Poplar is ok

[Wood Duck]

I've been burning a good size poplar tree ...


Do a Google search on aspen then click on Images (on the left hand side of the page) then do the same for tulip poplar and you'll see there is a huge difference. Shoot, I never even saw a tulip poplar until one time when I went to PA. Those were used extensively in lumbering many moons ago and I suspect they still are.

Tulip Poplar is the 'poplar' I see in my local Home Depot and Lowe's in the hardwood lumber racks. It is a little greenish/purplish. It is still real common in some parts of PA and the rest of the appalachians.

 

[maple1]

I had a windfall poplar in the front yard in August. Didn't get it c/s/s until September. It was rotten in the middle at the bottom, but otherwise alive & green. I checked the m/c on a resplit split on Saturday, I was quite surprised how much it had dried out in 2 months (it was piled in an optimum drying spot). It wasn't down to 20 yet, but was below 25. I always thought of poplar as a weed, but won't be leery of adding some to my woodpile again. Too bad it wasn't so stringy for splitting.

 

[babzog]

I see noone wants my poplar. C'mon guys, if you're really drooling and falling over yourselves to have your very own stack of this apparently super-awesome weed-tree, why am I still looking out at a forest of the stuff?

 

[firefighterjake]

I will not go out of my way for poplar (aka popple, quaking aspen, bigtooth aspen, etc.) . . . but like the other "P" tree (Pine in case you were wondering) poplar has an undeserved bad reputation . . . in modern EPA woodstoves you can really get some good heat and fair burn times from this stuff . . . don't expect a whole lot of coals at the end though . . . I burned some this past Fall as it is a nice shoulder season wood.

 

[woodmiser]

I just split all my yellow poplar over the last week. They were bucked in the spring. I can actually burn some of it no problem right now. I like it. It burns a lot like pine.

 

[cptoneleg]

There are 'true' poplars like Cottonwood (Populus deltoides I think), Quaking Aspen (populus tremloides) Bigtooth Aspen (populus grandidentata), and several types of hybrid poplars. These are all in the genus Populus and pretty similar both in their appearance and in their wood, in my experience. True poplars are not closely related to Tulip Poplar (Liriodenron tulipifera) and the wood isn't all that similar either. I think Tulip Poplar is called a poplar because it grows straight and tall like some poplars, not because it is in any way related. Ailanthus, or Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altisima) is not related to either true poplars or Tulip poplar.

On my opinion aspens are pretty nice firewood - lightweight but nice to process, dries well, burns hot. I haven't cut much Cottonwood. Tulip poplar is a little more dense, also nice to process. Ailanthus is a smelly wood to cut or split, the tree is an invasive weed, and I haven't burnt any so i can't say how it burns. If I had any I'd cut it and burn it ust to get rid of it (or I'd girdle it and treat the stumps just to kill it)

That is correct. Tulip Poplar isn't poplar at all. It's in the Magnolia family.

http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_litu.pdf

Wow I clicked on your link and I don't remember flowers on my poplar but the leaves are the same, I will really watch this Spring as I like to know all the trees that grow on my property, when the wife gets home I will have to ask her if she has noticed these.

Anyway I can put 4 or 5 small splits in and bring stove up to 600* in avery short time let it burn out just perfect for knocking the chill off of house, or getting fire going in a hurry from coals. Seperating my wood and using my different types of wood is one of the best things I have learned around here.

 

[bpirger]

Lopi Liberty owners....Do you find you have to replace the door gasket every year to keep the air leakage low? Just curious....I have one as well.

 

[begreen]

I'm burning poplar for the first time this year and also like it. Ok, it's not the highest heat wood, but it's great for shoulder season burning. It was live late winter when it fell and dried very nicely over the summer. That's pretty quick for a 'hardwood'.

 

[maple1]

Stuff kinda stinks too....

 

[Wood Duck]

There are 'true' poplars like Cottonwood (Populus deltoides I think), Quaking Aspen (populus tremloides) Bigtooth Aspen (populus grandidentata), and several types of hybrid poplars. These are all in the genus Populus and pretty similar both in their appearance and in their wood, in my experience. True poplars are not closely related to Tulip Poplar (Liriodenron tulipifera) and the wood isn't all that similar either. I think Tulip Poplar is called a poplar because it grows straight and tall like some poplars, not because it is in any way related. Ailanthus, or Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altisima) is not related to either true poplars or Tulip poplar.

On my opinion aspens are pretty nice firewood - lightweight but nice to process, dries well, burns hot. I haven't cut much Cottonwood. Tulip poplar is a little more dense, also nice to process. Ailanthus is a smelly wood to cut or split, the tree is an invasive weed, and I haven't burnt any so i can't say how it burns. If I had any I'd cut it and burn it ust to get rid of it (or I'd girdle it and treat the stumps just to kill it)

That is correct. Tulip Poplar isn't poplar at all. It's in the Magnolia family.

http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_litu.pdf

Wow I clicked on your link and I don't remember flowers on my poplar but the leaves are the same, I will really watch this Spring as I like to know all the trees that grow on my property, when the wife gets home I will have to ask her if she has noticed these.

Anyway I can put 4 or 5 small splits in and bring stove up to 600* in avery short time let it burn out just perfect for knocking the chill off of house, or getting fire going in a hurry from coals. Seperating my wood and using my different types of wood is one of the best things I have learned around here.

Tulip Poplar (Yellow Poplar) tends to get all of its flowers really high up in the tree so they are hard to see. They also are greenish yellow so they don't stand out among the spring leaves.

 

[Rich L]

Anyone out there burn Aliantus ?It's been giving me good heat.What about you ?

 

[cptoneleg]

There are 'true' poplars like Cottonwood (Populus deltoides I think), Quaking Aspen (populus tremloides) Bigtooth Aspen (populus grandidentata), and several types of hybrid poplars. These are all in the genus Populus and pretty similar both in their appearance and in their wood, in my experience. True poplars are not closely related to Tulip Poplar (Liriodenron tulipifera) and the wood isn't all that similar either. I think Tulip Poplar is called a poplar because it grows straight and tall like some poplars, not because it is in any way related. Ailanthus, or Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altisima) is not related to either true poplars or Tulip poplar.

On my opinion aspens are pretty nice firewood - lightweight but nice to process, dries well, burns hot. I haven't cut much Cottonwood. Tulip poplar is a little more dense, also nice to process. Ailanthus is a smelly wood to cut or split, the tree is an invasive weed, and I haven't burnt any so i can't say how it burns. If I had any I'd cut it and burn it ust to get rid of it (or I'd girdle it and treat the stumps just to kill it)

That is correct. Tulip Poplar isn't poplar at all. It's in the Magnolia family.

http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_litu.pdf

Wow I clicked on your link and I don't remember flowers on my poplar but the leaves are the same, I will really watch this Spring as I like to know all the trees that grow on my property, when the wife gets home I will have to ask her if she has noticed these.

Anyway I can put 4 or 5 small splits in and bring stove up to 600* in avery short time let it burn out just perfect for knocking the chill off of house, or getting fire going in a hurry from coals. Seperating my wood and using my different types of wood is one of the best things I have learned around here.

Tulip Poplar (Yellow Poplar) tends to get all of its flowers really high up in the tree so they are hard to see. They also are greenish yellow so they don't stand out among the spring leaves.

Im gonna check it out this spring I cannot believe I have never noticed, but I know thats what it is by the leaves

 

[Boom Stick]

Just got a truckload of what I believe is Poplar today. Cut down by a beaver. My question is this: The wood had a waxy feeling to it on the bark side. Cut like butter, birch like bark, a bit rougher towards the bottom. I did not really see that telltale greenish/reddish core. Any ideas? no pics. Thanks

 

[firefighterjake]

Just got a truckload of what I believe is Poplar today. Cut down by a beaver. My question is this: The wood had a waxy feeling to it on the bark side. Cut like butter, birch like bark, a bit rougher towards the bottom. I did not really see that telltale greenish/reddish core. Any ideas? no pics. Thanks

Waxy feeling to the bark . . . cuts wicked easy . . . sounds a lot like poplar.

Typically the bark is not really like white birch . . . other than the fact that it is often the same chaulky white or gray color . . . older poplar or wood near the base may be a bit furrowed . . . younger poplar and wood near the top is often smooth . . . when rubbed it it is waxy feeling . . . may even have some stuff come rub off that feels a bit like talcum powder.

Pictures help tell the story much better though.