Tulip Poplar/Yellow Poplar

Description

Overall view of a tulip poplar tree in autumn in an open grassy field.

The genus Liriodendron is composed of two species, (L. tulipifera) (Yellow Poplar from North America and L. chinensis from China). Both species are identical at the cellular level.

Tulip Poplar is native to the eastern United States. The trees reach heights of 160 ft with diameters of 8 ft. The of Tulip Poplar sapwood is white and heartwood is a light brown, but can range in color (especially after exposure to air and time) from greenish brown to dark green, purple, black, blue and yellow. The wood of Tulip Poplar has a straight grain, with a uniform texture and light weight. It is below average in specific gravity and most physical and mechanical properties. Tulip Poplar is one of the easiest of all hardwoods to work by hand and with machine tools. It is used for dimension stock, furniture, gunstocks, hat blocks, interior finish, lumber, musical instruments, novelties, pallets, particle board, plywood, pulpwood, shipping crates, slack cooperage, sporting goods, toys and veneer.

Other Common Names

Other common names include 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, tuliptree, tulipwood, white poplar, whitewood.

Close view of tulip poplar leaves and bloom on a branch.

Tech Sheet

https://research.fs.usda.gov/silvics/yellow-poplar

Characteristics

Characteristics found in the Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron spp.):

  • Diffuse porous
  • Scalariform perforations (6-10)
  • IV pits medium (8-12)
  • Rays 1-4 seriate & heterocellular

Slides (Click on each image to view a larger image)

WOOD SLIDES

Microscope slide of transverse section of Tulip Poplar wood. Arrows point to the growth ring boundaries.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Tulip Poplar wood at high magnification. Arrows point to the vessels, rays, growth ring boundary, and fibers.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Tulip Poplar wood at high magnification. Arrows point to the vessels, rays and scalariform perforations. <
Microscope slide of radial section of Tulip Poplar wood. Arrows point to the rays, scalariform perforation plates, and inter-vessel pitting.
Microscope slide of radial section of Tulip Poplar wood at high magnification. Arrows point to the ray, upright cells and procumbent cells.
Microscope side of radio section of Tulip Poplar wood at high magnification. Arrows point to reticulate and scalariform plates within the vessels.
Microscope slide of radio section of Tulip Poplar Wood. Arrows identify scalariform type perforation plates.
Microscope slide of radial section of Tulip Poplar. Wood arrows point to scalariform type perforation plates.
Microscope slide of tangential section of Tulip Poplar wood. Arrows point to the rays and reticulate type perforation plates.
Microscope slide of tangential section of Tulip Poplar wood at high magnification. Arrows point to inter-vessel pitting.
Microscope slide of radial section of Tulip Poplar wood. At high magnification. Arrows point to scalariform perforation plate and inner vessel pitting.
Microscope slide of Tulip Poplar wood. Arrows point to inter-vessel pitting.
Microscope slide of radio section of Tulip Poplar wood. Arrows point to procumbent and upright ray cells.

CHARCOAL SLIDES

Microscope slide of transverse section of Tulip Poplar wood. Arrows point to growth ring boundaries.
Microscope OHH transfer section of Tulip Poplar charcoal at high magnification. Arrows point to the growth ring boundary rays and vessels.
Microscope slide of transfer section of Tulip Poplar charcoal at higher magnification. Arrows point to the growth ring, boundaries, vessels and rays.
Microscope slide of radial section of Tulip Poplar charcoal. Arrows point to the rays
Microscope slide of tangential surface of Tulip Poplar charcoal. Arrows point to inter-vessel pitting and rays.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Tulip Poplar charcoal at high magnification. Arrows point to fibers and inter-vessel pitting.
Microscope slide of tangential surface of Tulip Poplar charcoal. Arrows point to the rays.