Is Hackberry A Hardwood

Common hackberry sugarberry nettle tree beaverwood northern hackberry.

Is hackberry a hardwood.

Hackberry celtis occidentalis is a medium size tree that originated in north america hackberry wood has little difference between sapwood and heartwood which is yellowish grey to light brown. Its btus fall short of prime hardwoods but hackberry logs rate higher on heat than most other soft wooded trees. This makes it a very popular hardwood for this specific purpose. Hackberry might not be the best firewood you can find but it is far from the worst.

Expect to pay about 1 50 per board foot or less. Hackberry is closely related to sugarberry celtis laevigata and is a member of the elm family. The common hackberry is easily distinguished from elms and. Is hackberry good firewood.

Celtis occidentalis commonly known as the common hackberry is a large deciduous tree native to north america. Hackberry is planted as a street tree in midwestern cities because of its tolerance to a wide range of soil and moisture conditions. The sapwood of hackberry is pale yellow to grayish or greenish yellow while the heartwood is a yellowish gray brown to light brown. There is little difference between sapwood and heartwood which is yellowish grey to light brown with yellow streaks.

Used in inexpensive furniture where a light colored. See the articles wood allergies and toxicity and wood dust safety for more information. It is also known as the nettletree sugarberry beaverwood northern hackberry and american hackberry. Not widely available outside its natural range hackberry is regularly harvested and sold as utility lumber at a modest price within its natural range.

Although hackberry s commercial volume has steadily risen over the years don t expect to find it at a typical retail outlet. The demand just isn t there yet. Hackberry wood has an irregular grain that can sometimes be straight or interlocking and has a fine uniform texture. The proof is the coals which keep wood stoves burning reliably through cold nights.

It is a moderately long lived hardwood with a light colored wood yellowish gray to light brown with yellow streaks. But local mills within hackberry s range carry it and large hardwood suppliers can special order the wood. The wood is straight grained moderately hard strong in bending but weak in compression. In fact it will work wonders for many individuals.

Hackberry does shrink and swell in use when the humidity changes a little more than some hardwood species but not quite as much as oak or hard maple. In the all important heat department hackberry won t leave you lacking. First and foremost you should know that it is going to burn well.