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Yellow Poplar: Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnoliaceae |
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Yellow Poplar: Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnoliaceae |
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Yellow poplar (Liriodendron spp.) contains two species, the yellow poplar of North America (L. tulipifera) and a Chinese species (L. chinensis). Both species look alike microscopically. The name liriodendron is derived from the Greek lily and tree, because of the showy “lilylike” flowers (the flowers look more like tulips).Other Common Names: American whitewood, basswood, blue poplar, canary poplar, canary wood, canoewood, cucumbertree, hickory poplar, liriodendron, old wives shirt, poplar, popple, saddle-tree, sap poplar, secoya, southern yellow poplar, tulipia, tulip poplar, tulip- tree, tulipwood, white poplar, whitewood.Distribution: Most of the eastern United States, from Massachusetts west to Illinois, Arkansas and Louisiana, south to the Gulf Coast and central Florida.
The Tree: Yellow poplar trees reach heights of 160 ft (49 m) with a diameter of 8 ft (2.4 m). It is probably the tallest hardwood tree in the eastern United States.
General Wood Characteristics: Yellow poplar sapwood is white, sometimes with stripes; the heartwood is usually tan, but can range from greenish brown to dark green, purple, black, blue and yellow. The wood is straight grained, uniform in texture and moderate to light weight. Among commercially important hardwoods in the United States, yellow poplar ranks in the lower third of the range of the following properties: specific gravity, bending strength, toughness, impact resistance, work to maximum load, crushing strength, fiber stress at proportional limit, shear strength, tensile strength and side hardness.
Weighta |
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Moisture content |
Specific gravity |
Weight |
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lb/ft3 |
kg/m3 |
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Green |
0.40 |
38 |
609 |
12% |
0.42 |
28 |
449 |
Ovendry |
0.43 |
NA |
NA |
aReferences: specific gravity, green and 12%, (98); specific gravity, ovendry, (59); weight, (59).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property |
Green |
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Dry |
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MOE |
1.22 x 106 lbf/in2 |
8.412 GPa |
1.58 x 106 lbf/in2 |
10.894 GPa |
MOR |
6.00 x 103 lbf/in2 |
41 .370 MPa |
10.1 x 103 lbf/in2 |
69.640 MPa |
C| | |
2.66 x 103 lbf/in2 |
18.341 MPa |
5.54 x 103 lbf/in2 |
38.198 MPa |
C ⊥ |
0.27 x 103 lbf/in2 |
1.862 MPa |
0.50 x 103 lbf/in2 |
3.448 MPa |
WML |
7.5 in-lbf/in3 |
51 .713 kJ/m3 |
8.8 in-lbf/in3 |
60.676 kJ/m3 |
Hardness |
440 lbf |
1957.12 N |
540 lbf |
2401.92 N |
Shear| | |
0.79 x 103 lbf/in2 |
5.447 MPa |
1.19 x 103 lbf/in2 |
8.205 MPa |
aReference (98).
Drying and shrinkagea,b
Type of shrinkage |
Percentage of shrinkage |
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0% MC |
6% MC |
20% MC |
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Tangential |
8.2 |
5.7 |
2.4 |
Radial |
4.6 |
3.2 |
1.3 |
Volumetric |
12.7 |
9.8 |
4.1 |
aYellow poplar wood is intermediate in its tendency to warp, with initial shrinkage being large. It stays in place well after drying. It dries quickly, with minimal loss of quality
in all conditions.
bReferences: 0% MC, (98); 6% and 20% MC, (90).
Kiln drying schedulea |
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Condition |
4/4, 5/4, 6/4 |
8/4 |
10/4 |
12/4 |
16/4 |
Standard |
T1 1-D4 |
T10-D3 |
T9-C3 |
T7-C2 |
T5-C2 |
aReferences (6, 86). |
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Working Properties: Yellow poplar has the reputation of being one of the easiest of all hardwoods to work with hand and machine tools. It works well in planing, turning, gluing and boring. It is average in mortising and nail- and screw-holding abilities, but poor in shaping and sanding. It holds stain and paint well.
Durability: Rated as slightly or nonresistant to heartwood decay. Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Lumber, veneer, pulpwood, furniture, plywood, interior finish, dimension stock, gunstocks, musical instruments, toys, novelties, hatblocks, sporting goods, pallets, shipping crates, slack cooperage, particle board.
Toxicity: It may cause allergic reactions or dermatitis (40, 64, 105). Additional Reading: 29, 55, 68, 74, 100.
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