Is Tulip Poplar Good Firewood

Tulipwood, tulip poplar, or Liriodendron tulipifera, is a flowering timber that blooms nectar-filled flowers every spring. Depending on the area you are in, it might also be called by a variety of names, including yellow poplar

Though its name may suggest otherwise, it is not a variety of poplar but rather is part of the Mongolia family. Its poplar namesakes are a reference to its ability to grow more than 100 feet, much like a poplar. But how does that wood fair when used as firewood? 

Tulip poplar is medium-quality hardwood. As firewood, it is more suitable for outdoor campfires. Its BTU output of 17.1 million per cord makes it more favorable than softwoods, but still more as kindling. Its sweet-smelling aroma may seem enticing but tulip poplar can produce a moderate amount of smoke and sparks. 

What Are The Varieties Of Tulip Poplar?

The tulip poplar tree does not have any other varieties as it itself is a variety of Mongolian wood. However, it is often confused with real poplar firewood, which you can read about here.

It does, however, go by a variety of names like tulipwood and yellow poplar.

What Are The Physical Characteristics Of Yellow Poplar Wood?

This table shows a quick run-down of tulip poplar wood characteristics:

Name	Tulip Poplar
Heat per cord (Million BTUs)	17.1
Weight dry (lbs per cord)	2475
Weight green (lbs per cord)	3230
Seasoning time	12-18 months
Resin/ Sap Content	High
Splitting Difficulty	Very Easy
Smoke	Moderate
Smell	Sweet
Coal Production	Very Low
Cerocote Build-up	Moderate

Firewood weight and BTU charts here, more than 160 varieties.

Is Tulipwood Easy To Split?

Just like its namesake, tulip poplar is a fast-growing tree just like poplar trees. This results in its wood being on the soft side and easy to split.

So easy that you do not need to split it with a hydraulic press. A hand maul or a hatchet will do the trick just fine.

What Does Tulip Poplar Smell Like?

When burnt, tulip poplar produces a very sweet smell that makes your home smell wonderful. Some people even say that they can detect slightly spicy undertones.  

The key to unlocking that sweet smell is to season the wood properly.

Tulip poplar tends to rot quickly and so may become discolored so if you bring it indoors at that stage, it will release an unpleasant stench.

How Much Sap Content Does Tulip Poplar Have?

Every spring, tulip poplar will bloom with nectar-filled honey, attracting thousands of bees and other insects every season

While beautiful, this nectar comes from the high levels of sap within the tree.

A tulip poplar tree produces so much sap that it often creates a phenomenon called honeydew. This is when the sap is being sucked to the surface of leaves and flowers by aphids in such quantities, that it drips off of the tree like honey.

When cut, tulip poplar does tend to dry out leaving little visual sap. But it still has high levels of it.

Moisture Levels Of Tulipwood

When first cut, you will find tulip poplar to be quite wet.

The wood is prone to becoming waterlogged which then can lead to a build-up in pressure as the tree continues to grow.

Though it is not always the case, try not to be alarmed if you do split a tulip poplar and find it full of moisture. Once some of the pressure has been released, the wood will dry out quickly.

Heat Output and Efficiency of Tulip Poplar

Tulip poplar has a noticeably low BTU of 17.1.

Though this is still 5 units higher than the BTUs ‘that real poplar wood’ tends to produce, it is still considerably lower than hardwoods like oak varieties – which produce a BTU of 24 or higher.

You can expect a wood with such a low BTU as tulip poplar to be medium-quality firewood.

It will burn quickly and give off decent heat. While this makes it a good fire, similarly to box elder firewood, do not rely on it you want to have a fire going overnight.

Instead, mix the tulip poplar firewood in with more efficient firewood such as ash hackberry, maple, oak, or locust.

Fire Characteristics Of Yellow Poplar

To understand if such a quick-burning wood is worth your time, let’s take a look at the fire characteristics of the tulip poplar.

Creosote build-up

Burning any type of wood in a fireplace or log burner will cause a build-up of creosote over time. You must keep track of how much is being deposited by the wood that you burn as too much creosote build-up is extremely dangerous.

One of the quickest ways that firewood can contribute to creosote is by having a high sap content. High moisture content also does not help.

Though tulip poplar will not burn for long, it does have a high sap content that increases the creosote buildup compared to most hardwoods.

Amount Of Smoke

You should expect a moderate amount of smoke from tulip poplar firewood.

Its sweet-smelling sap may be a nice addition to your home, but that also encourages the wood to smoke more when burning.

The less moisture your wood has when you burn it, the better. Using green wood would automatically increase the amount of smoke produced.

However, you will still end up with a noticeable amount of smoke when you burn tulip poplar, anyway.

Does It Produce Coals?

Much like poplar wood, tulip poplar is not known for its high-quality coals. Instead, it produces fine white ash which is of no use in sustaining a fire.

Coals are essential to keeping a fire hot, smokeless, and burning for longer periods of time. The more coals produced, the more fuel there is for the fire to use.

You will want to use another wood while burning tulip poplar that will produce better quality coals such as black locust.

Is It Okay To Burn Tulip Poplar A Fireplace?

As long as you do not leave a tulip poplar fire unattended, you could burn it in a fireplace if you wanted to. Just make sure to use it in a closed fireplace.

Tulip poplar has a tendency to pop and spark. Depending on how well you have seasoned the wood, it can also produce a substantial amount of smoke

Because of this, tulip poplar is better as an outside wood. But if you are wanting to use it more as kindling in your fireplace, then it will get the job done.

Compared to other premium-quality firewood, tulip poplar also creates a high amount of ash. This in turn means you will have to take the ash out more often.

How Long To Season Tulip Poplar Wood?

Despite the high water content, tulip poplar can be ready for burning in just 6-7 months in ideal conditions. The optimal time would be 12-18 months, which is still far quicker than most hardwoods that can take years.

Although, you will want to be checking your tulip poplar firewood often as it does rot very quickly too.

Various fungi’s like to feast on the starch and sugars that form the high sap content of tulip poplar. Though this mostly occurs in the early days when the wood is still wet, it is still a common occurrence.

To make sure that you are not burning rotten wood, use your stocked-up tulip poplar within two years of it being cut.

Is Tulip Poplar Firewood Expensive?

Usually, you do not find tulip poplar on sale as firewood, but if you did, you could expect to pay a slightly similar price for it as you would pay for other, split and seasoned hardwoods. One cord of tulip poplar would usually cost around 350USD.  

Pros And Cons Of Using Tulip Poplar as Firewood

The firewood community often dismiss tulip poplar as being useless wood, but it does have its advantages!

Pros:

• Very easy to process (split and season)
• Quick to light
• Sweet aroma
• Decent BTU
• Cheap

Cons:

• Higher creosote build-up
• Requires maintenance
• Rots quickly
• Low coal production
• High ash production

How Does Tulip Poplar Compare To Other Firewood?

With a higher BTU than typical poplar firewood, tulip poplar is preferable as a firestarter and can even be used as a main source of heat during midwinter. Its 17.1 BTU means that you will receive more heat from it than you would from red cedar, catalpa, or fir firewood.

However, tulip poplar does contain a considerable amount of sap, more than other woods like oak, ash, and even sycamore.

Generally, tulip poplar could be your go-to fire kindling but should not be your first choice for a long-burning fire.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Tulip Poplar good indoor firewood? 

It is recommended that you use tulip poplar outdoors but it is also great for indoor use if burnt in a closed fireplace.

How Much Does A Cord Of Tulip Poplar Weight? 

A wet (green) cord of tulip poplar weighs 3230 lbs. A dry (seasoned) cord weighs less than 2475 lbs per cord.

What’s The Difference Between Softwood And Hardwood? 

Due to a higher density, hardwoods tend to burn for longer and produce a higher BTU than softwoods. Hardwoods are therefore the more desirable firewood type.

Conclusion

In summary, tulip poplar is suited for both, as a great kindling, or as firewood but not during cold winter months. It is lower-tier firewood, with a BTU of 17.1 million per cord.