What type of wood is poplar?

[cchavez]

I am thinking about getting a bed made out of poplar for Diego. The other bed I am considering is pine and has some veneers. But the poplar wood bed is all wood...no veneers. I know that pine is a soft wood but I know nothing about poplar. Thanks!!!

[psophia17]

I think it's a soft wood, similar to pine, but I may be wrong.

My BIL (sister's DH, NOT DH's brother), who does a lot of woodworking, likes working with poplar because of the grain and color. He made my brother a bed frame and headboard out of poplar a year back, and it's just gorgeous.

I'd go for all-wood poplar vs. veneer any day.

[squimp]

Poplar is considered as hardwood type of tree (it's a loose term for non-conifer aka softwood trees). For furniture they probably used yellow poplar, which I think they mean tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera - sorry PhD in forest science). It's usually pretty light in color. But it's relatively soft in the scale of hardwoods. And it's usually a pretty even grain, unlike most pines which are knotty. Pine wood can be harder than poplar when tested. Personally I'd go with solid wood and no veneers, and I'm not a fan of that rustic pine look. But it really depends on the look you want.

http://www.hardwood.org/display_article.asp?ID=196
http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/wood_hardness_chart.asp