Yep it is true. Every one should just drop off all that excess boxelder in my yard for proper disposal.
Hey bud, I to am from SE Wisconsin too. I burn a lot of Boxelder. My house is still standing. I believe Mr. Eric VW said it best.
Excess fiber causes gas...should burn pretty clean actually I like burning the "very fiberous" (read: stringy) Elm, it lights off easily, burn very hot right off the bat, and then makes long lasting coals
Or Spruce, the neighbors probably think I am crazy. Yup, crazy about that cord out front. Not crazy about hand splitting it though...
Box elder is not my friend. You can burn it and and it burns fine and dries fast. But the stuff I have was awful to split, smells bad, and rots quickly. I would gladly trade it for some popular or pine/spruce. I would only put it slightly ahead of willow.
I burned a lot of Box elder in the past along with silver maple, just because of short drying time when split smallish easy lighting but still controllable, and lots of it around for free when most were concentrating on the oak/ hickory and such. I agree that most are a pain to split- I would get it down to where I could get it through the band saw to finish it to size. Pretty much kept the utility sharks at bay for the 7 years I had my trailer. as to the opening comment on the person who said too fibrous- Less than well educated urban know it all at least in the area of wood stoves and such, type that you can't re-educate- we all know a few of these.
