Is Poplar Considered A Hardwood Or Softwood

Poplar is a hardwood but it s not very hard.

Is poplar considered a hardwood or softwood.

I have a paint grade job coming up that specs 1 2 thick hardwood edging on the shelves. Wandering the lumber aisle at the local home improvement warehouse reveals a dizzying array of building materials. Wood is categorized into two groups based on their density as softwood and hardwood. Poplar is a hardwood but it isn t a hard wood.

I m wondering if poplar fits that description. Here s some hard info about just how hard it is or isn t november 15 2011. The distinction between and softwood is related to how the species produces seeds. The gymnosperms which include conifers such as pines and cedars are called softwoods.

However both categorizations can be considered to be correct. In most instances poplar or at least the wood sold as poplar in home centers is actually the wood from the tulip tree. It simply means the wood comes from a dicot tree such as a broadleaf variety. Botanically speaking poplar is an angiosperm which is referred to as hardwood.

Question is poplar considered a hardwood. Poplar wood is considered a hardwood by species but this can be somewhat confusing as it is typically softer than pine a common softwood. It s important to explain that hardwood is not necessarily a term that refers to the strength of the wood. As a deciduous tree poplar is classified as a hardwood.

There are softwoods and hardwoods in various sizes with wildly varying prices. Classifying wood as either a hardwood or softwood comes down to its physical structure and makeup and so it is overly simple to think of hardwoods as being hard and durable compared to soft and workable softwoods. 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. Is poplar a hardwood or a softwood.

In general hardwood trees grow slowly and as a result are more hard and dense but this isnt always the case. Poplar is a hardwood but is it hard. Maple walnut ash cherry and oak all fit into this category. That s because the terms hardwood and softwood are rather misleading.

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. You might pick up a block of softwood that is exceptionally hard or find a wood like poplar that is a hardwood yet soft. 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.