Pacific Dogwood Firewood

Don't let the delicate spring blossoms fool you. Pacific Dogwood is a surprisingly capable firewood that punches out 24.8 million BTU per cord. It's not the first species anyone thinks of for the woodpile, but if you've got it on your property in the Pacific Northwest, it's absolutely worth burning.

Heat-wise, 24.8M BTU/cord puts Pacific Dogwood in solid company, above Sugar Maple, above most of the birches, and right in the mix with a lot of premium eastern hardwoods. At 3,995 lbs per cord dry weight, it's dense enough to provide sustained warmth. The coal quality is fair, so it won't hold overnight as well as oak, but it's perfectly good for evening burns.

Splitting is where Pacific Dogwood gets tricky. The grain can be interlocked and stringy, making it difficult to bust apart by hand. A sharp maul helps, and smaller rounds are definitely easier. On the plus side, it burns with low smoke and very few sparks, nice and clean once it's in the firebox.

Season Pacific Dogwood for 18 to 24 months. It's a dense hardwood that needs proper drying time to perform well. Stack it in a single row with good sun exposure and air circulation. Check it with a moisture meter before burning, you want to be under 20%.

Pacific Dogwood grows across the west and Pacific Northwest, but availability is limited. You're not going to find cords of it for sale. This is more of an opportunistic firewood. A tree comes down, you buck it up, you're glad you did. If you're after more available high-heat options from the same region, check out Madrone firewood. And if you're curious how different firewood types compare, we've got a full breakdown for you.