POPLAR

  

 

 

Color/Appearance: On most boards, Poplar is a light cream  to yellowish brown color, with occasional streaks of gray or green. Poplar can also be seen in mineral stained colors ranging from dark purple to red, green, or yellow: mineral-stained Poplar that displays a wide variety of colors is sometimes referred to as “Rainbow Poplar.” Colors tend to darken upon exposure to light.

Grain/Pore: Poplar typically has a straight, uniform grain, with a medium texture and closed pores.

Durability: Heartwood is rated as being moderately durable to non-durable in regards to decay resistance.

Workability: Very easy to work in almost all regards,  one of Poplar’s only downsides is its softness. Due to its low density, Poplar can sometimes leave fuzzy surfaces and edges: especially during shaping or sanding. Sanding to finer grits of sandpaper may be necessary to obtain a smooth surface.

Smell: There is no characteristic odor associated with this wood species.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Poplar has been reported as an irritant; usually most common reactions simply include eye, skin, and respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price/Availability: Among the most economical and inexpensive of all domestic hardwoods. Poplar should be affordably priced, especially in the Eastern United States where it naturally grows.

Comments: Poplar is one of the most common utility hardwoods in the United States. Seldom used for its appearance, (except in the case of Rainbow Poplar), Poplar is a utility wood in nearly every sense. It’s used for pallets, crates, upholstered  furniture frames, pulpwood, and plywood. Poplar veneer is also used for a variety of applications: either dyed in various colors, or on hidden undersides of veneered panels to counteract the pull of the glue on an exposed side that has been veneered with another, more decorative wood species.

Though the wood is commonly referred to simply as “Poplar,” it is technically not in the Populus genus itself, (the genus also includes many species of Cottonwood and Aspen), but is instead in the Liriodendron genus, which is Latin for “lily tree.” The flowers of this tree look similar to tulips, hence the common alternate name: Tulip Poplar.