Choose coppice species by how quickly you need fuel, how dense the wood is, what the ground is like and what else the wood can do. Willow, hazel and alder give quick fuel on short rotations and tolerate wet ground, while oak, beech, ash and hornbeam give denser fuel on 10-25 year rotations; use only broadleaf trees, because conifers generally do not regrow from stumps.
Part of Coppicing & Fuel Management
A decision guide for choosing which trees to grow or keep in a fuel coppice.
Four Questions
- How soon do I need fuel? A short rotation gives wood sooner: willow 3-5 years, hazel 7-10 (parent article). Oak waits 15-25 years.
- How dense a fuel do I need? Per kilogram, dry wood of different species gives similar heat; per cubic metre, a dense species gives more because it packs more wood into the space. See High-BTU Species.
- What is the ground like? Willow and alder suit wet ground (Fast-Growing Species).
- What else can the wood do? Poles, nuts, bark, sap and fence posts raise the value (Multi-Purpose Species).
A Starting Mix
| Aim | Species (parent article) | Rotation |
|---|---|---|
| Quick fuel, wet ground | Willow, alder | 3-8 years |
| Straight sticks for small stoves | Hazel | 7-10 years |
| Dense long-burning fuel | Oak, beech, hornbeam | 15-25 years |
| Fuel plus good all-round value | Ash, sweet chestnut | 10-15 years |
Mixing species spreads risk: pests, disease and drought rarely hit all of them at once, and different rotations make the woodland cut more evenly. Use the local species that already grow well; a species foreign to the area may do poorly.
Method: Choosing For A Coupe
Step 1: Walk the ground and note wet and dry areas.
Step 2: List the species already present that coppice. Keep them.
Step 3: Add species to fill your needs by the table above.
Step 4: Plan the rotation for each (Rotation Planning).
Common Mistakes
- Choosing only the densest species. Waiting 15-25 years for a first harvest leaves you without fuel.
- Choosing only the fastest. Willow and poplar burn quickly with low heat per volume.
- Planting species the browsers love without fencing.
Safety
Know what you burn
Burn only wood you can identify. Never burn poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac vines or brush: the smoke can cause severe lung and skin reactions. Treated, painted or varnished wood gives toxic smoke. Wood that is not seasoned makes far more carbon monoxide and tar in a closed stove (Carbon Monoxide Risks).
What’s Next
- Learn next: Fast-Growing Species — the quick options
- Combine with: Rotation Planning — scheduling the cuts