Osage orange Firewood

Osage orange, also called hedge or hedge apple, has the highest heat per cord of any common US firewood. Planted widely as hedgerows on the Plains, it is extremely dense and rot-resistant.

Splitting osage orange

Osage orange is very hard and can be difficult to split, especially in large, knotty pieces. It is also hard on chainsaw chains, so keep a file handy.

Seasoning osage orange

It starts out relatively dry for such a dense wood but still benefits from a year after splitting.

Burning osage orange

Dry osage orange burns extremely hot and long and pops and throws a lot of sparks. It is best in a closed stove, and in small amounts mixed with other wood to avoid overfiring.

Gear for osage orange

Never fill a small stove with osage orange alone. Its heat can push a stove past safe temperatures.

Splitters and splitting tools

• Best Vertical Log Splitter: 5 Horizontal/Vertical Gas Splitters
• Best Gas Log Splitter Under $2,000: 5 Splitters from 20 to 36 Tons
• How Many Tons of Log Splitter Do I Need? A Sizing Chart

Chainsaws

• Best Chainsaw for Firewood: 5 Gas Saws for Cutting Cords
• Best Chainsaw Under $300: 5 Gas Saws for Firewood and Cleanup

Stoves, storage and moisture

• Best Firewood Moisture Meter: 5 Pin Meters for Seasoned Wood
• Best Firewood Rack with Cover: 5 Outdoor Racks Compared

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is osage orange the hottest firewood?

Among common US firewoods it has about the highest heat per cord.

Can osage orange damage a wood stove?

Overloading a stove with it can cause overfiring. Mix it with other wood and follow the stove’s loading limits.

Is osage orange good in a fireplace?

It sparks a lot, so it is better suited to a closed stove.

Compare with similar woods

Black locust (27.9 million BTU per cord). Or see all 23 species side by side.