POPLAR HARDWOOD IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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POPLAR HARDWOOD IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

An In-Depth Look at Poplar's Characteristics, Color, Grain & More

POPLAR

OTHER COMMON NAMES

Poplar is sometimes referred to as tuliptree, yellow poplar, white poplar, tulip poplar, saddletree, canary whitewood, American tulipwood or American whitewood.[1]

LATIN NAME

Poplar's scientific name is liriodendron tulipifera.[1] Its flowers look similar to tulips (hence the alias of "tuliptree").

CHARACTERISTICS - POPLAR

Freshly cut poplar sapwood is light in color (ranging from creamy white to pale yellow) and tends to darken slightly over time. The heartwood is tan to greenish-gold in color with occasional streaks of gray or blue (indicators of mineral staining that does not affect the physical characteristics of the wood). The sapwood is not always clearly demarcated from the heartwood. Both the sapwood and heartwood are used in the production of natural hardwood products.

MAIN USES - POPLAR

Often referred to as a utility wood, Poplar is one of the most versatile species found in North America. The price point of this species means it is usually one of the more economical options, especially when compared to other domestic hardwoods.

The finish that can be obtained on poplar wood is so good that it remains one of the most popular paint-grade wood options available on the market.[3]

Poplar also bonds extremely well with adhesives over a variety of bonding conditions, making it a common option for the undersides of veneered panels of more decorative wood species.[4]

Common applications of poplar lumber include doors, furniture frames, dimensional stock, painted cabinetry, dowel rods, pallets, plywood, mouldings and trim.

DOORS
FURNITURE
DIMENSIONAL LUMBER
DOWEL RODS
MOULDINGS & TRIM

MILLING

Standing poplar trees have high moisture content and low density, which results in relatively high volumetric shrinkage (11-12%).[8] Both quarter sawn and flat sawn poplar lumber have moderately high shrinkage when dried from a green condition. However, it is not difficult to dry and is dimensionally stable after drying. One-inch lumber can be dried from green to 6% moisture in 6-10 days.

Poplar trees grow fast, with a straight trunk and no branches near the ground. That translates to knot-free boards that are available in expansive widths and thicknesses.

HARDWOOD PROPERTIES - POPLAR

Poplar is widely renowned lot its workability—its grain is straight with a fine, even texture. It exhibits high resistance to warping and holds well after being placed.[2] This workability makes it a popular choice for a wide variety of woodworking projects.

Poplar's straight, uniform grain easily accepts paint and can be stained with a variety of colors (to mimic the look of more expensive species). However, due to a tendency to blotch when staining, a pre-stain wood conditioner is recommended. Darker stains typically yield better results.

The only potential downside to this wood type is that it's fairly soft relative to other hardwood lumber, sitting at only 540 on the Janka Hardness Scale. While the softness results in poor sanding properties when not using finer grit sandpaper, it also means that poplar is extremely easy to carve, cut, plane, turn and bore.[2] It is important to ensure sharp tools and cutting edges, as the relative softness can lead to tearing.

Janka Hardness Scale

ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE - POPLAR

Poplar grows throughout North America, in both the United States and Canada, and is considered to be one of the most sustainable hardwoods in the US. It is extremely common within its natural growth range and has little to no threat to its population.

An abundance of poplar trees can be found throughout the Appalachian region in a variety of states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Poplar usually prefers moist, well-drained soils, and the largest trees are often found on mountain slopes and plateaus. [2]

Yellow poplar trees can reach heights of 160 feet with a diameter of 8 feet and are one of the tallest hardwood trees in the eastern US. [7].

The outline of the leaves resemble tulip flowers, and when in bloom from May to June, the tree produces tulip-shaped flowers with aromatic stems.[5] Bark is a grayish green color with a white diamond-shaped pattern.

Volume of live trees on forest land, 1000 m3

All data derives from Forest Inventory Data Online (FIDO), a component of the U.S. Forest Service Inventory and Analysis Program (FIA). Data was compiled by AHEC in January 2016 using the most recent state inventory available (2014 for most states). "Forest volume" refers to "net volume of live trees on forest land," as defined by FIA (see glossary). FIA forest volume data is available for 49 U.S. states (Hawaii and Washington D.C. are omitted) with total hardwood forest volume of 18.1 billion m3 of which 13.5 billion m3are commercially significant.

POPLAR PRODUCTS AT BAIRD BROTHERS

Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods is happy to assist with any questions you have about our poplar products, which include a variety of poplar doors, poplar mouldings, poplar S4S lumber, poplar plywood and other items.

 

Please call 1-800-732-1697 or Contact Us if you need help with our extensive inventory.

COMPARISON TO OTHER WOOD SPECIES

Source: The Department of Agriculture's Wood Handbook

LumberSpecific GravityJanka HardnessModulus of Elasticity (MPa)Impact Bending (mm)Grain
African Mahogany --- 830 lb 9,700 --- Medium/Coarse
Alder 0.41 590 lb 9,500 510 Fine
Ash 0.6 1,320 lb 12,000 1,090 Fine
Basswood 0.37 410 lb 10,100 410 Fine
Beech 0.64 1,300 lb 11,900 1,040 Fine/Medium
Birch, Yellow 0.62 1,260 lb 13,900 1,400 Fine
Cedar, Western Red 0.32 350 lb 7,700 430 Fine
Cherry, Brazilian 0.91 2,350 lb 22,510 --- Medium
Cherry 0.5 950 lb 10,300 740 Fine
Cypress 0.51 510 lb 6,300 --- Medium
Douglas Fir 0.48 710 lb 12,300 660 Medium/Coarse
Hemlock 0.4 540 lb 8,300 530 Coarse
Hickory 0.66 1,820 lb 11,900 1,120 Medium
Maple, Hard 0.63 1,450 lb 12,600 990 Fine
Maple, Soft 0.47 700 lb 7,900 640 Fine
Oak, Red 0.63 1,290 lb 12,500 1,090 Coarse
Oak, White 0.68 1,360 lb 12,300 940 Coarse
Pine, Eastern White 0.35 380 lb 8,500 460 Medium
Pine, Ponderosa 0.4 460 lb 8,900 480 Medium
Pine, Yellow (Shortleaf) 0.51 690 lb 12,100 840 Fine/Medium
Poplar 0.42 540 lb 10,900 610 Medium
Sapele 0.67 1,410 lb 15,930 --- Fine
Teak 0.66 1,070 lb 10,700 --- Coarse
Walnut (Black) 0.55 1,010 lb 11,600 860 Medium

*Data is based on a moisture content of 12%.

GLOSSARY

Impact Bending — In the impact bending test, a hammer of given weight is dropped upon a beam from successively increased heights until rupture occurs or the beam deflects 152 mm (6 in.) or more. The height of the maximum drop, or the drop that causes failure, is a comparative value that represents the ability of wood to absorb s hocks that cause stresses beyond the proportional limit.

Janka Hardness — Defined as resistance to indentation using a modified Janka hardness test, measured by the load required to embed a 11.28-mm (0.444-in) ball to one-half its diameter. Values presented are the average of radial and tangential penetrations.

Modulus of Elasticity — Elasticity implies that deformations produced by low stress are completely recoverable after loads are removed. When loaded to higher stress levels, plastic deformation or failure occurs.

Specific Gravity - A measure of the ratio of a wood's density as compared to water. If a wood species had the same density as water, the specific gravity would be 1.00.

SOURCES

  1. "Wood Handbook, Wood as an Engineering Material". fpl.fs.fed.us. April 2010. Accessed Jan. 2020.
  2. R. S. Boone. "Wood Species Guide". Furniture Design & Manufacturing. Dec. 1988. Accessed Jan. 2020.
  3. "Yellow Poplar: The do-everything wood that's priced right". WoodMagazine.com. Accessed Jan. 2020.
  4. "Poplar". The Wood Database. Wood-database.com.
  5. "Tuliptree". Arbor Day Foundation. Arborday.org. Accessed Jan. 2020.
  6. "American Tulipwood". American Hardwood Export Council. Americanhardwood.org. Accessed Feb. 2020.
  7. "Liriodendron tulipifera". Center for Wood Anatomy Research. fpl.fs.fed.us. Accessed Feb. 2020.
  8. "Poplar Culture in North America". Chapter 9: Properties and utilization of poplar wood. National Research Council of Canada. Ottawa 2001.
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