You can absolutely burn eucalyptus and the fact is that it will be a very good option to use as well for burning. Since the wood can burn at a very high temperature we take advantage of this and have a longer-lasting fuel source.
The smell of the wood is very good as well as the natural oils in the wood burns and releases a slight methanol flavor similar to mint. For us, burning eucalyptus is often done when we want something that smells good but also has a very high burning temperature thanks to the high content of natural oils.
In this article, we will further discuss burning eucalyptus and the impacts this can have. Follow along and hopefully, you might pick up some useful information!
Can You Burn Eucalyptus
Just like we said at the beginning of the article here, eucalyptus is a very good source of wood for burning. This means that the temperature that it burns at is very high and will therefore provide more heat for the amount that you are using.
The reason for this high temperature in burning is because of the oil content that is found in the wood. Natural oil is what we use in the medicinal industry to use for the flavor of mint. Often referred to as methanol. It smells like fresh and crisp mint.
The best time of the year to be cutting down eucalyptus trees and use them for fuel is really whenever. But in a colder climate, you should do it at the end of the summer. But make sure that you can really dry out the wood after you have cut it down. Since the tree contains a lot of oils we want to preserve those and instead only get rid of the necessary amount of water in them.
Generally speaking, we will need to wait about 12 months for it to dry up properly. They will now burn more easily and reach a higher temperature more quickly thanks to the lesser amount of water present.
If you want to learn about how you can kill the roots of the eucalyptus tree then we have written an article just about that. You can find it here, Killing Eucalyptus Tree Roots.
Is Burning Eucalyptus Toxic
It is an unfortunately common misconception that eucalyptus will produce toxic fumes and gasses when burnt. But that is not the case. Eucalyptus is a very good source of wood for burning just like we have gone over in the paragraph above here.
The gasses that are produced from burning the wood are not poisonous and shouldn’t be a worry to you. But this is not to say you can be poisoned by eucalyptus from other sources. Some of the effects that will show up then are stomach pains, dizziness, and nausea.
Are you wondering about the bark of the eucalyptus tree peeling off? We have written an article just about that. Find it here, Eucalyptus Tree Bark Peeling Off.
Can You Burn Dried Eucalyptus Leaves
You can definitely burn the leaves of the eucalyptus tree. These will be the most aromatic and fragrant part of the tree to burn. They will quickly burn up as they are already dried and don’t have a lot of body to burn on.
We find that the leaves provide a very pleasant smell if we are outdoors and setting up a fireplace. The smell of methanol is very nice if you already like mint a lot.
Just note that if you are burning a lot at a time then the chemicals from the leaves might start to harm the soil where they have been burnt. The water content in the leaves will be non-existent but the oils in the leaves will be very hard to burn away and will stay in the ground.
