However, there is also another wood that shares the name. And i have yet to see any wood that does not warp, well other than pertrified wood. Hunt, professor emeritus of wood science, purdue university. Yellow poplar liriodendron tulipifera, or tulip tree, the tallest hardwood tree in north america, also rates as the most valuable commercial species because its intolerance to shade stifles lower branches and produces a perfect, straight trunk with clear lumber even in small trees. I thought dense and light weight we kind on opposite terms. Mechanical performance of yellowpoplar cross laminated timber. It is a valued specialuse wood, and also an important wood of general utihty. Yellow poplar is a bit denser than basswood, and aspen, but it is still amongst the lightest hardwoods in this part of the world. District court south carolina in 1928, then transferred to u. Many of the mechanical properties of wood tabulated in this chapter were derived from extensive sampling and analysis procedures. Strength and stiffness properties of sweetgum and yellow poplar structural lumber timothy d. Poplar has a straight grain that can be wooly at times, but has a fine, even texture.
Grade distribution and drying degrade of sweetgum and yellow. Equations were developed that, when applied to a sample of 126 yellow poplar trees in illinois, kentucky, and ohio, predicted a value of lumber yield within 2 percent of the value computed. These properties are represented as the average mechanical properties of the species. Today, yellow poplar is still used for siding due to its availability, low cost, paintability, and resistance to warp and shrinkage, as seen in the photo below. Zarnoch abstract the forest resource base in the southeast is rapidly changing. If you require a hardwood species not listed, or to purchase lengths.
North to central michigan, central new york and southern new england. In the bankruptcy proceeding, a decree of the districtcourt directed the conveyance of tract 10 to c. Wood handbookchapter 4mechanical properties of wood. In the south, magnolia may also be mixed with yellowpoplar but it too can be separated anatomically. The variation in coloration doesnt affect poplar s. Pdf yellowpoplar lumber for exterior architectural. Poplar wood one of the most used secondary woods for paint grade lumber, drawer sides and furniture backs fast growing hardwood trees often grow quite large quiet grain, easy to work characteristics of poplar origin of wood type usa. It is known to produce lumber that is clear, wide, and straight.
Each of these species, however, can be separated with certainty. This paper describes the data collection methods and the format of the new west virginia yellow poplar lumber defect database. Data the data used came from yellow poplar tree diagrams originally collected as part of an overall study developed at the carbondale, illinois, field office of the central states forest experiment station to establish hardwood tree grades. Sawmill operations sawmills american lumber company owns and operates its own hardwood lumber. Whether you are contractor, home builder, craftsman or otherwise, we guarantee that you will find everything you need for your next project. Unfortunately, todays millwork grade yellow poplar is mostly sapwood and many contractors have continued to use it just as the old growth supply but very often with the resulting problem of early decay. Historically, humans have used wood and wood products for shelter, fire, and in war, making wood an integral part of our civilization. Sweet birch ranks slightly above yellow birch in most strength properties. For some softwoods can be quite hard such as southern yellow pine. Yellow poplar identification of common north american woods. Pine and douglas fir lumber, moody and others 1993 recently showed that yellow poplar beams can be manufactured with comparable engineering properties to those of softwoods.
In the average timber stand yellow poplar either becomes one of the tallest species in the stand. Choos ing the right wood home built using yellow poplar lumber milled on a portable sawmill from trees grown on a farm in southern ohio. Dimension yields from yellowpoplar lumber forest products. Due to this light weight, the mechanical properties of yellow poplar wood are less than those of the denser hardwood species. Chapter 5 mechanical properties of wood modulus of rigidity the modulus of rigidity, also called shear modulus, indicates the resistance to deflection of a member caused by shear stresses. This is not a complete list of items carried in our store. Poplar the wood database lumber identification hardwood. This wood species is not listed in the cites appendices or on the iucn red list of threatened species.
On the contrary, yellow poplar is a part of the magnolia tree family and is a true hardwood. This publication will discuss the positive and negative attributes of. Rainbow poplar the wood database lumber identification. Yellow poplar lumber goosebay sawmill and lumber, inc.
Also called tuliptree or tulippoplar because of the flower and leaf. Cassens, professor of wood products and extension specialist, purdue university michael o. This soft grain pattern makes it one of the best woods for painted furniture or cabinets. The objective of this study was to establish strength and stiffness data on sweetgum dimension lumber in bending, tension, and compression modes. This makes the yellow poplar one of the easts tallest trees. The sapwood of yellow poplar ranges from light yellow to white. Yellow poplar plywood is used for furniture and shipping containers. The sapwood of yellow poplar ranges from light yellow to white, the heartwood varies in contrast with color ranging from tan to light brown and even greenish brown. District court western district of virginia, now referred to u. Gardenvariety poplar wood is also sometimes referred to as yellow poplar or whitewood, but you may also find stocks of poplar that include european black poplar, cottonwood, or some types of aspen. If you require a hardwood species not listed, or to purchase lengths longer than 12 please call us at 18007321697 or email. American lumber company purchases hardwood veneer logs and saw logs from loggers and landowners year round.
The author has seen both boxelder and aspen mixed with yellowpoplar. Unfortunately, decay in yellow poplar lumber can be a serious issue in just a few years figures 1 and 2. Yellow poplar has a unique leaf with four lobes separated by rounded notches. The relationship between these strength modes was also investigated. No other species can match yellow poplar s variety of uses. Results indicate that sweetgum equals or exceeds yellow poplar in strength and stiffness overall, and on a gradebygrade basis.
Yellow poplar is also known as tulip poplar and tulipwood. The wood is diffuse porous with small, even pores throughout the annual growth ring, resulting in a more subdued grain. Poplar is a versatile and inexpensive wood for carvers, strong enough to hold elaborate detail and yet soft enough to stand out among available options of hardwood. Over the past 20 years, yellow poplar and the maples have been almost equal in volume of production, often exchanging second. Pdf yellow poplar liriodendron tulipifera also known as the tulip tree or tulip poplar is a popular tree in the southern united states. Mechanical performance of yellow poplar cross laminated timber milad mohamadzadeh abstract crosslaminated timber clt is a structural wood composite material consisting of multilayers of lumber orthogonal to each other creating massive wood panels. The resulting mineral stained woodwhich, although not necessarily common, is by no means rare or scarceexhibits a variety of colors ranging from green, purple. Therefore, it is used for a great variety of products and applications. We use wood because it is easy to work with, inexpensive, durable, and readily available. Lowgrade lumber, framing for furniture and cabinets, veneer core stock.
Yellow poplar grows widely and in large quantities across the eastern united states. Yellow poplar lumber for exterior architectural applications in new construction and for historical restoration daniel l. Dimension yields from yellowpoplar lumber robert c. Poplar wood and longevity the soft wood of the yellow poplar makes it very valuable tree for making furniture, toys and musical instruments but it also limits the longevity and survival of individual trees and contributes to a rapid cycle of sun gap formation. Yellowpoplar was probably named because of the yellow color of the wood from old trees. Poplar s4s lumber, poplar flat stock, and poplar boards from. Dimension yields from yellow poplar lumber robert c. The term rainbow poplar does not refer to a separate wood species, but rather, is a designation of yellow poplar liriodendron tulipifera that has been mineral stained. Yellow poplar trunks are easily broken by strong winds.
Yellow poplar was adjudged a bankrupt and the bankruptcy case was closed in 1931. Abundant throughout its eastern range, yellow poplar becomes less available farther west. United states west virginia yellowpoplar lumber defect database. Mechanical performance of yellowpoplar cross laminated. If you are looking for superior lumber, we supply many types, including poplar. This was 90% of the wood we would use when trimming a house baseboards,casings, door jambs. Tulip poplar makes a desirable street, shade, or ornamental tree but the large size it attains makes it unsuited for many sites. The wood of paper birch is considerably lighter than the other two birches and ranks below them. In terms of volume it is surpassed only by the oaks. American tulip, wood is routinely the tallest, largest, clearest, and. Yellow poplar also called tulip poplar and american tulip has shown a resurgence in popularity in recent years due to its cost and greater abundance. Yellowpoplar forestry and natural resources university of. It is used for furniture stock, veneer and pulpwood.
Hardwood lumber from american lumber yellow poplar. Yellow poplar has a strong potential to become a major species for structural purposes in the future. Boards are surfaced four sides s4s with flat and parallel faces and edges. Poplar wood has sapwood that is white and heartwood that varies from yellowish brown to olive green in color. Liriodendron tulipiferaknown as the tulip tree, american tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, and yellowpoplaris the north american representative of the twospecies genus liriodendron the other member is liriodendron chinense, and the tallest eastern hardwood.
Hardwood lumber yellowpoplar and is sometimes mixed in the shipment of southern lumber. Perfect for a variety of projects, builders choice premium poplar wood is easy to work with and great for machining and finishing. In the south, magnolia may also be mixed with yellow poplar but it too can be separated anatomically. The straight grained wood varies in color from pale yellow brown to pale brown. The literature on mechanical properties of visually graded yellow poplar suggests that it may be underrated in strength and stiffness properties. Liriodendron tulipifera an overview sciencedirect topics. Although the young growth yellow poplar being harvested today has a tendency to warp when sawn into lumber, new technology has been developed sawdryrip to overcome this problem. The use of yellowpoplar as dimension lumber has been. It can reach a height of 30m 100ft and a diameter of about 1m 3ft 3in in good growing conditions. Poplar populus balsamifera is a large size tree that originated in north america. When people refer to poplar wood, there are generally referring to white poplar. Characteristics among the commercially important u. Its soft but dense so its delightfully easy to shape and machine. Woods with less favorable furniture characteristics and consequently lower value e.
Yellow poplar or tulip poplar liriodendron tulipfera yellow poplar also referred to as tulip poplar is the biggest hardwood tree in the eastern north american forests. Yellow poplar lumber for exterior architectural applications in new construction and for historical restoration. At the time of its bankruptcy, yellow poplar was the owner of certain tracts of land described as tracts 10 and 11 in a deed dated january 6, 1906, from excelsior coal and lumber company excelsior to yellow poplar. Poplar should be affordably priced, especially in the eastern united states where it naturally grows. However, yellow poplar is not actually a type of poplar wood at all. Yellow poplar or tulip poplar is the tallest hardwood tree in north america with one of the most perfect and straight trunks in the forest.
On july 17, 1928, white oak lumber company filed a petition in the united states district court for the western district of south carolina1 to have yellow poplar lumber company, inc. Hardwood lumber yellow poplar and is sometimes mixed in the shipment of southern lumber. Q how much shrinkage in drying should we see in yellow poplar and eastern cottonwood lumber a this sounds like an easy question to answer all i have to do is look up the numbers in a book. Dwindling reserves of high quality pine sawlogs will provide incentives to utilize lowdensity hardwoods such as yellow poplar and. Our results show that a continuous predictor for the lumber recovery of standing yellwolar trees is feasible.
Mechanical performance of yellowpoplar cross laminated timber milad mohamadzadeh abstract crosslaminated timber clt is a structural wood composite material consisting of multilayers of lumber orthogonal to each other creating massive wood panels. Yellow poplar is a hardwood that floats almost as readily as a softwood. Sep 21, 2017 the yellow poplar is a tree that, with little effort, grows between 70 and 90 feet high. Poplar s4s lumber, poplar flat stock, and poplar boards. Yellow poplar is most commonly used for carving and, though available through home improvement retail outlets, is sold at its highest grade in lumber. It grows in a wide distribution from new england southward to florida and westward to missouri. Since 1972 it has ranked second only to the oaks in the volume of hardwood lumber produc tion. Yellow poplar constitutes % of the timber volume in indiana. The most common species in the united states, yellow poplar liriodendron tulipifera, is found throughout the. Therefore, it is widely used for a great variety of products and applications. Poplar, also referred to as tulip poplar, yellow poplar, or white poplar, dimensional hardwood lumber is ready for your craftsmanship to be made into cabinets, furniture, trim, or your own special project.
Much taller trees of this species occur in its geographic range, with some specimens measured at over 150 feet. As yellow poplar was depleted in these areas, the timber industry moved west and south for new sources of lumber. Much of the yellow poplar today is growing on excellent sites where the american chestnut. Yellowpoplar lumber for exterior architectural applications. The available supply of yellow poplar liriodendron tulipiferal. Planting yellowpoplar southern research station usda. It is a creamy whitecolored wood with brown or gray sections or streaks through the grain. Yellow poplar grows widely in large quantities across the eastern united states. Strength and stiffness of reinforced yellowpoplar glued. Early settlers relied heavily on old growth yellow poplar to make barn siding. Yellowpoplar is probably the third most important hardwood in our eastern forests, after maple and oak. Some woodworkers prefer the often striking colors of yellow poplar s heartwood.
Maybe a little stronger and harder than white pine, but not by much. Poplar is a type of hardwood that can be either yellow or white. The three moduli of rigidity denoted by glr, glt, and grt are the elastic constants in the lr, lt, and rt planes, respectively. As a result, standards for yellow poplar glulam timber beam combinations with stiffness and strength properties comparable to softwoods are being incorporated by the. Hanover, wood products extension specialist north carolina state university, raleigh, n. Some properties, such as tension parallel to the grain, and all properties for some. This would happen more when there was heat generated by friction and a slight saw burn.
I can guarantee the poplar we use has a very distinct smell when cross cut at high speed,as in a mitre saw. The tight grain makes the perfect choice for stain or paint, but poplar works fine with a clear finish, too. Yellow poplar forest products laboratory forest service. Seldom used for its appearance, except in the case of rainbow poplar, poplar is a utility wood in nearly every. If you cant find something you need here, please visit the store or contact us. Liriodendron tulipiferaknown as the tulip tree, american tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, and yellow poplar is the north american representative of the twospecies genus liriodendron the other member is liriodendron chinense, and the tallest eastern hardwood. Common species ash basswood beech birch cherry hard maple hickory red oak soft maple walnut white oak yellow poplar. Forest management forest management our timber harvesting programs are diverse and. Since 1960, production of yellow poplar lumber has accounted for a relatively constant proportion averaging 9 percent of total hardwood production. Shop appearance boards and a variety of building supplies products online at. Poplar s4s boards add elegant finishing details and emphasize the special care that has gone into your homes interior.
Strength and stiffness properties of sweetgum and yellow. I also have a different experience with yellow poplar. Jan 28, 2016 yellow poplar is probably the third most important hardwood in our eastern forests, after maple and oak. Annual growth and ready supply of saw timber have increased. How to avoid shrinkage in drying yellow poplar, cottonwood. It can reach a height of 160 feet and a width of 10 feet. A basic guide to softwoods and hardwoods by michael buckley, fiwsc the commonlyused terms softwood and hardwood are, in fact, rather misleading. The author has seen both boxelder and aspen mixed with yellow poplar.