Black wattle trees are an extremely invasive species. But before you try to get rid of them, how about using them as something else, such as firewood?
We’ll walk you through the black wattle’s fire-burning characteristics and how to use it as firewood.
Is black wattle a good firewood?
Black wattle makes good firewood for stoves, log burners and fireplaces. It can produce moderate heat and last for hours because of its coals.
This firewood is easy to kindle and will produce its peak heat output when it has created enough coals. It’s also safe inside your home because its low sap content leads to fewer sparks while burning.
If you want more heat in your fireplace, mix black wattle with other softwood and hardwood. This will also prevent creosote build-up from different woods.
At a glance, here are the main features of black wattle firewood.
| Tree Name | • Black Wattle • Late Black Wattle • Green Wattle |
| Scientific Name | Acacia mearnsii |
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Height | 6 to 15 meters |
| Life Span | 20 to 30 years |
| Type of Wood | Hardwood |
| Dry Weight | 46 lbs/ft³ (730 kg/m³) |
| Seasoning Time | 12 months |
| Heat Production | Moderate |
| Sap Content | Low |
| Splitting Difficulty | Easy |
| Smoke | Low |
| Smell | Neutral |
| Coal Production | Average |
| Creosote Build-up | Low |
What are the fire characteristics of black wattle firewood?
As firewood, black wattle is easy to split and has low sap content, moderate heat production, low smoke and creosote production, and average coal output.
Read on to know how these fire characteristics affect black wattle as firewood.
1. Easy to Split
Black wattle is easy to split, and the best time to do so is while it’s still green. As a dense hardwood, it will be harder to break once it begins seasoning.
To help you visualize how hard and dense the black wattle gets, picture this: axes get blunted while trying to split it instead of chopping it!
2. Low Sap Content
Although the black wattle is an ornamental tree that blooms in spring as firewood, it has low sap content.
We highly recommend harvesting your black wattle wood during summer and autumn, when its sap content is low.
3. Moderate Heat Production
Black wattle produces a decent amount of heat that can warm your home for a few hours.
Compared with other firewoods, black wattle will burn hotter than softwoods but not as much as hardwoods like hickory and oak.
4. Low Smoke and Creosote Production
Black wattle is also a clean-burning wood, which means it produces low smoke and creosote as it burns.
5. Average Coal Output
Black wattle produces coals at an average speed. This is largely thanks to the tree’s high density, which allows it to produce coals and burn for longer.
Because of its good coal production, the black wattle is a slow-burning firewood. It has a longer burn time and produces a fair amount of residual heat even if the fire is burned out, all because of its coals.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Black Wattle as Firewood
Here are the pros and cons of using Black Wattle as firewood.
| Pros | Cons |
| Short seasoning time | Takes a while to reach peak heat output |
| Moderate heat-output | |
| Fewer sparks | |
| Low smoke and creosote build-up |
Black wattle firewood produces moderate heat to keep your fireplace warm throughout the evening.
You’ll just have to be a little patient and wait for the wood to produce coals because only when it has made enough coals will the black wattle firewood reach its peak heat output capacity.
Nonetheless, it’s still a safe wood for indoor burning activities because its low sap content ensures less popping and sparking while it burns.
As a dense hardwood, black wattle takes a shorter seasoning time of 12 months. Make sure you complete its seasoning process to enjoy the benefit of low smoke output and creosote build-up once you use them.
How does black wattle compare with other firewood?
Black wattle firewood can level with apple firewood in terms of producing heat. However, when it comes to coal production, it’s similar to mesquite firewood, where the coals remain hot even when the fire has already burnt out.
Here’s a table to see how black wattle compares with other firewood.
| Firewood | Heat Output | Burn Duration |
| Black Wattle | Very Hot | Very Long |
| Tree Lucerne | Very Hot | Very Long |
| Gorse | Very Hot | Very Long |
| Kanuka | Very Hot | Long |
| Beech | Hot | Long |
| Chesnut | Hot | Long |
| Douglas Fir | Hot | Long |
| Eucalyptus | Hot | Long |
| Macrocarpa | Hot | Medium |
| Poplar | Medium | Medium |
| Sycamore | Medium | Medium |
| Willow | Medium | Medium |
| Radiata Pine | Medium | Short |
How long should you season black wattle wood?
Black wattle firewood takes 12 months to season thoroughly. This length of time is relatively slow compared to other dense hardwoods.
To speed up its seasoning process, you can cut and split the wood into smaller pieces to increase the surface area exposed to sunlight and wind.
FAQs on Black Wattle Firewood
Black wattle is a sustainable tree, although it is widely considered invasive. Even if you remove it, it will not destroy the environmental balance in the area.
Black wattle firewood is good for indoor burning activities in log burners and fireplaces. It is a safe wood to burn inside the home as it produces fewer sparks, low smoke and creosote.
Black wattle is not advisable on a campfire because it takes a long time to kindle and reach its peak heat output.
Black wattle firewood is good for log burners, fireplaces and even pizza ovens. It provides a decent amount of heat that lasts longer because of its good coal production.
