Burning Alder?

[liamjordan]

alder is a brillant firewood! burnt tons and tons of it in our woodburner last year! we sell a hell of a lot of it as logs too!

 

its lovely wood, cuts like a hot knife through butter to, also awesome to climb their like ladders good trees overall

[tommer9]

Very good hot and clean burning firewood indeed.

[Stereo]

i think you mean elder if you burn elder you invite the devil inthe house

 

Alnus glutinosa is known as the common alder, the European alder, the black alder or simply the alder, and is best suited to wet conditions. Commonly found by rivers and lakes, the alder is also at home in marshes with its roots fully submerged underwater. While it can survive on higher, drier ground, it favours the wetlands and can be found in abundance in the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia.

 

As you might expect, alder timber makes an excellent building material, especially where water is involved. Historically, boats, jetties and underwater supports have all been made of wood from the alder. Indeed, the supports of the Rialto Bridge in Venice are made of alder, as are many buildings in Amsterdam, built on the river Amstel.

 

As well as supporting people Alnus glutinosa lends a helping hand to wildlife. In secluded areas female otters are known to build their nests, known as holts, in the roots of alders. As the entrance to the holt is underwater, the young cubs are generally protected from danger.

 

The alder can grow to 35m (80ft) in ideal conditions and in the past was coppiced, or cut back to promote new growth, every 10-15 years. However, some ancient civilisations considered the tree to be a natural embodiment of evil because when the wood is cut it quickly turns a reddish colour as if bleeding. In Ireland the tree was so revered that cutting one down was a criminal offence, while in Norse mythology the first people were said to be made from ash and alder.

Edited May 25, 2011 by Stereo

[Mortimer Firewood]

STEREO im on about elder not alder you know the stuff with berry's that you make wine out of.

[Cracker]

Alder's an underrated resource IMO. Burns great and coppice well too. Used for clogs and gunpowder, hence "Aldershot".

[Stereo]

Woodchopper, I'm on about Alder, which is the topic of this post and I stand my my original post. I'm aware of the witch / elder connection but that's not what I was on about.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Love it - burns hot and clean.

[csservices]

I think they used to avoid it as it 'bleeds' when cut and they used to think an evil spirit lived in the tree and it was bad luck to cut it. All I can say is that those evil spirits burn pretty well.

 

I did once read that Alder is also known as the "Jesus tree" it was claimed that the cross on which Jesus was crucified was made of Alder and hence why the timber turned red when cut, ie being the blood of christ, not going religous just what I read I've burnt loads of it over the years very good firewood and good to mix with faster burning woods to slow them down and keep the heat in the fire longer

[djbobbins]

I cleared an alder copse a couple of years ago and have got a friend with about 30 acres of mature alder woodland. As everyone has said, good firewood once it's dry, burn it within a year or so though because if it gets wet again it turns to pulp (a bit like silver birch, IMO).

 

Very light when dry though, so you will get through a lot of logs in volume terms.

[Xerxses]

Alder is a really good wood for burning but due to its high content of potassium and sodium best is to mix it with other woods as you burn it or you might encounter problems with sintering.