HardwoodDurability class 4

American Tulipwood

Liriodendron tulipifera

Sapwood is white and in second-growth trees very wide. Heartwood is variable in colour, ranging from olive green to yellow or brown, and may be streaked with steel-blue. The annual growth terminates in a white band of parenchyma giving a subdued figure to longitudinal surfaces. The green colour darkens to brown upon UV exposure.

American Tulipwood (Liriodendron tulipifera)—often called “poplar” in the UK trade—is a light, stable, diffuse-porous hardwood known for easy machining and reliable performance in painted work.

Colour ranges from creamy sapwood to greenish-yellow or olive-brown heartwood that darkens with light exposure. It glues and nails well, takes paint superbly and is widely used for interior joinery, furniture frames, mouldings and plywood; outdoors it needs protection, as natural durability is low.

About this data — sources, methodology & acknowledgements →Data last updated: 19 May 2026