Is Poplar A Hardwood Or Softwood

Poplar is an example of a tree that is technically a hardwood but had density and hardness that is more typical of a softwood.

Is poplar a hardwood or softwood. The density of a wood is determined based on the multiple growths and physiological factors such as age diameter height radial growth geographical location site and growing conditions etc. In most instances poplar or at least the wood sold as poplar in home centers is actually the wood from the tulip tree. It s important to explain that hardwood is not necessarily a term that refers to the strength of the wood. The gymnosperms which include conifers such as pines and cedars are called softwoods.

Poplar is a hardwood but it s not very hard. Blue ash has the highest janka rating at 2 030 with a specific gravity of 0 58. Sugar maple black maple sweet birch yellow birch and white ash are all strong hardwoods. A lower grade of maple will yield much better results for both durability and quality of finish.

The hardness of poplar is about on par with that of pine or cedar but the cellular structure gives it a much finer grain and more pleasing appearance than the more coarsely grained softwoods. That s because the terms hardwood and softwood are rather misleading. For example poplar is technically a hardwood but it is softer than some kinds of pine which is a softwood. I d only use it in low budget applications because it s so soft.

Maple walnut ash cherry and oak all fit into this category. However the terms hardwood and softwood don t necessarily dictate whether a tree s lumber is comparatively soft or hard in terms of density. Poplar woods are unsuitable for projects requiring hardwood. It simply means the wood comes from a dicot tree such as a broadleaf variety.

As mentioned poplar is a hardwood even though it is not a particularly hard wood. Wood is categorized into two groups based on their density as softwood and hardwood. Softwood comes from gymnosperm trees like cedar. The distinction between and softwood is related to how the species produces seeds.

It is considered to be one of the hardest types of softwoods in some circles while being classified a hardwood at the softer end of the scale in others. Poplar is a hardwood tree that produces soft wood when compared to other hardwood trees. Poplar wood is a type of wood that is often classified both as hardwood and softwood depending on where you look and who you ask. Poplar wood is considered a hardwood by species but this can be somewhat confusing as it is typically softer than pine a common softwood.

In general hardwood trees grow slowly and as a result are more hard and dense but this isnt always the case.