Blue Gum vs Red Gum Firewood: Which Should You Choose?
Red Gum has long been the name many Victorian households look for when buying firewood. But Blue Gum deserves a serious look. It is a dense hardwood with strong heating credentials, good coaling characteristics and, in our range, represents excellent value. So which one should you put in your woodshed this winter?
Red Gum is the premium traditional choice. Blue Gum is the value performer.
We are happy to recommend both. Red Gum suits customers who want the traditional premium hardwood experience. Blue Gum is a genuine heating hardwood in its own right and is our better-value option. And if you like the benefits of both, our 50/50 mix sits right in the middle.
Choose Red Gum
If you want the traditional premium option, value a steady burn and strong coal bed, and already know you like the way Red Gum performs in your heater.
Choose Blue Gum
If you want a dense hardwood with serious heating performance while getting more value from your firewood budget.
Choose our 50/50 mix
If you like Red Gum but also want the value of Blue Gum. We combine the two hardwoods 50/50 by measured weight.
Blue Gum isn't “cheap firewood”. It's a quality hardwood that happens to offer very good value.
Blue Gum can sometimes be overlooked simply because Red Gum has stronger name recognition. But the numbers tell a much more interesting story.
*Figures and ratings above are from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries publication “Properties of firewood – AG1150”. Timber is a natural product and individual loads vary.
Why we recommend Blue Gum
A Victorian Department of Primary Industries firewood comparison rates Blue Gum as a dense firewood with strong heat available per unit volume, few sparks and good coaling characteristics.
That matters because Blue Gum should not be viewed as a step down to a low-density or throwaway timber. It is a legitimate hardwood heating option.
Our Blue Gum is sourced from Victorian plantations and, in our range, is positioned as the sharper-value hardwood option.
- Dense hardwood with strong heating credentials.
- Rated as producing few sparks and good coals in the DPI comparison.
- Victorian plantation-sourced product.
- Excellent option for households using plenty of firewood through winter.
- Usually our better-value choice compared with Red Gum.
If someone tells you Red Gum is the only firewood worth buying, we don't agree. A good load of dry Blue Gum is a very capable heating hardwood and can represent excellent value for a household burning significant quantities through winter.
So why do so many customers still choose Red Gum?
Because Red Gum has earned a strong reputation as firewood and many customers simply like the way it performs.
With the Red Gum we supply, customers commonly choose it for its dense hardwood feel, steady heating characteristics and ability to establish a strong bed of coals once the fire is running properly.
It is our premium firewood option. If you're already a committed Red Gum burner and know it works well in your heater, there is no reason we would talk you out of it.
- Our premium hardwood firewood option.
- A traditional favourite for Victorian wood-heater households.
- Suited to customers who value a steady fire and strong coal bed.
- Pre-split and available in measured-weight bulk loads.
- A great choice if Red Gum is already your preferred firewood.
Blue Gum being good value doesn't make Red Gum a bad buy. They serve slightly different customers. If the traditional Red Gum experience is what you want, buy Red Gum. If getting the most heating value from your budget matters more, Blue Gum deserves serious consideration.
Blue Gum vs Red Gum firewood
Here's how we explain the choice to customers in practical terms.
| What matters? | Red Gum | Blue Gum |
|---|---|---|
| Position in our range | Premium traditional hardwood. | Better-value hardwood. |
| Heating performance | Strong, steady heating performance in the Red Gum we supply. | Strong performer. Victorian DPI data gives Blue Gum a high relative heat-per-volume rating. |
| Coal bed | One of the reasons many of our regular Red Gum customers like it. | DPI firewood data rates Blue Gum as producing good coals. |
| Sparks | Depends on the particular timber and fire conditions. | DPI comparison rates Blue Gum as producing few sparks. |
| Value | Premium-priced option. | Normally the sharper-value option in our range. |
| Source | Our Red Gum firewood supply. | Our current Blue Gum is sourced from Victorian plantations. |
| Best suited to | Customers who specifically want Red Gum and value the traditional premium option. | Customers wanting a serious heating hardwood while making their firewood budget work harder. |
| Our verdict | Excellent premium choice. | Excellent value choice. |
Firewood is a natural product. Moisture, piece size, individual timber, heater design and the way a fire is operated can all influence real-world performance.
Which one should you actually buy?
We don't need every customer to buy the same timber. The best product is the one that matches how you use your fire.
“I always burn Red Gum.”
Stick with Red Gum. If you know your heater, know the timber and like the result, our premium Red Gum is the obvious choice.
“I burn a lot through winter.”
Take a serious look at Blue Gum. For households consuming significant quantities of hardwood, the value difference can matter across a season.
“I want both.”
That's exactly why we created the 50/50 mix. You get Red Gum and Blue Gum together in one measured-weight load.
The 50/50 mix is there for a reason.
Plenty of customers like Red Gum but can also see the value in Blue Gum. You don't have to make it an either-or decision.
Our 50/50 hardwood mix combines Red Gum and Blue Gum by measured weight in the same load.
We see it as the middle ground in our firewood range: the familiarity and premium positioning of Red Gum combined with the value and strong heating characteristics of Blue Gum.
Good firewood still needs to be dry.
Species isn't everything. EPA Victoria recommends using dry, seasoned and untreated hardwood in wood heaters because suitable dry wood produces more useful heat and less smoke.
Moisture uses energy
When timber contains excess moisture, part of the fire's energy is spent driving that water from the wood instead of heating your home.
Start with kindling
Dry kindling and smaller split pieces help establish a strong fire before you move to larger hardwood pieces.
Let the heater breathe
Use your heater according to the manufacturer's instructions and give a new fire sufficient airflow rather than letting it smoulder.
We would rather customers compare the actual firewood — timber, moisture, quantity and value — than shop purely on the name printed on the advertisement.
Don't compare timber without comparing quantity.
Once you've decided between Red Gum and Blue Gum, there is another important question: how much actual firewood are you buying?
Firewood can legally be sold by weight, volume or lot. If you're comparing a tonne price with a cubic-metre price, don't assume there is one universal conversion between them.
Wood density, moisture and the amount of air space in a stack can all change the relationship between weight and volume.
Read our tonne vs cubic metre guideThree hardwood options. Pick what works for you.
Check the current sizes, availability and pricing online before ordering.
Red Gum Firewood
Our premium hardwood option for customers who know Red Gum, like Red Gum and want to keep burning it.
Shop Red Gum →
Blue Gum Firewood
A dense Victorian-sourced hardwood with strong heating credentials and excellent value for regular winter burning.
Shop Blue Gum →
50/50 Hardwood Mix
Red Gum and Blue Gum mixed 50/50 by measured weight — a practical middle ground between premium and value.
Shop the 50/50 mix →Firewood delivered from Upper Beaconsfield.
We supply and deliver Red Gum, Blue Gum and our 50/50 hardwood mix from Upper Beaconsfield across our local Hills, eastern Dandenong Ranges, Casey foothills and nearby Cardinia communities.
Order online, add useful delivery instructions when ordering, and our delivery system uses SMS messaging to help keep customers informed as the order progresses.
Firewood information behind this guide
We sell firewood, so naturally we have an opinion. But customers should also be able to look at the underlying information themselves.
“Properties of firewood – AG1150” compares heat available, air-dry density, ignition, sparks and coaling characteristics across Victorian firewood species, including Blue Gum.
View the archived firewood comparison →Current Victorian guidance on choosing dry, seasoned hardwood and getting more useful heat with less smoke from a wood heater.
EPA wood-heater guidance →Australian guidance explaining the legal ways firewood can be sold and why weight and cubic-volume conversions can vary.
Firewood measurement guidance →Blue Gum vs Red Gum firewood FAQs
Is Blue Gum good firewood?
Yes. Blue Gum is a genuine hardwood firewood option. A Victorian Department of Primary Industries firewood comparison lists Blue Gum with strong heat available per unit volume, high air-dry density, few sparks and good coaling characteristics. It is not simply a cheap substitute for better firewood.
Is Red Gum better than Blue Gum?
It depends what matters to you. We position Red Gum as our premium traditional hardwood choice and Blue Gum as our better-value hardwood choice. Customers who love Red Gum often stay with it, while customers focused on heating value should seriously consider Blue Gum.
Does Blue Gum burn hot?
Blue Gum has strong heating credentials. The Victorian DPI firewood comparison gives Blue Gum a relative heat-available-per-unit-volume figure of 83% and an air-dry density of 927 kg/mÂł. Real-world performance will also depend on moisture, piece size and how your heater is operated.
Does Blue Gum make good coals?
The Victorian DPI firewood comparison rates Blue Gum's coaling characteristics as “good”. This makes it a useful heating hardwood rather than simply a fast-burning low-density timber.
Does Blue Gum spark a lot?
The Victorian DPI comparison rates Blue Gum as producing “few” sparks. As with any wood fire, use your fireplace or heater safely and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Why is Blue Gum generally cheaper than Red Gum?
Price is influenced by supply, demand, sourcing and availability as well as the timber itself. In our range, Blue Gum is positioned as the sharper-value hardwood option. That lower price should not be interpreted as meaning it is poor-quality firewood.
Is your Blue Gum plantation sourced?
Yes. Our current Blue Gum firewood is sourced from Victorian plantations.
Can I mix Red Gum and Blue Gum?
Absolutely. In fact, we sell a 50/50 Red Gum and Blue Gum hardwood mix specifically for customers who want both. The two timbers are combined 50/50 by measured weight.
What matters more: species or moisture?
Both matter, but don't overlook moisture. EPA Victoria recommends dry, seasoned and untreated hardwood for wood heaters. A famous timber name won't compensate for firewood that is unsuitable or excessively wet.
Should I compare firewood by the tonne or cubic metre?
Make sure you understand how the quantity is being measured. There is no single reliable conversion between tonnes and cubic metres for every load because timber density, moisture and the amount of air space between pieces vary. Our separate tonne-vs-cubic-metre guide explains this in detail.
Red Gum is excellent. Blue Gum is excellent value. You can't really go wrong with either.
Choose Red Gum if you want our premium traditional hardwood. Choose Blue Gum if you want a serious heating hardwood and want your winter firewood budget to stretch further. Or split the difference with our 50/50 mix.