My understanding is where this beech came from was mainly oaks 100 years ago, it was all logged and the beech were what came back first. The first tree was on the edge of the yard so I wasn’t surprised but the second was deeper in the forest and still twisted. BUT, I cut 8 rounds from the lower trunk and they split easily enough with just a bit of wave to the grain. Strange tree. I grabbed a few chunks from the stack I processed this spring (yes, I know it’s wet) and it burned well enough that I’ll process it all!
I processed some beech back in June. It came from a heavily wooded property, cleared to build a new house. It was heavy and very twisted. Made a lot of irregular pieces that didn't stack that well. But will be great firewood. I'll take all I can get!
EODMSgt do we have different beech than in other area. Beech here splits reasonably easily (far easier than elm) more BTU than soft maple I take all I can get. All my yellow birch gets wind damage
From what I can find, the American beech (Fagus grandifolia) that we have up our way is the same species (biologically) as in other states. And I'm with you; I'll take all that I can get. Regarding why we have a much easier time splitting it than some of the other forum members, this is what I found (which is totally in keeping with what Backwoods Savage said - which is not a surprise!): Wild Forest Beech • Straight Grain: Trees in a dense forest compete for sunlight. They grow straight and tall very quickly, resulting in a straight, uniform grain that splits easily. • Fewer Lower Branches: Because the lower sections of the tree are shaded out early in life, forest beech trees self-prune. This leaves long, clear trunks with very few knots to obstruct your maul or splitter. • Consistent Growth: Forest trees experience more uniform, shared environmental conditions, leading to predictable wood density. Urban / Yard Beech • Twisted & Interlocked Grain: Open-grown urban trees do not have to compete for light. They spread out in all directions, and wind exposure from all angles causes the tree to develop a twisted, interlocking grain that resists splitting. • Heavy Branching & Knots: Urban trees retain their lower branches and develop massive crowns. This means the logs are packed with dense knots and crotches, which can jam log splitters and deflect axes. • Reaction Wood: Street and yard trees often deal with uneven forces (pruning, property lines, directional wind, leaning for decorative landscaping). This creates "reaction wood," which is structurally highly stressed and notoriously difficult to split cleanly.
Tried to split the next round from the trunk and it’s back to hard and twisted again. What a strange tree. It’ll be satisfying to burn! (In 5 years)
