Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
12 ratings

Thursday - September 25, 2008

From: Concord, NH
Region: Northeast
Topic: Trees
Title: Fast growing native trees for firewood in New Hampshire
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Can you tell me what FAST growing tree is best for a planned crop? We plan to generate new tree crops every year. We want to use this wood for burning in indoor wood stoves and maybe in an outdoor wood furnace for heating our home. We also plan to sell some of it. We live in zone 5. Any help would be great because the research I have done recently has led me only to a few trees that are now on invasive plant list in New England..don't want to go there!! Thanks!!!

ANSWER:

This sounds like a business plan being formulated. And we're very glad you are avoiding fast-growing trees that can be invasive in New Hampshire. We wouldn't recommend any of those anyway, as they are usually non-natives and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is focused on the use and propagation of plants native to North America and to the area in which they are being grown. Since we're gardeners and not business consultants, we are going to refer you to our Recommended Species section. Click on New Hampshire on the map, and Narrow Your Search  by selecting "Tree" as the Habit. This will give you the names of 31 trees native to New Hampshire. Go to the webpage of each; they will  not always specify the speed of growth but you can go down to the bottom of the webpage and follow the link to search Google for the specific plant name, and get more information and, perhaps, speed of growth.

As we said, we're not business people, but the thought of planting native trees with the sole purpose of cutting them down and burning them is a little painful. Since most trees will need a good twenty years to get to be of any size it will be a while before you could hope to realize any utility from them. Many trees grow best from seed, because of taproots that make transplanting difficult. This, however, takes even more time before the tree is mature. You didn't say how much land you had available for this project, but all trees require considerable growing space between them.

You need to also consider how much longer the use of wood as an energy or heat source will be allowed. This US Environmental Protection Agency website on Cleaner Burning Wood Stoves and Fireplaces will explain some of the problems. The Department of Ecology of the State of Washington describes the existing situation there with particulates during the winter months from  woodburning stoves.

 

More Trees Questions

Live oak leaves turning yellow after planting in Houston
December 19, 2011 - We bought a 65 gallon live oak in early October, and have been watering fairly heavily three days a week. It seemed OK, then all of a sudden lots of the leaves are turning yellow. Is it getting too ...
view the full question and answer

Holes in trunk of Monterey Oak in Austin, TX.
May 05, 2013 - My Monterrey Oak (about 4 in diameter) has a problem. It started budding out and had a few leafs, then just quit. It had what I thought was new buds that would develop, but didn't. Then, the exist...
view the full question and answer

Fast growing native trees for Manor,TX
August 04, 2005 - A friend wants to plant fast-growing trees to disguise a road on ranchland east of Manor, Texas. Any ideas? Many thanks.
view the full question and answer

White pine insect problems
October 08, 2009 - We live in The Woodlands TX. Some of our large pine trees have leaking sap and one is dead. What can we do to save the one's still alive?
view the full question and answer

Pruning Bald Cypress in Wylie, TX
January 02, 2010 - I have a 6 year old bald cypress that sustained damage to the upper portion of its trunk a couple of years ago. Since that time it has grown more outward than upward and developed a rounder shape. I...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.