Can You Burn Mulberry Wood In A Wood Stove?

Mulberry wood is a high density of BTU wood. It is obtained from a mulberry tree that grows to a height of about 20-40 feet tall.

When mulberry is mentioned, mixed reactions come up depending on who you talk to about it.

Mulberry is hailed for its high heat production when burnt. Some people have complaints about the time it takes to dry.

Others have little or no idea how to season and use it. If that is you, perhaps you’ve not landed on ideas of how you can make great use of mulberry wood in your wood stove.

You might have been using other sources of fuel like coal, hemlock, magnolia and have not tried mulberry.

Can You Burn Mulberry Wood In A Wood Stove?

Definitely! Mulberry wood can be burnt in a wood stove. This is especially true if you have just erected a new home and are looking for better ways to spice up your experience or stay. Keep reading this article to explore new insights on how to season and use mulberry wood in a wood stove. We also look at why this is a good choice in your manufactured home and much more!

How to Identify Mulberry Wood

Mulberry wood has distinctive characteristics that make it identifiable with ease.

The heartwood of mulberry is characteristically golden brown.

The outer layers are yellow.

When processed and exposed to air, the color of the woods gets darker within some weeks.

It usually has two colors as it dries up. T

he upper part turns brown while the bottom becomes yellow.

Is Mulberry A Hard Or Soft Wood?

Mulberry is a hardwood tree. This is usually controversial since its wood is smooth.

The tree can grow very tall, and the wood can be used to produce boards for furniture.

Besides, the mulberry hardwood has gained immense reputations as a great choice of wood.

People mention that it takes a very long time to dry since it has higher water content. The trick is to give it plenty of time to dry. It is excellent firewood.

Related: Can You Burn Leylandii Wood in A Wood Stove?

Four Tips Regarding How To Season Mulberry Wood

1. Split them properly

Mulberry wood dries very fast when split into small pieces.

Logs will take a very long time to dry. Besides, splitting them reduces them to sizable pieces that will fit into your wood stove.

Ideally, splitting mulberry logs exposes a larger surface area to the wind and the sun, which are primary drying agents.

2. Keep The Split Wood On An Elevated Store

Well, you may require extra effort here, but it is worth it.

You could put the stack of split mulberry pieces on some pallets or planks.

The goal is to increase airflow between the wood. They will dry very fast.

3. Stack Them Properly

Stack the mulberry wood properly in an area that receives maximum sunshine and good airflow.

Where possible, avoid locations near buildings that can shade the stacks.

Also, arrange them in such a way that the face of the stack faces the direction of the breeze.

Related: Should You Store Mulberry Wood in The Garage?

4. Cover them

This will help drain any snow or rain. Just be careful enough to ensure that the cover does not block air circulation, especially from the sides of the stack.

Otherwise, it may trap moisture and take a long time to dry.

What’s The Heating Value of Mulberry?

Mulberry wood is, undeniably, very dense. This translates to high heating value.

The point is that you get more value for your money if you make mulberry wood your choice of fuel.

Others like oak and elm that are less dense have a lower heating value.

You make your heating economical when you choose mulberry wood.

A cord of mulberry, for instance, provides you with more than 23 BTUs of heat. Comparing this value with that of pine, which provides about 10 BTUs of heat, indicates that mulberry is a great fuel for your wood stove.

What’s the Smell of Mulberry Wood When Burnt?

A sweet smell is emitted when mulberry wood is burnt. This owes to the large amounts of natural sugar deposits in mulberry trees.

They exude a characteristic scent, which is one of the factors that makes mulberry wood a smart choice for heating.

While producing immense heat, it serves as a natural freshener for your manufactured home.

Other species of trees release bad odors that irritate the eyes and cause general discomfort. Some are sickening.

Mulberry Vs. Other Wood (Here Are Six Differences)

Mulberry is an excellent wood for your wood stove.

How does it compare with other wood?

Keep reading to understand the differences between mulberry and other woods and prove that it is, indeed, a good choice of fuel to use in your stove.

1. Heat Output

Well, as we had mentioned, mulberry wood has a very high density as compared to other woods, and this translates to a higher heat value.

It produces a large quantity of heat as compared to ash, which most people use for fuel.

Heat output is a significant feature of firewood. It is, therefore, true to say mulberry saves your fuel expenditure.

2. Smoke

Well, when it comes to smoke, mulberry lies in the middle of the spectrum.

It does not, however, exude a lot of it. What balances this off is the sweet smell that it produces. In comparison with oak wood and ash, mulberry wood produces more smoke.

Mulberry produces less smoke as compared to other wood such as pine and hard maple.

It is also important to note that high smoke production in your mulberry wood is a clear sign that you did not season it well.

It is recommended to season your wood very well before using it in your wood stove. Follow the guidelines we had mentioned earlier and enjoy a worthwhile experience with mulberry wood.

3. Sparks

Perhaps this is the biggest downside of mulberry wood. It is widely known to release a lot of sparks. This can be a problem, but it depends on how you put the wood into the stove.

You need to keep most parts of your stove closed and still allow some space for air to get in and ensure healthy combustion.

This will help you avoid fire risks and burn marks that stray sparks can potentially cause. So use mulberry in an enclosed wood stove and heat without worries in your manufactured home.

4. Smell

Mulberry exudes a very sweet smell when burnt, and most people love it.

Hickory and cherry have a nice fragrance, and people love using them as smoking agents.

Mulberry does not smell as good as cherry and hickory, but it lies on top of the spectrum when compared with other wood fuels.

Some wood fuels like Elm and Buckeye produce an unpleasant smell, which can cause discomfort and irritate the eyes. Mulberry remains a smart choice for your wood stove.

5. Coals

Coaling is a primary factor considered when rating firewood.

Well, all kinds of firewood produce coal when burnt. How long the fire will keep burning depends on the quality of coals the wood produces.

Firewood that has quality coals is a good choice for long term heating. If you need your stove to keep burning throughout the night, for instance, you need to use wood that produces high-quality coals.

Besides, coals that burn for a long time makes it easy to restart the fire later on. You will just have to add more wood.

Needless to say, firewood that ranks on top of the BTU heat production list has quality coals, and that makes mulberry a smart choice.

Coals from mulberry, compared to other woods, burn for a very long time. If you are going to leave your stove to burn throughout the night, make sure it is enclosed.

Mulberry wood sparks a lot. You don’t want to wake up to find your manufactured home flaming.

6. Creosote

Creosote is a black tar released by burning wood.

Every wood does produce creosote, but the quantities vary with the type of wood you are using. It is important to check the maintenance of your wood stove to monitor creosote buildup.

You need to, especially, check the chimney regions. Pine produces immense creosote when burnt. This is going to be a poor choice for your wood stove.

All you need to do is make sure that wood is properly seasoned.

This minimizes the amount of creosote release. Sappy wood tends to release immense creosote.

With mulberry, creosote release lies in the middle of the spectrum. When properly seasoned, this effect is reduced a great deal.

Closing Remarks

As you’ve noticed, mulberry wood is an excellent choice for heating your stove.

Just make sure that your stove is closed to tame sparks that are released as it burns. Also, make sure that they are properly seasoned to avoid huge smoke and creosote buildup.

You can economize a lot on wood fuel with mulberry firewood.

Their high BTU value makes them great assets when it comes to wood choice. We hope this guide is going to better your experience with mulberry wood in your manufactured home.

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