I've seen this tree for years and snapped a few pictures while I was out hunting Osage Orange. It's in a cove on the lower slope right next to the tractor path. Fairly wet area on the one side of the tractor path with lots of boxelders, sycamore, willow and hillside on the other side of the path with this, hickory, sugar maple and hackberry... Kind of funny how the path divides the species. It's about 8" dbh and not a very good looking tree but appears to be doing well in the shade from the larger trees. That entire side of the path is loaded with them although this is by far the largest of the population. Is this what you guys call ironwood?
Musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) This is what I call Ironwood, we have both on our property. http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/hophornbeam
I've learned that is some areas this is called ironwood but it is actually blue beech. Some call it musclewood because it resembles a muscle. Michigan has lots of ironwood and even has a city named Ironwood. What we have is a very slow growing tree but hard as a rock and it burns excellently. I can remember cutting some when I was a sawyer in a mill but do not remember for sure what they were to be used for. I think either some small beams or perhaps some fence posts.
This is Carpinus caroliniana, which has a lot of common names. American Hornbeam is the usual common name used in books, but Musclewood, Ironwood, and Blue Beech are all names I have heard for this tree. It isn't a particularly common or noticeable tree so a lot of people don't have any name for it. The wood is hard and dense, but it rots quickly.
Yes indeed it is rock hard and you will no doubt see sparks flying when cutting. And for sure it rots fast and I would not recommend trying to keep it over a year.
BTU wise, maybe not, but shagbark hickory is nearly as many btu's as Osage, and shagbark Hickory is a great firewood that doesn't spark and is fairly easy to start. While I've not burned Osage, that I'm aware of at least, I know it sparks a lot, I hear it's not easy to start and it's tough on chains. Shagbark bark can fly when cutting, so you have to be careful and wear eye and preferably face protection when cutting. On osage there's thorns that are dangerous and can wreck tires. Eh, a horse a piece... maybe? I'd trade someone a small amount ( face cord or less) of Shag for the same amount of Osage to see. Preferably to someone whose never burned shag.
i burn mostly coal since the burn time is longer in my stove than say a good hard wood. and for the price one ton here is cheaper than a cord of say shag bark.
Coal absolutely is the lowest cost per btu versus any wood. It's just not as clean as wood is carbon neutral.
We have both on our property. Shag is second best to Osage as far as BTU's are concerned. The main reason I don't burn much Shag in the wood stove is because it finds its way to the smoker. As far as thorns...yes lots. When you process an Osage tree you know you've done work. Heavy and thorny=bloody and tired.
Have you tried to burn madrone, live oak, almond, or manzanita yet? I ask because these are all equal or higher btu rated than hedge. I've burned all of those but almond, but had no base to compare as none of my "normal" woods were available out West.
I grew up on the Western Slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and we burned a ton of Live Oak and Manzanita. My dad's been clearing parts of his 10 acres that borders the National Forest for 35 years, and has still barely scratched the surface on both of those varieties. We used to have a huge smoke dragon of a stove when I was younger, and I remember that som'b1tch glowing orange on more than a couple occasions!
