Maple Firewood

Maple covers two quite different firewoods. Sugar maple (hard maple) is dense and close to oak for heat. Red maple and silver maple (soft maples) are lighter, drier sooner and give noticeably less heat per cord. Both are common across the Northeast and Great Lakes.

Maple (sugar and red) firewood at a glance

Heat per cord: 18.7 (red) to 25.5 (sugar) million BTU
Weight per cord: 3,500 lb (air-dried)
Ease of splitting: ●●●○○ 3 of 5
Seasoning time: 9 to 12 months
Smoke: Low
Sparks: Few
Coals: Good
Scent: Faint, slightly sweet
Type: Hardwood
Common in (US): Northeast, Great Lakes, Midwest, Appalachia

Also called: Hard maple, Rock maple, Soft maple, Red mapleHeat and weight are typical published figures for air-dried wood at about 20% moisture. Real loads vary with moisture, growing conditions and how the cord is stacked. Compare all species.

Splitting maple

Straight maple splits reasonably well, but maple often has curly or interlocked grain near knots and crotches, and big sugar maple rounds can be stubborn. A mid-size hydraulic splitter is a comfortable match.

Seasoning maple

Most maple dries in about 9 to 12 months when split and stacked. Soft maples dry a little faster than sugar maple.

Burning maple

Seasoned maple burns cleanly with moderate flames and good coals. Sugar maple is a solid main-season wood; soft maple suits shoulder seasons and mixing.

Gear for maple

If you buy maple, ask which kind. A cord of sugar maple can hold a third more heat than a cord of red maple.

Splitters and splitting tools

Chainsaws

Stoves, storage and moisture

Size the splitter for your maple with the log splitter tonnage calculator, and see how many cords a winter takes with the firewood cord calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is maple good firewood?

Yes. Sugar maple is excellent heating wood, and red and silver maple are good, lighter woods for milder weather or mixing.

Is sugar maple better than red maple for firewood?

For heat, yes: sugar maple is denser and holds more heat per cord. Red maple dries a little faster.

How long does maple take to season?

About 9 to 12 months after splitting and stacking in a sunny, breezy spot.

Compare with similar woods

Black walnut (22.2 million BTU per cord), Douglas fir (21.4 million BTU per cord). Or see all 23 species side by side.