# POPLAR or POPPLE?



## lost in the woods (Jul 13, 2017)

Ladies and gentlemen,

i read 2 posts over the last few weeks which included photos of trees or parts of trees and many users are referring Aspen  (_populous sp.)_ as "poplar"

ASPEN IS NOT POPLAR

I have heard it referred to as 'popple' but not poplar until joining this forum

Yellow Poplar (liriodendron tulipifera) is  poplar.


----------



## baseroom (Jul 13, 2017)

_Populus_, the plant genus which includes most poplars, as well as aspen and cottonwood

Well it is around here!  Tulip poplar is a different tree all together.   
_Liriodendron_, the genus of tulip poplars

Yellow poplar or tulip poplar (_Liriodendron tulipifera_)


----------



## johneh (Jul 13, 2017)

Wikipedia 
_*Populus*_ is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include *poplar* /ˈpɒp.lər/, *aspen*, and *cottonwood*.
Draw your own conclusions


----------



## baseroom (Jul 13, 2017)

Bingo



johneh said:


> Wikipedia
> _*Populus*_ is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include *poplar* /ˈpɒp.lər/, *aspen*, and *cottonwood*.
> Draw your own conclusions


----------



## billb3 (Jul 14, 2017)

Yeah, yellow poplar, often called by it's common name  "poplar" isn't even a poplar.
Yellow poplar (liriodendron ) is part of the Magnolia family.

All the other "poplars" - white and black, aspens, cottonwoods are all part of the "populus" family of poplars.


It's like red cedars here are actually junipers and Atlantic white cedars here are actually part of the cypress family.
You still pretty much have to use the common local name or few will know what you're talking about.


----------



## kennyp2339 (Jul 14, 2017)

how about popular poplar


----------



## TreePointer (Jul 15, 2017)

Common names vs. Taxonomic classification (scientific name/classification)

There is an "English white oak" tree whose leaves are familiar to many, and most people refer to the tree simply as "white oak."

However, to a biologist and specifically a taxonomist, "white oak" refers to a section (grouping) of oaks that includes English white oak, post oak, bur oak, and dozens of others with similar characteristics.

So if someone says, "No, that's not a white oak. It's a post oak," they are not wrong if they are using common names but it is a confusing way to refer to them.  It's also correct to say, "A post oak is a white oak."

When comes to poplars, the grouping the Aspens in with poplars is (IMO) appropriate and helpful for our forum discussions because the firewood that comes from them has a lot of similar characteristics--lightweight after seasoning, low BTUs, quick burning.  Also note that a common name for the Aspens is "white poplar."


----------



## HisTreeNut (Jul 15, 2017)

Poplar or Popple?
I refer to it as "BTU's that make the wifey warm and happy."


----------



## TreePointer (Jul 15, 2017)

These days with all the dying ash that needs to be harvested, popple just rots on the ground.


----------



## kennyp2339 (Jul 16, 2017)

HisTreeNut said:


> Poplar or Popple?
> I refer to it as "BTU's that make the wifey warm and happy."


Happy wife happy life


----------



## firefighterjake (Jul 16, 2017)

Around here poplar = popple = quaking aspen.

Tamarack = hackmatack = juniper (although technically the only true juniper is ground juniper).

Pine = pine (when you live in The Pine Tree State hardly anyone refers to all softwoods as pines).


----------



## Hasufel (Jul 17, 2017)

billb3 said:


> Yeah, yellow poplar, often called by it's common name  "poplar" isn't even a poplar.
> Yellow poplar (liriodendron ) is part of the Magnolia family.
> 
> All the other "poplars" - white and black, aspens, cottonwoods are all part of the "populus" family of poplars.



Actual botany aside, around here poplars = tulip poplars. FWIW, lumber identified as "poplar" is from yellow/tulip poplar.


----------

