# poplar for firewood



## Yooperforeman (Jan 24, 2012)

Does White Poplar make good firewood? What's it worth $ per face cord? I have a few that need to be cut,and I thought I might as well make firewood out of it.I've never burned it in a woodstove.


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## lone wolf (Jan 24, 2012)

Yooperforeman said:


> Does White Poplar make good firewood? What's it worth $ per face cord? I have a few that need to be cut,and I thought I might as well make firewood out of it.I've never burned it in a woodstove.



Burns very fast people will be mad if you sell them that.It will be good for your own burning.


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## darkbyrd (Jan 24, 2012)

They'll be mad if you sell it by the load, but if you wrap it in plastic and put a handle on it, you'll get $5/cu ft!


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## bbxlr8 (Jan 24, 2012)

good shoulder season or day wood - cut's and splits easy. I do NOT go out of my way for it and it's mostly is in my stacks because I wanted to clear the space (or a storm did it for me!)


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## shelbythedog (Jan 24, 2012)

I've gotten quite a bit of poplar from my neighbor's property, all blow downs and leaners. Much agreed with those above, it is a good wood to burn when you are around the house and can tend the fire pretty often. If you are selling, don't ask for top dollar and someone will take it off your hands.


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## kodiakattack (Jan 24, 2012)

I like to have a pile around to help burn down the coals before i load the stove up for the night.


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## russhd1997 (Jan 24, 2012)

It burns fast and hot and doesn't make coals. I burn it during the day in my OWB to help keep the coal build up in check. In my maple syrup evaporator it is rocket fuel.


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## Yoopermike (Jan 24, 2012)

I agree with the others about selling it, unless its for camp fire wood. I have cut and burnt it myself, but its a pain in the a$$. Kind of a double edged sword if you will. On one side it burns ice and hot but, the other it burns just as fast as pine. I see your a fellow Yooper, what parts??


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## Yooperforeman (Jan 24, 2012)

Southern Delta Co.
I need to get the trees out of there.I was thinking about $25.00/face cord or else I'll just give it away.


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## branchbuzzer (Jan 24, 2012)

lone wolf said:


> Burns very fast people will be mad if you sell them that.It will be good for your own burning.



They'll be mad if you advertise it as "hardwood", but not if you are up front about what it is and price it accordingly. I sometimes get requests for it specifically - sometimes it's for mild days, some people use it in old-style cookstoves when they don't need a long fire ( summer ). I can't imagine there's going to be a hot market for it by the cord in the UP tho. The trouble with selling poplar by cords is that it still needs to be cut, still needs to be hauled. So if you sell it at half-price of oak, your margin is going to be pretty slim.



darkbyrd said:


> They'll be mad if you sell it by the load, but if you wrap it in plastic and put a handle on it, you'll get $5/cu ft!



Definitely the best way to sell it.



russhd1997 said:


> It burns fast and hot and doesn't make coals.



It does make coals, they just don't last very long. If you blink you'll miss them. You can make it last a bit longer by leaving it a big as possible and reducing the surface area on it, just like folks out west do with huge cottonwood pieces.

I actually burn a lot of it since my house isn't too large and that lets me sell more of the high density stuff like oak and locust.


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## Yoopermike (Jan 24, 2012)

Id think $25 per is a good price. Im in Alger co. I might know a few people interested.. lemmie ask around.


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## bcorradi (Jan 24, 2012)

I agree with what others have said. A lot around here burn green poplar in their OWB and prefer it, but I'm not 100% sure why. I seen a local guy selling poplar for $50 per pickup load so your price is pretty fair.


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## MN Ripper (Jan 24, 2012)

darkbyrd said:


> They'll be mad if you sell it by the load, but if you wrap it in plastic and put a handle on it, you'll get $5/cu ft!




That is what our local gas station sells it for and I thought the DNR tag bundled with it said .75 cu ft! Whoever processes it for them has a good thing going they sell a lot of it even in the summer.


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## darkbyrd (Jan 24, 2012)

MN Ripper said:


> That is what our local gas station sells it for and I thought the DNR tag bundled with it said .75 cu ft! Whoever processes it for them has a good thing going they sell a lot of it even in the summer.



Thats where I see it too. I guess it's for the rich folks and their pretty fireplaces and a cuddle. I'm with the other guys. If it's easy, or in the way anyway, I'll work it up. Leave it big, and it's good if you're home or in the warmer season. I even keep some around in the winter for a quick warmup in the morning of if I don't load the stove soon enough and it almost goes out. Here what we have is yellow (tulip) poplar. Different species than you have up north I think, but burns the same. Heavy when wet, light like pine when dry.


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## Marine5068 (Jan 24, 2012)

It's great fire starter wood when dry.
I cut the older Poplar trees on my property and split them into small kindling for just that purpose.
I would never buy it as heating wood.
Maple, Oak, Cherry or Ash is what I burn for that.
Maybe the odd Yellow or White Birch.
Good Luck


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## alleyyooper (Jan 25, 2012)

We call it gofur wood.Place aq load in the wood burner and go fur a nother load.
But in the summer a truck load of it goes reall fast at the state forest camp ground. A arm load & and a big unsplit round for an evening camp fire sells for $10.00 off the back of the truck. 
City slickers don't know popple from teak.


 Al


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## genesis5521 (Jan 25, 2012)

Yooperforeman said:


> Does White Poplar make good firewood? What's it worth $ per face cord? I have a few that need to be cut,and I thought I might as well make firewood out of it.I've never burned it in a woodstove.



Hi Yooperforeman:

I don't sell firewood, but I burn a ton of Poplar (just because it's available on my land) in the wood stove in my living room. It burns fast and hot, and I have to keep adding it to the stove on a really cold day. But overall, I'm OK with it as it's "free".

Don <><


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## branchbuzzer (Jan 25, 2012)

alleyyooper said:


> We call it gofur wood.Place a load in the wood burner and go fur a nother load.



Not if all ya need is one load to heat the house up.....

We're not burning the wrong wood, you're just living in the wrong state!


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## logbutcher (Jan 25, 2012)

Heavy, dense, no BTUs, a PITA wood. Better off burning pine, spruce, or fir. 
Butt, if that's all you got, dance with it. :alien2:


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## bbxlr8 (Jan 25, 2012)

"Here what we have is yellow (tulip) poplar. Different species than you have up north I think, but burns the same. Heavy when wet, light like pine when dry. "

Here in PA it is the same - tulip poplar. Grows fast and big and falls easily...


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## Steve NW WI (Jan 26, 2012)

logbutcher said:


> Heavy, dense, no BTUs, a PITA wood. Better off burning pine, spruce, or fir.
> Butt, if that's all you got, dance with it. :alien2:



Heavy? Yup, when green. Dry, not even close to heavy. It's seriously lacking (as firewood goes) in the density department, at 2200# per cord dry, hence the lack of BTUs you noted.

To me, it's like any other wood growing on my property. If it dies it burns. I sure don't go looking for it, though.


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## branchbuzzer (Jan 26, 2012)

Anyone know a source of info on average yield, in pounds, of different species of trees? I've been looking, but most everything I can find is related to volume or board feet and most of the biomass info talks about pines. Was thinking our lowly poplar might not do so bad when measured in that department and would be interesting for some other types as well, such as pin oak.


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## Somesawguy (Jan 26, 2012)

It's considered junk wood up this way, but some people burn it. Unless you can get it easily, I wouldn't bother with it.


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## Steve NW WI (Jan 26, 2012)

branchbuzzer said:


> Anyone know a source of info on average yield, in pounds, of different species of trees? I've been looking, but most everything I can find is related to volume or board feet and most of the biomass info talks about pines. Was thinking our lowly poplar might not do so bad when measured in that department and would be interesting for some other types as well, such as pin oak.



BB, are you talking yeild as in tons/acre/year of various trees, or just the weight of the wood per cu ft?

Xcel Energy in MN has some test plots using hybrid poplars for biomass production, but danged if I can find anything on it right now.


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## Rick Alger (Jan 27, 2012)

I read somewhere that all wood has about the same btu value per dry pound.


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## darkbyrd (Jan 27, 2012)

Rick Alger said:


> I read somewhere that all wood has about the same btu value per dry pound.



True.


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## branchbuzzer (Jan 27, 2012)

Steve NW WI said:


> BB, are you talking yeild as in tons/acre/year of various trees, or just the weight of the wood per cu ft?
> 
> Xcel Energy in MN has some test plots using hybrid poplars for biomass production, but danged if I can find anything on it right now.



I was talking yield, more on the lines of a single tree than per acre but either way, measured in weight over a period of time. Say from seedling to 30 years or whatever, what trees would produce the most useable fuel over that period. It would obviously have to then be adjusted for the different moisture contents when green to get useable BTUs.

If one was going to plant seedlings in an open area for a woodlot, what species would produce the most BTUs over time. I'd think poplar would maybe do better when judged that way, but still would be beaten by fast growing hardwoods like pin oak, black locust. Hickory is great firewood, but I think it would slip down the chart based on yield/yr.


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## 85 Bears (Jan 27, 2012)

Which would burn longer, cottonwood or cardboard.


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## darkbyrd (Jan 27, 2012)

85 Bears said:


> Which would burn longer, cottonwood or cardboard.



Depends, how long did you soak the cardboard in water?


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## Chris-PA (Jan 28, 2012)

We've got a lot of yellow poplar here, but I didn't get any this year and I miss it. In the woods it grows straight as an arrow. It's easy to cut, splits easy and perfectly straight, it's light and stacks nicely. But it's about half the BTUs of an equal sized piece of oak, and you do have to spend time hauling it which is why I don't have any this year. However, it's great for starting or for re-kindling a fire in the morning,and for getting the temperature/secondary combustion back up on a fire that's coaling down. I used to throw in single split with other, denser wood to keep it hot, or sometimes a thin split on the top to serve as an afterburner and get it really stoking. Good stuff, just recognize it for what it is and use accordingly.


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## 1967 Tempest (Oct 7, 2014)

Chris-PA said:


> We've got a lot of yellow poplar here, but I didn't get any this year and I miss it. In the woods it grows straight as an arrow. It's easy to cut, splits easy and perfectly straight, it's light and stacks nicely. But it's about half the BTUs of an equal sized piece of oak, and you do have to spend time hauling it which is why I don't have any this year. However, it's great for starting or for re-kindling a fire in the morning,and for getting the temperature/secondary combustion back up on a fire that's coaling down. I used to throw in single split with other, denser wood to keep it hot, or sometimes a thin split on the top to serve as an afterburner and get it really stoking. Good stuff, just recognize it for what it is and use accordingly.




I am seeing a whole mess of it for free up here. I like the idea of having it separated from the rest of the wood and used strictly as a starter or as a rekindler. As it is know, I usually spilt a piece of oak or ash into small pieces and use them. I might go get some this weekend....... I figure if I bring my nephews and my splitter and split onsite and get 1/2 cord might be worth it...


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## sdt7618 (Oct 7, 2014)

I am currently looking into coppicing willow, from what I can find out, given a 4-5 year growth cycle it has the highest yield per acre. Poplar a close second. In the uk 100k's acres are grown as for biomass fuel every year. 

I am going to try a mix of willow hybrids and hopefully reduce my need to scrounge.


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## zogger (Oct 7, 2014)

sdt7618 said:


> I am currently looking into coppicing willow, from what I can find out, given a 4-5 year growth cycle it has the highest yield per acre. Poplar a close second. In the uk 100k's acres are grown as for biomass fuel every year.
> 
> I am going to try a mix of willow hybrids and hopefully reduce my need to scrounge.



I think if I was to do that, I'd use mulberry. Great firewood, tons of berries, grows fast, you cut it off, it resprouts from the stump.


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## Chris-PA (Oct 7, 2014)

Actually, re-reading my older comment in this thread, what we have here is not yellow, but tulip poplar - which is not poplar at all. I still like to have it, and this year I will again.


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## mainewoods (Oct 7, 2014)

Coppicing or pollarding?


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## sdt7618 (Oct 8, 2014)

I will be coppicing, but have read about pollarding and can see the advantages with the lack of bending over to cut the stumps etc but really don't have the issues of deer/rabbits to worry to much about to make pollarding required.


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## Dirtboy (Oct 8, 2014)

If its free or in your way, c/s/s and burn it in Sept-Oct, and in April-May. Save the good stuff for the cold months.


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## svk (Oct 8, 2014)

For certain uses, like a sauna stove it is very good. Burns fast with good heat. But not the type of wood to fill the stove with for an overnight burn unless you wake up at 2am.


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## Fred Wright (Oct 9, 2014)

Tulip poplar is so-so for heat output... I wouldn't travel very far to get it. Have burned the stuff in the past ~ it's fine for those not-so-cold days. Or for use in a shop stove. My issue with it, it burns fast. The stove has to be fed more often.


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## steved (Oct 9, 2014)

Fred Wright said:


> Or for use in a shop stove.



That's where it shines, quick ignition, fast burn; lot of heat in a short amount of time. That's all my grandfather uses in his shop...15 minutes and its from near freezing to nearly 60*s.


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## Sawyer Rob (Oct 9, 2014)

I've got quite a bit of it cut/split right now, cuz it's FREE... Here's ONE of the piles,







In fact, that's what I'm heating my house with right now...

SR


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## woodhaven (Oct 10, 2014)

I just scored several cords of it for free! I will mix it in with my good wood in the cold weather. I have no issue burning it, especially when it's free!


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## CRThomas (Oct 13, 2014)

MN Ripper said:


> That is what our local gas station sells it for and I thought the DNR tag bundled with it said .75 cu ft! Whoever processes it for them has a good thing going they sell a lot of it even in the summer.


I sure I will be selling bundled Ash as the worm kills good Ash. go to Poplar wood for my Bundling business


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## Johnny Yooper (Oct 20, 2014)

Yooperforeman said:


> Does White Poplar make good firewood? What's it worth $ per face cord? I have a few that need to be cut,and I thought I might as well make firewood out of it.I've never burned it in a woodstove.



I burn a lot of popple here (OWB), middle of the road for btu's for what's on my woodlot, it's very plentiful and handy so I don't pass it up; in fact, was out in the woods yesterday and an 18 incher had blown over within the last week or so due to the very wet ground conditions, that will get burned next season. However, when it's below zero I reach for the good stuff (hard maple, ironwood, yellow birch, oak). As someone else stated, it's awesome fuel for making maple syrup: fast and hot fire=quick boiling; my two favorite species for this are popple and basswood. 

Oh, and popple is one of the top materials for sauna benches..........you can verify with your local oldtimers of Finnish descent. Found someone nearby who was willing to part with some 12" to 16" wide x 2" rough sawn popple he had cut off his farm many years ago....couple nights in the woodshop and had some dandy 10 footers for a double tier bench.


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## svk (Oct 21, 2014)

Johnny Yooper said:


> I burn a lot of popple here (OWB), middle of the road for btu's for what's on my woodlot, it's very plentiful and handy so I don't pass it up; in fact, was out in the woods yesterday and an 18 incher had blown over within the last week or so due to the very wet ground conditions, that will get burned next season. However, when it's below zero I reach for the good stuff (hard maple, ironwood, yellow birch, oak). As someone else stated, it's awesome fuel for making maple syrup: fast and hot fire=quick boiling; my two favorite species for this are popple and basswood.
> 
> Oh, and popple is one of the top materials for sauna benches..........you can verify with your local oldtimers of Finnish descent. Found someone nearby who was willing to part with some 12" to 16" wide x 2" rough sawn popple he had cut off his farm many years ago....couple nights in the woodshop and had some dandy 10 footers for a double tier bench.
> 
> View attachment 374990


Aspen does make fantastic looking lumber. 

It's interesting about the sauna bench thing. Around here it's always cedar. Other places I've heard basswood and in your area aspen. I guess whatever light, non sappy wood is available will work equally well.


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## Johnny Yooper (Oct 21, 2014)

svk said:


> Aspen does make fantastic looking lumber.
> 
> It's interesting about the sauna bench thing. Around here it's always cedar. Other places I've heard basswood and in your area aspen. I guess whatever light, non sappy wood is available will work equally well.


yep - those are the other two that round out the top three materials for sauna benches; we have a lot of all three around deer camp in the Yoop, but no handy means to mill 'em; the aspen was already rough cut so I bit on it; certainly would have been equally happy with the cedar or basswood; the old timers will tell you that in this neck of the woods, these three transfer the least amount of heat to your skin, and who knows more about saunas than the Finnish?


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## svk (Oct 21, 2014)

Johnny Yooper said:


> the old timers will tell you that in this neck of the woods, these three transfer the least amount of heat to your skin, and who knows more about saunas than the Finnish?


My dad (who was 7/8 Finn, 1/8 Swede) had a hat that said "You can always tell a Finn but you can't tell them much". 

The old timer Finns (those now in their 90's and beyond) as a rule really knew the woods. When the fish would be running (to spear), where the deer breed (easy hunting), etc. Lots of little anecdotes to remember but sadly many have been lost over time.


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