Pen #23
Wood Information
Pen #24
Poplar;         (Liriodendron tulipifera)                     
Common Names:   American tulipwood, American whitewood, Canary whitewood, Canary wood,
Canoe wood, Poplar, Popple, Saddletree, Tulip poplar, Tuliptree, Tulipwood, White poplar,
Whitewood, Yellow poplar
Distribution: Yellow poplar is reported to occur in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware,
Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Ontario, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine,
Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Illinois,
New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. It usually grows in pure stands and prefers moist,
well-drained soils, especially in valleys and slopes.
Product Sources: Yellow poplar is reported to be readily available in lumber and veneer form,
and is priced in the inexpensive range.
Tree Data: The tree is described as one of the tallest and most beautiful of eastern hardwoods.
It usually has a long, straight stem, measuring about 80 to 120 feet (24 to 37 m) high, with a
trunk diameter of 24 to 36 inches (60 to 90 cm).
Grain: The wood is straight grained, occasionally with an attractive blister figure. The narrow
sapwood (old-growth) is described as whitish or creamy, usually variegated or striped. The
heartwood is described as pale-olive green to brown, or clear yellow to tan or greenish brown. It
usually has blue-colored streaks or shades of purple, dark green, blue and black. The freshly
cut wood is light yellow to brown, but it turns greenish upon exposure to air and light.
Harding Pens and Woodturnings
Wood Information