I'm in the mountain of NY and heat with wood.
When the leaves are off, the sap is down. Time to fell the tree. Middle of January, we have the "January thaw". Sap at it's lowest. Then it begins to rise. Trees you cut, split and stack with just a top cover (no all over tarp) will be seasoned to burn in the fall.
Maple with a fall red leaf is a soft maple (Red Maple) and burns OK but not as good as Sugar/Hard/Rock Maple, which has orange leaves in the fall. It's the best for coals and winter heat. I smoke with this maple. a pleasant smoke but I'm not particular, as I mix apple/cherry/plum/pear together.
The cherry is fruit bearing cherry. Choke Cherry is to be avoided. Elm burns like church yard moss and only a little better than snow. Ash burns green and leaves no coals (bummer). It's a fast hot wood for the sap arch, when boiling Sugar/Hard Maple for syrup.
Popple and Bass are trash woods but I've even burned my old fence posts.
Any hardwood will smoke but stay away from Locust. The smoke would gag a maggot.
Rich