WOOD WISE
generic name meaning‘ tulip-bearing’. The tree belongs to the Magnolia family.
This tall, stately, deciduous tree has a natural distribution in Eastern USA, from New England through New York to Michigan, Louisianna and Florida. In their natural habitat, tulip trees grow 30 to 45m in height, with trunk diameters of 2.4 to 3m. A straight stem, free of branches, of 12 to 15m can be obtained.
In South Africa, the tree usually grows to a height of 10m, but the maximum height recorded is 34m – the iconic Baynesfield tulip tree. The tree is frost-hardy. It is grown in South Africa in botanical and private gardens, mainly as an ornamental tree. The tree has a brown to purplish bark, a spreading to intermediate crown, with dense, dark green foliage, which displays golden yellow autumn tints.
The flowers and leaves make the tree particularly attractive. The showy flower resembles a tulip or lily, with
petals that are greenish towards the tips and orange-yellow at the base. The leaves are used for fodder and the nectar and pollen of the flowers are used by honey bees.
The wood produced by this magnificent tree is a lightweight hardwood with a fine texture. The light yellow to brown heartwood turns greenish upon exposure and the sapwood is creamy white. The grain is usually straight, but sometimes displays attractive blister figuring( figure that has fairly short raised sections).
The timber has low to moderate strength properties and good stability. It is ideal for building organs and is also suitable for many other applications, including model building, furniture, core stock for pianos and cabinets, doors, shelving, boxes and crates, baskets, veneer, pulpwood, carving and turnery. Great amounts of yellow poplar are also used for shipping pallets.
HARD FACTS: YELLOW POPLAR
Botanical / scientific name: Liriodendron tulipifera of the Magnoliaceae family.
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Yellow poplar( South Africa). Other names: canary wood, canoe wood, tulip tree, whitewood, hickory poplar, white-poplar.
Eastern USA, from southern New England through New York to southern Michigan and south to west central Louisianna and northern Florida.
The species is included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and its status is‘ least concern’.
Yellow poplar is a large tree, reaching an average height of 10m in South Africa. In its natural habitat, it grows to 30- 45m in height and a stem diameter of 2.4 to 3.0m.
The heartwood is light yellow to brown, turning greenish upon exposure. The sapwood is creamy white.
Grain pattern: The wood has a fine and even texture and a straight grain.
Density: The air-dry density ranges from 400 to 520kg / m 3 with the average being 450kg / m 3.
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Working and finishing properties:
The wood is light and soft with low to medium strength properties.
Air-drying – the wood is very easy to season and is dimensionally stable. Kiln drying – schedule 3 is recommended.
The wood is moderately durable and permeable to preservative treatment.
The wood is easily worked by hand or machine and a good surface finish is obtainable. It takes paint very well and nails easily, but the nail-holding capacity is not good. It has good gluing properties.
58 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 //