersawn boards are slightly more expensive per board foot. Much of the energy generated from burning green firewood actually goes toward evaporating the water held in the wood.

The trees grow about 60-70 feet tall and live around 90-120 years. The wood from the hickory family of trees, which includes pecan trees, is also very dense and prized for use as firewood, being of similar quality to oak. While the pin oak is not as desirable for furniture, cabinets and flooring as the red oak, the tree still produces great firewood. FYI: I receive a commission on sales generated through links to Amazon, eBay, etc. Pricing/Availability: Slightly less expensive than White Oak, Red Oak is in good/sustainable supply and is moderately priced. Find out here! Pin oak and water oak are not the same tree. The acorn is an important food source for deer, turkeys, squirrels and many other wildlife. Is oak the best firewood choice? Is it less stable? If you burn oak firewood you will not be disappointed. The red oak is commonly used to produce railroad ties, cabinets, flooring, caskets, furniture and lumber.

As an arborist and woodworker I look at a lot of nice big straight Quercus Nigra logs and wonder how the wood is favored among the oaks. One unique characteristic of oak firewood is the smell after it has been cut. Green Vs. Dry Wood - Firewood should be dried (seasoned) to 10% to 20% moisture content for best burning performance. The wood is harder than the red oak and its premium firewood is comparable to beech or maple.