Elms

• There are various types of elm trees. Other elms whose wood is similar to the cedar elm are the September elm, rock elm and winged elm. As the wood has characteristics that are the same, the lumber industry categorizes them all as rock elm. This wood is best used for making furniture and posts. The wood is extremely durable and strong.
  
  

Hardwood

• When it comes to firewood, there are generally two classifications: hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods are categorized as such as the wood is denser and heavier. Hardwoods can burn longer and hotter than softwoods. The rock elm contains 32,000 BTU of energy per cord of wood. In comparison, a white pine, which is considered a softwood, contains 17,100 BTU. Softwoods are typically easier to start a fire with, as hardwoods take longer to ignite.
  
  

Seasoning

• Seasoning is the process of allowing cut wood to dry. A freshly cut tree will contain more moisture than cut wood that has been left out for a period of time. The longer the wood has been seasoned, the better it will burn. It is suggested that rock elm be seasoned for a few years before becoming an ideal firewood. If not properly seasoned, the wood can create a lot of smoke due to moisture content. Well-seasoned rock elm will burn very hot.
  
  

Cooking

• As rock elm is a hardwood, the temperature of the fire will be higher than that of a softwood. Also, due to its density, the fire will last longer. This can be ideal for cooking as you will not need to add wood to the fire as quickly. Also, the embers created by rock elm will burn very hot. However, kindling, such as smaller pieces of softwood, may need to be used to get the fire started. Rock elm does not add much flavor to the meat through its smoke, as fruit woods commonly do.
  
  

Fire Pits/Fireplaces

• Rock elm is an ideal firewood to use for heating purposes, such as in a fire pit or fireplace. Rock elm contains one of the highest amounts of energy when properly seasoned. With the combination of high heat and lengthy burning, there are few woods that can surpass rock elm for use in a fireplace. Also, once the fire is going and embers are present, all that is needed to keep a fire alive is tossing additional logs on. The embers burn so hot that ignition will happen without additional help.