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Whether it’s in a wood-burning stove, a fireplace, or outdoors around the campsite, you want a hot fire that warms up fast. After all, that’s the main reason to have a fire, isn’t it? When buying or preparing firewood for the burning season, you probably want to know – what is the hottest burning wood?

Hardwood species such as oak, maple, ash, and most fruit trees will provide you with the hottest burning, and longest-lasting coals for your money. Hardwoods are denser than softwoods such as pine, so they have more fuel to burn hotter and last longer.

For intense heat that makes you take a step back from the fire before you start sizzling like bacon in a frying pan, you need a dry, dense wood that puts off a flame as hot as the surface of Mercury. Keep on reading as we go over 10 of the hottest burning firewoods, and how long they will last in the fire!

Determining ‘Hotness’ In Firewood

We were all taught at an early age that “fire is hot”, whether that was because your parents drilled it into your head, or they let you learn by making your own mistakes. Determining how hot firewood is, takes a bit more of a scientific approach.

We use BTUs, or British Thermal Units to measure the heat from firewood, heaters, or other sources of heat. One BTU is the amount of heat energy it takes to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree.

For firewood, the heat output is measured by how many BTUs are put out per cord of wood. A cord is the standard measure of a load of firewood and is usually sold by the cord. In terms of measurement, a cord of wood equals 128 cubic feet of split, stacked firewood (a 4’ x 4’ x 8’ stack of wood).

10 Hottest Burning Firewoods

We are assuming all of these firewood varieties have been properly seasoned before they are burned. Properly seasoned typically means the moisture content in the wood is around 20% moisture or less.

The only way to properly tell if firewood is properly seasoned is to use a moisture meter. This Moisture Meter For Wood is an inexpensive way to test for that magical number of 20%.

All you have to do is poke the pins into the wood and it will give you a digital readout of the moisture content in firewood, and even a few other materials.

Remember, you always want to check the moisture content of firewood before using it.

Without further ado, let’s get into the million-dollar question of what is the hottest burning firewood? Not all of these firewoods will be available for you to purchase, but if you happen to come across them, or you can cut them down yourself, then count yourself lucky.

10. Sugar Maple

There are a lot of maple tree varieties, from silver maple, and red maple, to sugar maple and bigleaf maple, there are around 125 different varieties. For this list, we are focusing on the sugar maple, as it is one of the hottest burning maple varieties.

Sugar maple is the same maple tree that makes the amazing morning syrup you slather all over pancakes, french toast, and waffles. Once the tree no longer is viable for syrup production, it makes great firewood, especially since you can probably get an entire cord of wood from just one tree.

Maple wood as firewood is a great all-around type of firewood. It may not be as dense or as hot as others like oak and hickory, but it makes up for that by being readily available in most areas, and for seasoning relatively quickly.

You don’t want maple to sit around too long because if it gets too old it can start to put off a funny smell when it’s burned.

Season your sugar maple wood for about six months and you will get a great, hot burning, long-lasting wood that will also give you a great aroma.

Some people report smelling maple syrup when it burns. The only bad thing about making your house smell like maple syrup is that you’ll then want pancakes for dinner.

Properly seasoned sugar maple firewood puts off around 24 million BTUs per cord of wood. To put that into context, let’s set it next to a ton of coal, which is burned in many areas to create electricity for communities.

One ton of coal puts off 26 million BTUs; considering a cord of wood can weigh approximately one ton, sugar maple firewood is an excellent heating source. 

9. Mulberry

If you have ever seen these trees or had them growing on your property, you probably groaned a little bit. These trees are notorious for dropping tons of nearly tasteless berries that resemble elongated blackberries.

You don’t want to walk through them because the purple juice will stain your shoes and everything you walk in. You also don’t ever want to park near a mulberry tree, because not only will you have tons of berries splattering all over your car, but birds flock to these trees to eat the ripe berries, leaving purple and white droppings everywhere.

The berries can be eaten, but they don’t have much taste. You can also make jams, wines, and desserts out of them which are better since you usually add some flavor to them.

Mulberry trees also grow like weeds everywhere because of their massive seed dispersal, and they are fast-growing trees.

The birds help with this by depositing seeds everywhere they leave their poop. But if you cut this tree down and split it, you’ll have great firewood!

The only downside to mulberry firewood is the long seasoning time. After it is cut and split, it will need to season for at least a year. Mulberry trees contain a lot of moisture in the wood, so it takes longer to season.

Mulberry wood, once it’s properly seasoned, burns hot and it will burn for a long time without much smoke. It will keep a hotbed of coals that will last several hours as it’s one of the slowest burning woods. Mulberry wood, like most fruitwoods, puts off a pleasing scent when it’s burned, so it works great in fireplaces and campfires.

The second contender in our hottest burning firewood list, Mulberry wood, comes in at 25.8 million BTUs per cord of wood.

8. Black Birch

There are a lot of species of birch wood that are great for firewood, but the black birch shoves all others out of the way to come out on top. Black birch can be identified by dark brown bark and shiny, dark green serrated leaves that turn bright yellow in the fall.

Black birch trees are a very dense variety of birch trees. It contains long, thick fibers inside the wood that makes for a hot burning and very long-lasting firewood.

The black birch tree doesn’t take long to season, less than a year, so you could theoretically cut it, dry it, and burn it all the same year. This firewood does not put off a lot of smoke, it doesn’t throw many sparks, and it produces a sweet-smelling aroma when it burns.

As far as heat, the black birch packs about 26.8 million BTUs inside a cord of wood.

7. Applewood

Another wonderfully smelling wood that also produces scorching heat is applewood. Yes, the same tree that produces the fruit touted to keep the doctor away is a great heating source.

Applewood is a little difficult to find though because it’s more lucrative as a fruit producer. If you do happen to come across some though you should certainly snatch it up.

Maybe a neighbor needs their apple tree taken down, or an orchard is replacing some of their trees, if so, it never hurts to ask if you could take the trees yourself to process for firewood.

Not only is it great for heating your house, but the flavorful smoke it produces gives meats a delightful smoky flavor. Applewood smoked bacon, barbecue, or chicken anyone? Yes please! Fill my plate up.

But as firewood to heat your house it is great. It takes about a year to season, but you won’t regret waiting that long because of the great aroma, and hot flames it produces, and applewood will burn for a long time.

In a fire, from start to finish, it will probably last between 5 to 6 hours!

Jumping up a notch, apple firewood comes in at a sweltering 27 million BTUs per cord of firewood.

I’m a HUGE fan of applewood trees overall, as they are one of the trees that produce the least amount of smoke overall!

6. Hornbeam

Hornbeam wood is one of those that are usually hard to come by because they are great firewood that is usually felled before they get too tall or old.

They are especially hard to identify as they look incredibly similar to other trees. One of the tell-tale features of hornbeam trees though is the undulating appearance of the limbs.

The limbs look like they have cords running underneath smooth bark. The leaves look very similar to birch tree leaves, except the serrations are slightly wider.

For some, these trees can be difficult to split as well. To keep from getting aggravated, you may have to split the hornbeam with a hydraulic splitter if you have one.

Hornbeam firewood also needs a long time to season. This is very fickle firewood. If you have experience with avocados and wait for them to become ripe, you’ll see certain similar characteristics to hornbeam wood.

The wood takes a year with premium conditions to dry out, but you’d be best to wait two seasons to dry the wood, but once it’s dry enough to burn, the wood then tends to get moldy and go bad relatively quickly.

Like a green avocado, you wait forever for it to ripen, but when it does, you have a tiny window of use before it turns into brown, unappetizing mush.

For all its fickle attributes, the hornbeam makes for a wonderfully hot, long-lasting firewood.

A hornbeam bed of coals will glow bright orange and keep the heat for many hours. The wood produces a scorching 27.1 million BTUs per cord, so it will help to keep your house nice and toasty!

5. Beech

Halfway through the list, we find the majestic beech tree. These trees can grow to over 100 feet tall, so if you come across these giants, you could end up with a lot of firewood from just one single tree.

Beech firewood has a faint, nutty aroma when it’s burned, but it truly shines because of the intense heat it creates.

This is due to the low moisture content of the wood once it finally completes seasoning. Most woods will naturally dry to around 20% moisture; whereas beech trees can fall between 12%-17% moisture content. 

It’s this low moisture that makes this firewood such a ‘hothead’. The only problem with beech as firewood is if you’re cutting it yourself, you will have to let it season for two years to get that extra low moisture content.

If you season it for one year and then burn beech firewood, you will probably get a lot more smoke coming off the firewood than you would if you let it season an extra year.

Beechwood is also a tough wood to split, so this is one you’d be better off with a hydraulic splitter than going about it with a maul or splitting ax.

You will be rewarded for your patience with a wood that burns 27.5 million BTUs per cord of wood. Burning this wood in your fireplace or woodstove means you can build up the fire at night, then when you wake up in the morning, you will still have a warm bed of coals to get a new fire started!

4. Hickory

Hickory is firewood that is often readily available in many areas because it grows along the east coast of the United States, Canada, and into the midwest regions. Hickory wood is also popular for furniture, tool handles, and flooring because of its incredible strength.

Hickory trees also produce nuts that deer, squirrels, and even humans enjoy.

As firewood though, hickory is extremely hard to beat. It’s one of the best firewoods you can find because of the heat, longevity, and availability. Hickory firewood also produces a pleasing aroma that is utilized in many charcoals or chips for barbecue smokers.

Splitting this super-dense wood will be a chore because it is very hard. I have seen people bounce a sharp ax right off of logs before. After it is all split, it will take about a year to season, but then you have one of the longest-lasting, hottest burning firewoods you can find.

Hickory firewood does not spit off many sparks, and it produces very little smoke. A cord of hickory firewood will produce about 28.5 million BTUs of heat.

If you have some of these trees on your property or can find some that you can cut, they will provide plenty of warmth for those bone-chilling winters.

You can take a look at our full list of the slowest burning firewoods if you want something that burns longer and not just hotter!

3. Black Locust

Next up on our list, we have the black locust tree. This tree is one of the fastest-growing trees around, which is rather unusual because it’s still a very dense tree. Most fast-growing trees tend to be softwoods like pine or other evergreen species.

The black locust tree grows so fast in fact, that in many areas it’s considered an invasive species. Just cutting them down usually isn’t enough to keep them under control. Some people have resorted to using herbicides to get rid of their black locusts.

The National Resources Conservation Service has this to say about the invasiveness of black locust; when black locust is introduced into an area, they cast a wide net of shadow that starves out other sun-loving plants. These trees can get so dense that very little ground vegetation grows underneath them.

This may help you if you are looking for good firewood because neighbors or people dealing with these trees will probably let you come in and cut them down for them.

Black locust, even being this dense, is easy to split wood. You won’t be fighting with one block all day. It only needs to be seasoned for one year before burning, and once it’s ready you have top-notch firewood. I hear you saying, “I sense a ‘but’ coming,” and you’re correct…

Black locust trees have a lot of long, sharp thorns on their leaf-bearing branches. If you are dealing with this wood, you will have to wear some protective gloves such as these Wells Lamont Men’s Heavy Duty Leather Ranching & Fencer Gloves. These thick, leather gloves will help protect you from the thorns of black locust trees.

After you have dealt with the insidious thorns, you will end up with firewood that puts off a whopping 29.3 million BTUs per cord of wood.

With the right gear, and taking an extra step or two of caution, black locust firewood is truly hard-to-beat firewood.

2. White Oak

Whatever type of oak you burn as firewood, you can’t go wrong. Oak firewood, in my humble opinion, is the king of firewood. It may not be as hot as the top firewood, or it may not put off a sweet smell like applewood or cherry, but because of everything else, oak is all around the best.

Now, we say white oak simply because it’s proven that white oak makes better firewood than red oak.

Overall, it’s better than most other firewoods due to it’s natural abundance as well!

Other woods burn hotter, others burn longer, but not by much. What puts oak over the top of all the others is because of the availability, ease of splitting, low smoke, heat, and longevity of an oak fire. 

Oak firewood is one firewood that will last all night long. Once you have a good bed of coals, you can put a few new logs on, go to bed, then wake up to still warm embers that are easily stoked back up.

White oak needs a year to season. It does hold a lot of moisture and needs a full season to lose enough of that moisture to make a good fire. Wet, or green wood usually smokes a lot, doesn’t put off as much heat, and is harder to burn than properly seasoned firewood.

White oak is at the top of the list of oak trees for heat output. Most oak trees put off a ton of heat when they burn, but the white oak is at the top of the list with an astounding 30.7 million BTUs of heat per cord of wood.

You can view our full list of the best oak trees for firewood here to learn more in-depth information!

1. Osage Orange 

As we reach the top of the list for hottest firewoods we get to a contender that isn’t available everywhere, it’s a pain to split and doesn’t grow very tall, but if you want a heat as hot as Hades’ toejam, you can’t go wrong with osage orange.

Another name for this tree is the horse apple, but it’s neither orange nor apple tree. It produces green, grapefruit-sized, wrinkly, fibrous fruits that produce a sticky, latex-like sap when cut or crushed.

Many people consider this tree a nuisance because of the large fruits that animals don’t want to eat, and end up everywhere. It has thorns, and if it’s cut down, the tree will quickly sprout off many, thorny off-shoots, and keep growing.

Osage orange wood is so dense, that if you’re cutting down a single tree, you will need to bring along a few extra, sharpened chains because you will need them.

You should split it as soon as you can as well, as the wood dries, it gets harder to split.

If you’ve been able to cut and split a few cords of osage orange for firewood, leave it seasoning for about a year. Some say you can burn it after six months, but I’d leave it a few more months just to make sure.

When burning this wood, it will get insanely hot. Some people have reported damage to their wood-burning stoves when they burn this firewood.

If you are using osage orange as firewood, it would be best to supplement it with something that doesn’t burn quite as hot like cherry. Other than that, burn it outside in a campfire setting to help keep away the cool night.

This firewood is definitely not fireplace wood though. Osage orange puts off a showering spark show akin to a 4th of July celebration. All the previous firewoods in this list, only spark or crackle very infrequently, but the horse apple tree throws sparks constantly.

According to Nebraska Game and Parks, dried, seasoned, osage orange wood produced the highest amount of BTUs from native trees. However, when the wood burns it produces a considerable amount of sparks.

Even when you properly season osage orange, a thick, sticky sap remains behind. That’s the reason for the sparks. As the wood burns, the sap burns and crackles as well, throwing off a constant show of sparks.

While osage orange wood puts off a staggering 32.9 million BTUs of heat per cord, it also throws off a fireworks stand worth of sparks.

Osage orange is the unstoppable beast of heat when it comes to firewood, but with all the sparks, you’d be better off going with white oak firewood. See why I said oak is the king of firewood? Wink, wink.

That’s A Wrap!

Whether you’re using the firewood in a wood-burning stove, in your fireplace for supplemental heat, or outside in a campfire setting, these firewoods will certainly keep you warm for hours.

Even with average firewood, you are getting about 20 million BTUs per cord, which will certainly keep your home warm. But if you are looking for firewood that will fight off the chill of winter like a champion prize-fighter, you can’t go wrong with white oak, hickory, black locust, beech, or any other firewood on this list.

Good luck on your firewood journey!

References

Abbot, P., Lowore, J., Khofi, C., & Werren, M. (1997). Defining firewood quality: A comparison of quantitative and rapid appraisal techniques to evaluate firewood species from a southern African savanna. Biomass and Bioenergy, 12(6), 429-437.

Basham, Elizabeth. The West Virginia Friends of Firewood Network: Engaging with and exploring the practices of firewood producers. West Virginia University, 2013.

Zou, L. Y., Zhang, W., & Atkiston, S. (2003). The characterisation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emissions from burning of different firewood species in Australia. Environmental Pollution, 124(2), 283-289.

Did you know certain plants love acidic soil, while others despise it? Acidic soil can be great for your treess, especially if you live in areas that have loamy soil. On the other hand, it could be an issue for plants that don’t tolerate acidic soils well.

Acidic soil can be great for acid-loving plants. Soil pH determines the nutrient uptake and growth of your tree or plant. Acidic soil gives them access to a range of nutrients that aren’t necessarily available in lower soil pHs. Rainwater plays a heavy role in how acidic soil becomes.

Soil pH can be tested to determine if your soil is acidic, alkaline, or neutral. So, if you want to find out if acidic soil is good for your tree, keep on reading!

Is Acidic Soil Really Good For Trees?

So, when you hear acidic, you’re probably thinking, “Well, isn’t acidic soil bad for trees?” And, while that’s the case for some trees, it’s not the case for all, which is kind of counterintuitive. 

Some plants, those that are considered ‘acid-loving’ need more of the nutrients that are readily available in acidic soils. This includes evergreens, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and even blueberries. 

According to SUNY Environmental College of Science and Forestry, a lot of nutrients are more readily dissolved in acidic soils rather than in neutral and alkaline soils, which is why certain trees and plants do better in it. 

Some trees prefer a soil pH of 6.6-7.3, which is considered a neutral pH. Acidic soils are defined as soils that have a pH of less than 6.6, neutral soils have a pH range of 6.6-7.3, and anything above that is considered alkaline. 

Let’s dive into the reasons why acidic soil is great for your trees!

1. Acidity Helps Your Tree Absorb Nutrients

Trees need specific nutrients and minerals to complete photosynthesis, grow, and carry out their natural processes. These nutrients are separated into three different categories: Primary, secondary, and micro-nutrients.

Primary nutrients, called macronutrients are nutrients that plants require the most and in the largest quantities. Primary nutrients include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients are responsible for the major plant functions of plant structure, respiration, water retention, cell formation, and energy production. 

Secondary nutrients include calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, which are needed in moderate amounts. Certain plan functions of secondary nutrients are enzyme activities, metabolism, protein, and amino acid formation. 

Micro-nutrients for trees are boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. These nutrients are needed in very small amounts in comparison to primary and secondary nutrients. These nutrients are mainly responsible for enzyme activity.

If you have an oak tree, check out our guide on the best oak tree fertilizers so they get the right nutrients!

For plants to effectively take up nutrients, they have to be in specific forms, and water-soluble otherwise they cannot be used by the tree or plant.  

Did you know that soils with lower pH levels have certain nutrients that are more readily available? 

Well, it’s true. Plants can easily uptake nutrients such as iron, aluminum, and manganese. The same is true for more alkaline soils, the only difference being different nutrients that are available.

At certain pH levels, some nutrients are not in available forms for plants to uptake. This is determined by the microorganisms and microbes present in the soil, which ranges from different soil types.

If you have a spruce tree, I highly recommend checking out our guide on the best spruce tree fertilizers here to get the pH right!

2. Your Tree Has Access To Nutrients Only Found In Acidic Soils

Soil pH refers to the concentration of hydrogen ions within the soil. So in soils with a low pH, there is a greater amount of hydrogen ions than in soils with a high pH. 

Because of the high concentration of hydrogen ions in acidic soils, this gives trees access to the nutrients they need. 

Like the primary, secondary, and micro-nutrients we mentioned above, such as zinc, iron, manganese, aluminum, copper, and boron, which are all found in greater amounts in acidic soil than in neutral or alkaline soils. 

Even certain nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and nitrogen are moderately present throughout acidic and alkaline soils. 

Species like green ash, bald cypress, river birch, cottonwood, dogwood, magnolia, longleaf pine, slash pine, and sweetgum are just a few tree species that tolerate acidic to neutral or alkaline soils. 

3. Soil pH Influences Plant Growth And Beneficial Bacteria

Soil pH can affect the beneficial bacteria that live in the soil. These microorganisms help decompose organic matter and influence the growth of plants, including your tree.

However, certain soils that are highly acidic limit the amount of decomposition from bacteria, resulting in less organic matter broken down.

This can become an issue. It can limit the number of nutrients that can be taken up by the tree, such as nitrogen. 

Depending on the type of soil, certain nutrients are not in available forms for plants to uptake and readily use. Microorganisms and microbes present in the soil are responsible for breaking them down to enable plants to take them up effectively. But, this ranges from different soil types.

According to Washington State University Extension, most of the nutrient cycles within the soil are directly controlled by the microbes within the soil.

This helps trees and plants absorb nutrients through organic matter decomposition, and nitrogen-fixing. Plants would not be able to as effectively acquire nutrients from the soil without the help of microorganisms.

If you have maple trees, take a look at our piece on the best maple tree fertilizers here!

How Soil Becomes Acidic (And What Nutrients Are In It)

As we touched on above, acidic soil has a soil pH of less than 6.6, which contains those certain nutrients that are lacking in abundance in neutral and alkaline soils. This includes primary, secondary, and micro-nutrients like Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Aluminum, Copper, and Boron. 

Other nutrients, such as Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, and Nitrogen are moderately present across the board in acidic to alkaline soils. 

According to SUNY Environmental College of Science and Forestry, the soil becomes acidic as a result of things that happen in the environment. 

Leaching of nutrients from soil can be caused by: rainwater, the formation of weak organic acids, and the formation of strong organic and inorganic acids. 

Rainwater can leach or drain away minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. 

The formation of weak organic acids can also be a result of the combination of carbon dioxide from decomposition and root respiration dissolving in water. 

Lastly, the formation of strong organic and inorganic acids is a result of decaying organic matter and oxidation.

Any areas that have higher rainfall are going to tend to have more acidic soils. This happens due to the ionization that happens when water combines with carbon dioxide, thus releasing hydrogen and bicarbonate.

These hydrogen ions (hydrogen and bicarbonate) then replace the calcium ions (that were already in the soil), resulting in the acidity of the soil.

From there, a water-soluble ion of calcium and bicarbonate bonds together and is formed and drained from the soil. This process is much more complicated, but this is just a quick synopsis of what happens. 

Soil pH is affected by things such as the parent soil material, rainfall, organic matter, or fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizers can also increase soil acidity. So this means that if nitrogen fertilizer is applied at a greater rate, the soil is going to become more and more acidic.

Changing The Soil pH

You can change the soil pH by adding materials or additives to the soil. This includes things like limestone, and wood ashes.

Because of the nutrients present within limestone and wood ashes, you can raise soil pH in the case that you want your soil to be less acidic!

Before you guess whether your soil is acidic or alkaline, the best thing to do is test it! The Luxekem Soil pH Meter is a great choice. It has four functions including soil moisture, pH, temperature, and sunlight intensity, so you’ll be able to test just about everything at once.

Above, we mentioned the different primary, secondary, and micro-nutrients that are present in acidic soil. Adding a wood ash amendment to your soil can increase the pH but in slow increments.

Wood ash is high in potassium and calcium and can be spread into a thin layer during the winter and turned in in the springtime. 

Using a limestone application can also increase the pH of the soil. Limestone is primarily composed of calcium carbonate and adds calcium into the soil, neutralizing acidic soil.

You can use things like calcification limestone, dolomitic limestone, hydrated lime, ground oyster shells, pelletized lime, and fluid lime. 

After you test the pH of your soil, if you decide you want to change it, you can add an amendment like Garden Lime 6.75 lbs. The Epsoma brand makes amazing products, plus it’s organic. It also comes in pellets so it’s easier to apply and adjust the pH of your acidic soil.

You can learn more about the specific pH’s that trees like here!

Acidic Soil Can Contribute To More Storm Damage And Soil Toxicity

Believe me, when I learned of this, I wondered how it could be true for quite a bit.

A study done by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research, assessed the effects of soil properties, specifically, the acidity of the soil. 

What they found was that soil pH had the most significant impact on storm-damaged plots and that it should be considered a risk factor in the susceptibility of forests to damage from storms. 

They suggest that an increase in deciduous trees would reduce the amount of damage and susceptibility that forests have to storms. 

So, while acidic soil may be good for some trees, and some landscapes, in others, it drives damage from natural disturbances. 

Soil pH can also limit the growth of certain trees and plants and make it impossible for them to live in a certain location.

Too low of a pH can also cause toxicity to plants. This means that certain nutrients are only available at toxic levels, like aluminum and manganese, or nutrients won’t be able to be absorbed, at all.  

This results in yellowing leaves, stunted plant growth, and development, and can even cause the plant to end all together.

If you weren’t sold on the pH meter above, or you just want something easier to read, you can try the Garden Tutor Soil pH Test Kit (3.5-9 Range). These soil pH test strips give you results in just 60 seconds so you can optimize your soil pH. 

That’s A Wrap!

While acidic soil can be great for acid-loving plants, for other plants it can be detrimental. 

Soil pH determines the nutrient uptake and growth of your tree or plant. Acidic soil gives trees and plants access to a range of nutrients that they may not get from other soil types. 

If your soil is too acidic for your plant or tree you can use different soil amendments like limestone to increase the pH of your soil.

On the other hand, a soil pH that is too low can cause toxicity or plant poisoning, where certain nutrients are only available at toxic levels. 

Lastly, soil pH has a significant effect on storm damage to forest plots and makes forests more susceptible to storm damage.

Thanks for learning with us about why acidic soil is good for your tree!

References

Bagayoko, M., S. Alvey, G. Neumann, and Andreas Bürkert. “Root-induced increases in soil pH and nutrient availability to field-grown cereals and legumes on acid sandy soils of Sudano-Sahelian West Africa.” Plant and Soil 225, no. 1 (2000): 117-127.

Mayer, P., Brang, P., Dobbertin, M., Hallenbarter, D., Renaud, J. P., Walthert, L., & Zimmermann, S. (2005). Forest storm damage is more frequent on acidic soils. Annals of Forest Science, 62(4), 303-311.

McCauley, A., Jones, C., & Jacobsen, J. (2009). Soil pH and organic matter. Nutrient management module, 8(2), 1-12.

Ohno, Tsutomu, and M. Susan Erich. “Effect of wood ash application on soil pH and soil test nutrient levels.” Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 32, no. 3-4 (1990): 223-239.

Stark, Sari, Minna K. Männistö, and Anu Eskelinen. “Nutrient availability and pH jointly constrain microbial extracellular enzyme activities in nutrient-poor tundra soils.” Plant and Soil 383, no. 1 (2014): 373-385.

Zhalnina, Kateryna, Raquel Dias, Patricia Dörr de Quadros, Austin Davis-Richardson, Flavio AO Camargo, Ian M. Clark, Steve P. McGrath, Penny R. Hirsch, and Eric W. Triplett. “Soil pH determines microbial diversity and composition in the park grass experiment.” Microbial ecology 69, no. 2 (2015): 395-406.

There’s nothing stranger than walking outside at night and hearing the eerie creaks and groans of nearby trees. At some point in your life, you’ve probably ran into a tree making some weird and wacky sounds. Well, there’s a few different reasons trees make noises especially during the night.

Trees make different noises at night which is generally a result of wind. These noises include creaking, groaning, squeaking, scratching, and cracking. Trees make more noise at night because everything else around them is still, so we’re able to identify their sounds better.

Below, we’ll go over all the different noises that trees make at night and what causes the noise. We’ll also provide some ways to remedy those noises if they’re coming from your landscape trees outside your home!

Trees Make A Creaking Noise At Night

One of the noises that trees make at night is creaking. Trees can creak during the day, too, but it sounds a heck of a lot more ominous at night.

Healthy trees will make a few creaks here and there, especially in areas prone to windy conditions. However, when trees make excessive creaking noises, they may be calling for help.

Creaking is caused by branches moving in the wind. There could be an old wound in the branch or a hole dug by a pest that is rubbing together, creating the creaking noise. Creaking can also be a sign of a dead branch.

When a dead branch starts creaking, it could mean it’s getting ready to drop. It’s best to trim these types of branches before they fall unexpectedly to the ground.

Creaking is most prevalent on windy nights which are most frequent in spring. Be on the lookout for branches that aren’t flowering in the spring, as these are probably your source of creaking at night.

Trees Groan At Night

Trees can do a lot of talking at night and combined with the dark, it can make them seem alive! Well, the truth is, trees are alive and they have ways of complaining just like we do.

Groaning is a noise made by a tree’s trunk when it has an old wound that is being moved by the wind. Tree wounds could be from a pest, affliction, lightning, or anything that damages the trunk without actually severely limiting the tree.

When the trunk of the tree sways, the layers of bark that have grown around the wound will move, stretch, and shrink, which causes the groaning noise. 

If your landscape trees are groaning, it’s usually not a cause for concern. It just means your tree is trying to recover after its trunk has been damaged.

However, if you’re worried about the longevity of your tree, check out our article: 5 Simple Steps To Save A Tree With Stripped Bark! This guide will give you some tips on how to treat a tree wound and what you can do to improve the tree’s chance of survival if this is the case.

Trees Squeak At Night

Squeaking is certainly one of the most unsettling noises to hear from a tree at night. Like a door to a spooky house slowly opening to reveal a monster. Boo!

Despite the noise, squeaking trees have a far less sinister cause. Squeaking happens when two branches of a tree cross over each other and rub together in the wind. It can also happen when neighboring trees have branches that cross over each other.

If you’re hearing eerie squeaking noises at night from your landscape trees, it’s time to bust out the pruning shears and trim your trees.

Preferably, you’ll want to prune tree branches before they grow too large. If you notice branches are starting to cross over, or even appear to be growing in that direction, prune one of them as soon as possible.

According to New Mexico State University, the best time to prune is January through March, but you can prune as early as October if necessary.

For small branches, consider using pruning sheers such as Professional Premium Titanium Bypass Pruning Shears. They can cut up to ¾-inch branches and are good for when you see branches beginning to grow together.

For larger branches, Tabor Tools Anvil Lopper Tree Trimmer works well. It can cut branches up to 2 inches thick and has a long handle to give you maximum leverage when cutting through a larger branch.

Once you’ve eliminated crossing branches, you should not hear any more squeaking noises coming from your landscape trees!

Trimming these types of branches also promotes healthy growth for your trees. Branches will no longer need to compete with one another for space or resources.

For tips on how to prune large trees, check out our article on the best time to prune large trees – you’ll need them!

Trees Whisper, Shush, And Cackle At Night

The leaves of trees look different with each change of the season. In spring, leaves are a luscious green, freshly grown. During the summer, leaves begin to lighten from sun exposure. In fall we see the brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds as leaves prepare to drop.

The way leaves sound in the wind will depend on what season it is. During spring, the rustling of leaves can be characterized as more of a whisper at night. The leaves are smooth and therefore make a light noise as they sway in the wind. 

During the fall, the leaves of most trees are drying out and getting ready to drop. When these leaves rustle in the wind it’s more of a cackle as the dry leaves swing in the wind.

Yet another varying noise is what evergreen leaves sound like. After all, these trees stay green all year and do not lose their leaves en masse like deciduous trees. Trees like pines, spruce, redwood, fir, and cypress all keep their leaves year-round.

These trees, especially those with needles, make shushing noises when the wind blows at night. This is due to the needles rubbing against one another.

So, how much wind does there need to be to cause trees to whisper, cackle, and shush? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), winds around 4 miles per hour are enough to rustle leaves.

When winter comes around and most trees are bare, another noise happens from the lack of leaves. But we’ll get to that a little later!

Trees Crack At Night

Winter is tough on a lot of people. It’s cold, it’s dreary, and you have to put on six layers of clothing to walk outside. Trees have it rough in the winter, too.

During the cold days of winter, trees are susceptible to something called frost crack. According to Michigan State University, the most susceptible trees include:

• Sycamore (most common)
• Maple Tree
• Apple Tree
• Cherry Tree
• Horse Chestnut Tree
• Linden Tree
• Walnut Tree
• Willow Tree

For frost crack to happen, it needs to be a particularly sunny winter day followed by a very cold night. During the day, the sun warms the bark, especially on the south or west side of the tree. The bark will swell a little bit in the heat.

As the sun sets and temperatures drop rapidly, the inner wood and outer bark shrink, but at different rates. The outer bark shrinks right away, but the inner wood takes a bit longer. The result? Craaaaack. 

The different sizes of the bark create a loud cracking noise and a tear is formed in the bark. Luckily, most of the time these cracks can be healed over the years by the tree.

If your landscape tree suffers from frost crack, don’t be surprised if the wound closes in the summer and re-opens in the winter. 

This is due to fluctuating temperatures. In the summer, warm temperatures swell the bark, closing the wound. In the winter, the bark shrinks, pulling back and revealing the wound. This is normal. Over the years the tree will eventually seal the wound so that even in the winter it does not show.

Trees Make Scratching Noises At Night

Tree noises can be just as ominous as a coyote’s howl at night. One of the other noises that trees can make at night is scratching.

Trees make scratching noises when their branches rub up against a hard surface such as the side of a building, a fence, or a telephone pole.

If you happen to hear this type of noise coming from your landscape trees, it’s probably time to trim your trees back. Scratching branches can sometimes damage siding or chip paint if it happens for an extended period.

Trees that are scratching against a utility pole will typically be taken care of by the utility company. Otherwise, you can find out where the scratching noise is coming from and trim those branches yourself if they are within reasonable reach.

You’re more likely to hear this noise at the top of a tree, as some trees don’t grow many branches at the bottom of the tree.

Animals Make Noises In Trees At Night

There are hundreds of bugs, birds, and mammals that frequently use trees as either a home or just a place to hang out. At night, there are still plenty of critters living in or climbing on the trees.

Some animals are looking for food, others a place to sleep for the night. No matter why they’re in the tree, they tend to be noisy about it.

A few of the most common nighttime animals that make noises from trees include:

• Katydids
• Tree Crickets
• Tree Frogs
• Owls
• Raccoons

According to the University of Illinois, Katydid ‘songs’ are most prevalent in late summer. This is true for tree crickets as well.

Some frog species will climb into trees at night and produce a chirping/whirring sound. Spring peepers, for example, prefer to be on the ground but are excellent climbers and sometimes find their way into trees at night.

Owls are frequent visitors to trees, often resting on large branches near the trunk. If they are incubating or raising chicks they may sit in a nest built by other animals or birds. Owls do more than just hoot, they also whistle, coo, sing, and bark.

Raccoons are another frequent nighttime visitor to trees. Raccoons climb trees to look for food, reach rooftops, or escape predators. Raccoons make quite a ruckus and can squeal, bark, yip, growl, and hiss.

Certain insects can also make noises in trees at night. To learn more, take a peak at our article on the most common insects that live in trees!

Trees Howl and Whistle In The Wind At Night

We can’t discuss all the odd noises trees make at night without mentioning the eerie howl of the wind as it whips through the trees.

Again, this noise isn’t technically made by trees. But howling wind is almost always associated with trees (and spookiness!)

The howling and whistling noises of the wind are created by friction. In this situation, the friction is between the wind and the tree branches.

As the air moves over and around the branch, it creates a howling or whistling noise, depending on the size of the twigs/branches.

Howling wind is especially prevalent when trees lose their leaves in the Fall and Winter months. Leaves can dampen some of the sounds created by the wind, but when there are no leaves, the wind is free to howl and whistle as loud as it wants!

Remember, trees will be trees and this is just a normal part of nature!

That’s A Wrap!

Trees are living organisms that have a lot to say to the world around them. Just because they’re stationary doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot of talking to do.

To recap, the 11 different noises that trees make at night include:

• Whispering – wind rustling through spring leaves
• Shushing – wind rustling through spring/summer leaves
• Cackling – wind rustling through dry leaves
• Creaking – when a dead branch is getting ready to fall
• Groaning – when a trunk has an old wound
• Squeaking – branches rubbing together
• Cracking – from frost crack
• Scratching – against buildings, fences, and materials
• Bugs & animals in the trees
• Howling – wind
• Whistling – wind

Some of the common solutions to making these noises go away include proper pruning and trimming of your landscape trees. Make sure your trees aren’t growing too close to your house or your fence, as this can be a source of noisiness at night.

Good luck on your tree journey!

References

Burton, J. I., Zenner, E. K., & Frelich, L. E. (2008, September 01). Frost Crack Incidence in Northern Hardwood Forests of the Southern Boreal – North Temperate Transition Zone. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, 25(3), 133-138. https://academic.oup.com/njaf/article/25/3/133/4780135?login=true

Holloway, B. (2011). The Tree and Its Voices: What the Casuarina Says. Swamphen: A Journal of Cultural Ecology, 1. https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/index.php/Swamphen/article/view/10586

Mhatre, N., Bhattacharya, M., Robert, D., & Balakrishnan, R. (2011, August 01). Matching sender and receiver: poikilothermy and frequency tuning in a tree cricket. Journal of Experimental Biology, 214(15). https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/214/15/2569/10430/Matching-sender-and-receiver-poikilothermy-and

Okkonen, J., Neupauer, R. M., Kozlovskaya, E., Afonin, N., Moisio, K., Taewook, K., & Muurinen, E. (2020, Setember 11). Frost Quakes: Crack Formation by Thermal Stress. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 125(9). https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2020JF005616

For tree owners, noticing things out of the ordinary hopefully comes once in a blue moon. If you’ve noticed a weird-looking hole in your tree, you may feel that there is some cause for concern, but how much concern?

Many trees develop holes (also known as hollows) due to animals, natural events like storms, or human interference. These holes on your tree will likely not significantly hinder it, but they will change the appearance and maybe even attract more critters that prefer to live in tree hollows.

Often, you may not even notice smaller holes caused by insects or man-made borers, but take note of larger holes caused by animals and after storm damage. Stick around for a while to learn about the causes of holes in your tree, as well as the likelihood that it will survive!

Why Are There Holes In Your Tree?

As we talk about the holes that can be found in trees, it is important to mention that these holes can be caused by three primary culprits: weather, animals, and humans.

Not so surprising, right?

Holes have been made in trees for as long as trees have been around. While the man-made component of holes in trees has evolved over time from tapping sap to tree testing, most of the natural formations of tree holes and hollows have remained the same over time.

If your tree has some small holes, likely the cause is a group of insects or testing that was done on your tree. Larger holes, however, are thanks to the weather and larger critters like birds.

So, are holes a problem to a tree and, if so, what types?

Are Holes An Issue For Trees?

There are many outcomes of having a hole in your tree, and the size of the hole tends to be a big factor.

Smaller holes will have a lesser impact on the well-being of trees, especially those that are healthy and stable, to begin with.

If you are working with a tree that has already been damaged in some way, be it an infestation, weather, decay, or malnourishment, even small holes may begin to cause problems.

When it comes to larger holes, you’ve no doubt seen tree hollows before. They are those large holes in trees that look like the tree is almost fallen in on itself.

Tree hollows are a great example of the way that holes do not necessarily mean that a tree is damaged permanently. These can be caused by holes that then were able to heal and recover, growing new tree bark around all edges of the wound to incorporate this hole as a new part of a healthy, living tree.

According to the University of Florida, cavities and hollows do not mean that a tree is going to fall down, but there is a chance of that happening if the amount of wood near the trunk is not enough to hold up the rest of the tree.

So often, deadwood will decay while living wood can remain and give the tree a fighting chance at continuing on with a cavity.

The success of trees so often comes back to structural integrity above all else, since they can frequently overcome damages like local decay, insect infestations, and lack of water.

All of these things can be managed on their own, but structural integrity puts a tree into a whole different category of concern.

7 Reasons Your Tree Has Holes

There are multiple reasons your tree might have holes, including interference from humans and animals.

In these cases, there might be less cause for overall concern.

The holes that may pose a larger threat are holes that are, well… larger themselves. These types of holes are going to most commonly be the result of a big storm or some other natural disaster.

If the bark is already weak or damaged, there is a higher chance that any of the following causes of holes may lead to a more intense issue.

Strong trees can withstand a greater deal of damage, including holes before the effects begin to show up.

1. Holes From Tree Testing

Increment boring is one of the least damaging ways that a tree can get a hole. This is actually designed to cause the least amount of harm to a tree.

This specialized tool works to take out a small sample of tissue from a living tree so that it can be tested.

Most commonly, an increment borer is used by researchers, foresters, and other scientists to determine a tree’s age.

However, an increment borer can be purchased if you are ever curious to learn the age of your tree. Products like the JIM-GEM 12” 3 Thread .200 Increment Borer can be obtained by anyone willing to learn to use one.

If you are not someone that has a background in science, namely forestry or dendrology, please do not try to bore a hole in your tree by yourself. While this can be a great way to learn more about your tree and its age, boring a hole when untrained could be potentially dangerous to your tree.

Wait, didn’t we just say that this is one of the least problematic ways that a tree can end up with a hole? 

It is, but only when bored by a trained professional who knows how to use the tool. Keep that in mind with most things regarding your tree, something that can be done with minimal harm by a trained professional could be quite detrimental when done by someone with no experience.

That’s why you should always reach out to a professional in your area if you have concerns!

Speaking of things that we do as individual tree owners, let’s discuss tapping your tree.

2. Holes From Tapping For Sap

Tapping a tree is something that tree owners can do relatively easily, and you can learn more about how to tap trees for maple syrup before you get started. 

When tapping a tree, the hole should be at least 2 to 4 feet off the ground so that the base of the tree is not over-exerted. Your spile should be placed at a bit of an upward angle to ensure that sap properly drains. 

To allow the sap to easily reach your bucket, the spile should go a few inches into the tree. This way, the sap will easily flow and while you’ll certainly have a hole in your tree it will not go in far enough to cause undue damage to the tree itself. 

When tapping a tree, similar to increment boring, the hole should not be big enough to cause any damage to the tree. The issue is more about how far in the spile goes or if the tree is bored or tapped incorrectly. 

Again, when in doubt, look around- do some extra research, talk to someone at your local nursery, or call a professional to help you.

3. Holes From Woodpeckers 

Woodpeckers are a bird that you are likely familiar with, and one that you may have expected to see in this article. 

Woodpeckers can hear insects under the bark and through the wood of a tree thanks to their impeccable hearing. They use their long beaks to tap through the wood and get access to insects that are below the surface.

While these birds can peck through solid, healthy wood and bark, they also tend to seek out sections that have a bit of decay already making it easier to peck through weakened wood.

Older trees, dying, or that have any sort of significant damage are always first on woodpeckers’ list of places to easily obtain their food.

Not only do woodpeckers peck myriad little holes into trees, but they also utilize larger holes and create nests where they can live.

4. Holes From Other Birds 

Woodpeckers are not the only kind of bird that creates holes in trees. Chickadees and nuthatches are songbirds that like to rest and make their nests in cavities and hollows of trees.

Though they do not peck in the same way that woodpeckers do, they utilize tree decay in a very similar way. 

Since these two types of birds also have pointed, thin beaks, they may peck away at the decayed area that they choose to nest in. They may also find other weakened areas of a tree and opt to get their meal of insects in a way quite similar to their counterpart, the woodpecker.

5. Holes From Boring Insects 

Aside from the birds that peck away through trees to get insects, those same insects also have to get below the bark and into the wood of the tree. 

So, insects that are borers like beetles, wasps, moths, and some other species will be another culprit for causing these tiny holes in trees. 

Though their direct impact may be the smallest of these all, they begin a chain reaction that can cause a tree the most harm in the end, which is why we recommend using a product like this BioAdvanced 701900B 12-Month Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed Insect Killer and Fertilizer, to ensure that bugs don’t cause harm to your tree. 

Picture this, you don’t spray for insects and they bore into your tree. Next, a woodpecker, nuthatch, or chickadee comes along and creates a bigger hole, then there is a storm and there are already some weakened areas that are more susceptible to damage.

This can lead to an array of very serious issues. 

On the note of storms, though, let’s talk about storm damage and its consequences.

6. Holes From Storm Damage 

A limb or branch that is broken off in a storm and leaves a hole can cause the most damage of any of these reasons that your tree might have a hole. 

Because of the intensity of the way that a hole is created, when a limb is broken or ripped off, the size of the hole and the distressing nature of the damage can lead to a longer recovery time, if the tree can recover at all. 

You may remember from above that trees can survive with holes as long there is a certain amount of structural integrity remaining. This integrity is created by having enough living, secure wood at the bottom of the tree’s trunk that can support the weight and functions of the rest of the tree. 

So, in situations where a limb is ripped off and the decay begins to spread, or that lack of a limb causes an imbalance in the tree itself, the tree is at a greater risk. 

That being said, trees survive storm damage all the time and helping your tree to recuperate by giving it fertilizer, water, spraying for insects, and more can be the difference between losing your tree and helping it back to stability.

7. Holes From Outdoor Projects

Doing outdoor projects is another way to cause some holes in the exterior of your tree and, while these warrant mention, they should be the most minuscule out of any holes you have on your tree.

Things like stapling or drilling into your tree’s exterior will cause slight distress, but as long as your tree is healthy and mature, you should not have to worry.

We don’t recommend creating holes in trees that are still young or appear to be old and brittle as this could cause your project to fall down if the bark cannot hold the weight of what you may be trying to connect to your tree.

One of the most common holes in your tree will come from tapping it for syrup.

Can A Tree Survive With A Hole?

Trees can survive with a hole. In fact, there is a greater chance that your tree will survive than not, especially when it comes to small holes like boring, tapping, and outdoor projects that will not cause much harm to your tree.

When it comes down to it, trees are resilient and can adjust to many hardships. Often, if the structural integrity of the tree has not been compromised, there will not be a reason for much concern.

Things change when a storm has broken off of a limb that was in some way vital to the structure of the tree.

This would be less a result of having a hole in the tree and more a result of the other part of the problem, which is that there is now a large limb missing and causing the tree distress.

Should You Take Action If Your Tree Has A Large Hole?

According to Oregon State University, the once-common practice of filling holes with cement can cause problems down the road, while doing nothing is also a solution.

While you may want to fill a hole or add some sort of caulking to avoid water damage, using cement is not something that most professionals recommend nowadays as it actually causes more harm to a tree.

So, unless you are deeply concerned and need help determining if your tree is still viable, your best course of action is to take steps to keep your tree as healthy as possible and see if it bounces back more naturally.

Wrapping Up

Your tree may have holes big or small, caused by an array of sources, but the most important thing to know is that your tree is very likely to recover from most of these incidents.

For now, we thank you for sticking with us as you work to continue your personal tree journey.

Until next time, friends!

References

Helliwell, D. R. (2007). A short note on effects of boring holes in trees. Arboricultural Journal, 30(3), 245-248.

Malone, C. (1976). Tapping the Sugar Maple–Learning and Appreciating. Communicator.

Wesołowski, T. (2011). “Lifespan” of woodpecker-made holes in a primeval temperate forest: A thirty year study. Forest Ecology and Management, 262(9), 1846-1852.