Pitch Pine Firewood

The name says it all. Pitch pine is loaded with resin, and that resin is both the best and worst thing about burning it. Old-timers in the Northeast used to split pitch pine into thin sticks and use them as torches, "candlewood," they called it. That should tell you something about how this stuff burns.

At 17 million BTU per cord and 2,635 lbs dry weight, pitch pine sits in the lower-middle range. Not terrible, not great. You can see how it stacks up against all 70 species on our firewood BTU chart. The resin content gives it a hot, aggressive flame that's great for getting a fire ripping fast.

Here's the catch: smoke is high and sparks are many. That resin pops and crackles like crazy. Keep pitch pine in a closed stove or insert, period. I wouldn't burn it in an open fireplace any more than I'd light a Roman candle in my living room. On the plus side, splitting is easy, and it smells fantastic, that rich, sweet pine fragrance fills the whole yard when you're processing it.

Seasoning takes 6 to 12 months. The resin actually helps it resist rot while it dries, so it's forgiving if your stack sits out a little longer than planned. Availability is moderate, mostly limited to the Northeast where pitch pine grows in sandy, rocky soils that other trees won't touch.

Pitch pine is a great kindling and fire-starter wood. Split it small, use it to get your hardwood load going, and let the real heating wood take over from there. If you want a similar pine with less drama in the spark department, take a look at Norway Pine firewood.