Sycamore Firewood

Sycamore is a large tree of river bottoms in the East and Midwest. It gives moderate heat, but its interlocked grain makes it one of the hardest woods to split.

Sycamore firewood at a glance

Heat per cord: 19.5 million BTU
Weight per cord: 2,800 lb (air-dried)
Ease of splitting: ●○○○○ 1 of 5
Seasoning time: 12 to 18 months
Smoke: Low
Sparks: Few
Coals: Fair
Scent: Faint
Type: Hardwood
Common in (US): Midwest, South, Appalachia, Mid-Atlantic

Also called: American sycamore, ButtonwoodHeat 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 sycamore

Sycamore’s grain interlocks so strongly that it can be almost impossible to split by hand. Use a powerful hydraulic splitter, split it frozen or dry, or noodle big rounds with a chainsaw.

Seasoning sycamore

Sycamore needs about 12 to 18 months after splitting to dry.

Burning sycamore

Dry sycamore burns with moderate heat, low smoke and fair coals.

Gear for sycamore

If you have a lot of sycamore, a vertical splitter that lets you work big rounds without lifting them is worth considering.

Splitters and splitting tools

Chainsaws

Stoves, storage and moisture

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sycamore good firewood?

It is fair, mid-range firewood once dry. Splitting it is the challenge.

Why is sycamore so hard to split?

Its grain interlocks, so the wood tears rather than splitting cleanly.

How long does sycamore take to season?

About 12 to 18 months after splitting.

Compare with similar woods

Elm (20.0 million BTU per cord), Eastern red cedar (18.2 million BTU per cord). Or see all 23 species side by side.