He has degrees in science and humanities and years of teaching experience. Nut trees and fruit are probably the best examples of angiosperms, but there are many more, including oaks, maples and closer relatives of poplar, including ash, aspen and birch. It doesn’t look like spalting it looks a lot like rainbow poplar. Poplar is a hardwood, but it isn’t a hard wood. I work at a place that involves pallets and found one made out of poplar w beautiful coloring. The resulting mineral stained wood—which, although not necessarily common, is by no means rare or scarce—exhibits a variety of colors ranging from green, purple, black, red, etc. Building Materials: Granite and Lumber for Cabinets, Living Room Designs With a Wood Grain Trim. Its color is creamy yellow to yellowish brown, and it has a straight, muted grain. Just very, very inconsistently. That seems to explain (to a small degree) why a 5 foot piece of Rainbow Poplar I got from Home Depot was acting a bit weird when I was lichtenberg burning it. The most common species in the United States, yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), is found throughout the Northeast as well as in Canada, and it’s deciduous. Fluorescence: A Secret Weapon in Wood Identification, Bow Woods (from a mathematical perspective), Brazilian Rosewood, East Indian, and Other Rosewoods, Genuine Lignum Vitae and Argentine Lignum Vitae, BOOK: WOOD! This makes them more likely to be struck as well as providing a conductive path for the electron rebalance to follow. Quite handy. Poplar wood is lightweight and easy to work, making it an ideal utility wood. Ill attach a picture if possible. Although, I’m still trying to figure out why it kept burning normally even after finding a path between the two probes. I took it apart and then glued it back together in segments. I cut some and it had green, purple, red, and blue colors through out the heartwood. Poplar wood has a straight and uniform grain. That’s why I always rummage through the poplar bin at the big box stores. The mineral staining improves the conductivity of the tree. Think pine cones. Poplar wood is lightweight and easy to work, making it an ideal utility wood. I make cheese board or serving board out of the boards, since it is so soft. It may also be used to make frames for cabinets and dressers that are finished on the outside with plywood or a more attractive hardwood. Are Rosewoods (and Bubinga) really banned by CITES? Btw I love this site! The term “Rainbow Poplar” does not refer to a separate wood species, but rather, is a designation of Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) that has been mineral stained. That isn’t to say it doesn’t have decorative uses. A special thanks to Mike Leigher for providing the wood sample of this wood species. Certain species, particularly rainbow poplar, take on a variety of interesting hues when stained or allowed to weather in the sun, and these species are favorites for wood turners, who use them to make bowls, plates and other artisanal items. Chris Deziel is a contractor, builder and general fix-it pro who has been active in the construction trades for 40 years. A “hardwood” by definition, poplar is actually relatively soft when compared with a range of hardwoods. How to Know Mahogany Furniture Vs. Veneer. However, poplar is seldom used for its appearance. All these qualities suggest that it would be good wood for cabinetry and interior trim, but its low density and porosity create fuzziness on the surface and edges that is difficult to sand out. :-), Not being in any way a wood expert (just a DIY guy), I think I have an excellent theory about how Yellow Poplar becomes “mineral” stained: I recently purchased a long 8/4 Poplar board, well over a foot wide, for a project. Regardless, it is beautiful, I seek it out every time I’m in Menards.