Author Topic: Solved: Tulip Poplar (Read 2016 times)

Don P · « **on:** June 03, 2002, 10:30:37 am »

A name I've heard given to several trees, this is ours.

bjorn · « **Reply #1 on:** June 03, 2002, 12:42:17 pm »

poplar, tulip poplar, yellow poplar, liriodendron tulipera (something like that).

Don P · « **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2002, 02:16:46 pm »

That's it Bjorn

, the latin is actually liriodenron tulipifera

(yaa, you made me go to the books

).
The reason I posted the pic (aside from the pretty blooms) is up north aspen is often called popple or poplar. Not a big deal normally, but I and others have posted about using poplar for dimensional framing. Its strength is close to southern yellow pine. Aspen (bigtooth and trembling) is rated with the northern species, along with white pine, red pine, western red cedar, ponderosa pine, eastern hemlock, balsam poplar.
Not a reason to avoid the other woods but a reason to know exactly what you've got sometimes, a yellow poplar 2x8 joist can span 2 feet further under the same load than an aspen joist of the same size

.

bjorn · « **Reply #3 on:** June 04, 2002, 05:08:37 am »

Where can I find span tables for tulip poplar? as I am cutting alot of this wood for my barn. Thanks.

Don P · « **Reply #4 on:** June 06, 2002, 07:55:48 pm »

Hi Bjorn,
sorry to have dropped out for a couple of days, we travelled down to her Mom's. I'm starting to get the hang of this web tv.
I'm carrying a couple of engineering, span and code books back up with me and have more stuff already at the job in IL. Long story short, I don't have a table for poplar but am comparing design values from several sources (Fb and e values), doing the math then confirming by comparing the results to tables for species with similar design values that I do have tables for. I'll be back up there in about a week. IM me if that will work and I'll show you what I've got.
In VA be sure to answer questions appropriately. This is strictly an ag building you are proposing, strictly for farm use...there will be NO other uses...been there paid for that permit

Corley5 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 07, 2002, 05:25:26 am »

So that's what tulip poplar looks like

The leaves look similar to a maple but different. They do have pretty flowers. What's there northern limit?

Ron Scott · « **Reply #6 on:** June 07, 2002, 07:02:44 am »

I know its in West Virginia.

swampwhiteoak · « **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2002, 08:22:53 am »

Tuliptree range:
Eastern - Atlantic coast
Western - Around the Illinois state line, little piece of Missouri, and part of Louisiana
Northern - South Central Michigan and New York state
Southern- Gulf of Mexico and south central florida

In my not so humble opinion the best tulip grows in W.Va, Va, and eastern KY. Basically the southern alleghennies and the cumberland plateau.

woodmills1 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 07, 2002, 09:30:34 am »

we dont have it in NH but i do remember some fine specimins from my WVa days.

Ron Scott · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2002, 04:43:50 pm »

One could almost hear it growing on the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The Monongahela Decision against clear-cutting stopped much of its harvest however.

Don P · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2002, 08:22:16 pm »

At home, north of the sy pine range, it is as fast growing as the pines and strong. Grows like a weed, the seed is viable forever and wants to sprout, I like it. It took over the old chestnut stands. While Jasper took us for a walk today on a nice greenway on the Broad River I learned that its a member of the magnolia family.

L. Wakefield · « **Reply #11 on:** June 08, 2002, 12:31:29 pm »

And- believe it or not!- it is actually listed in the book Trees of Maine. As an introduced species of course- but says it does OK. I just love those trees! How high off the ground were those blossoms in the picture, DonP? lw

Ron Wenrich · « **Reply #12 on:** June 08, 2002, 06:19:38 pm »

From logyard

To carriage:

To the grade pile:

Poplar grows well in our area, but to get the large areas of sapwood, you need it to grow down south. They need at least 1/3 sap for veneer.

It grows very well up to about 36". The biggest I've sawn is about 40" and that takes a long time, since I don't have a top saw.

You get very good amounts of F1F and better lumber off of the butts and second cuts. The lumber shown here is 10/4. destined for the Canadian markets. I've sawn 16/4 boards that were 20" wide, and clear on both sides. The lumber stackers hate when you do that.

Here's something to ponder. I was told that those large pillars on those southern mansions were made from quartered tulip poplar trees. I have no way of knowing if that's true, but it would be a very large tree to be quartered into those sizes.

Jeff · « **Reply #13 on:** June 08, 2002, 07:38:08 pm »

Hey how come the picture of your carriage is backwards? Cause its a Canadian Morbark?

Don P · « **Reply #14 on:** June 08, 2002, 07:50:56 pm »

Those blooms were only a little over head high on a ~24" yard tree at home that I keep having the best intentions of limbing up. Its not unusual to go clear 32' in the woods and I've seen plenty go more. The old giant on the housesite was 6' across the stump...but unfortunately waist deep inside the rotten heart.
The largest I've seen was 2 men and a boy around cbh (circumference, boy height).
Our barn and rent house are both 24' wide with 12' spans. I framed with 2x10 joists 16" on center. The barn is loaded...with ag type stuff...wood, half a dozen engines, a truck, you know the usual

One joist failed, but from a spike knot in the lower side, bad grading on my part, other than that it seemed to be a good overkill size for that species and span.
A lot of clapboard siding was made from it. We ran paint grade moldings, shutters, mantles etc. out of it as well. Its an old favorite for lumber core and good grades of veneer core plywood. A good finisher can imitate alot of woods on it as well...a very versatile tree.

Jeff · « **Reply #15 on:** June 08, 2002, 09:04:38 pm »

An interesting fact about the largest of the tulip poplar is that they can no longer be polinated by Bees. Bees can only fly to a height of 40 or 50 feet. Two of this nations historic trees are the Tulip Poplars planted in 1785 by George Washington at Mount Vernon. They are now manually pollinating the individual flowers, one by one, relying on a lift bucket and Q-tips. Seeds can then be collected so the offspring of these trees can continue to be produced.

swampwhiteoak · « **Reply #16 on:** June 09, 2002, 07:15:01 pm »

I forgot about that Jeff. The native pollinator is unknown, wonder what it is/was?

woodman · « **Reply #17 on:** June 09, 2002, 07:28:01 pm »

I know where there is at leat 2 of them here in Mass. so big it takes 2 people to give them a hug.

Corley5 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 09, 2002, 08:13:53 pm »

Do hummingbirds like the flowers? They'd be a pollinator if they do. But will they fly higher than bees?

L. Wakefield · « **Reply #19 on:** June 10, 2002, 05:50:22 pm »

I think henybees are the natural pollinator. I know tulip poplar honey is one of the types, and that tree is listed as bee fodder. lw

News:

Author Topic: Solved: Tulip Poplar (Read 2016 times)