Thoughts on Tulip Poplar

I have a bunch of Poplar splits, so I have been burning Poplar. My typical M-F routine is up at 4am, turn the coffee on, go downstairs and fill the stove. This morning I filled it with Poplar splits, opened up the air, walked away, drank some coffee and went to work. I got home around 3 and went to the basement to check the stove. I opened it up, stirred the ash a bit and to my surprise there were some nice chunky coals, so I tossed on more Poplar and walked away. I have said it before, but it gives adequate heat, especially at this time of year. What’s not to like about it? It makes nice uniform splits, lights up quickly, makes heat, has coals after 10hrs of not being choked. It got me to wondering how it got a bad rep as firewood. People that buy wood from me say NO Poplar, or Pine. Obviously their opinions are based on real experience. It is a valued timber just like pine. Could it have originated as a timber industry smear campaign to preserve a resource, or just folks trying to burn green poplar and pine? I was able to sell some poplar to a fire pit customer last Saturday. I’ll be disappointed when I’m out of Poplar to get a quick fire going.

 

I don't have any poplar now, but in the past I have found that when nothing else will get a fire going good, poplar will get it going. I wish I had some.

 

Dries fast. I mix a couple splits in bundles with denser woods when I have them in quantity. Current bundles are a mix of sugar maple and TP.

Ive heard FHC echo your sentiments on its heating value. jo191145 heated one year with mostly TP.

Burners are accustomed to the high BTU woods and their reputation. Word got around about TP and it got a bad rap just like pine and how it causes chimney fires. Just a guess on my part.

 

I like tulip poplar and never have turned my nose up to it. Nice SS wood. Mixing it with cherry late SS seems to be a winner.
Dont have any in my stacks at the moment.

 

I have poplar racked up to start the winter out, and hopefully some left to finish the spring out with then too.
I have no idea why people bellyache about pine n poplar so much...it works great for me!
I suspect that it may not last as long in an old school "fire in a steel box" type of stove...seems ok in all the modern stuff I've tried though.

 

IDK. Both work fine in my "old back box". Sassafras is in the same boat, imo. Well.... my one experience with sas was worse. Maybe it wasn't dry.

 

No disdain towards poplar here. I’d love to have some right about now. Once hoarded about 6 cords of it for my parents. They blew through it pretty quickly. Didn’t like that part of it.
Scored some poplar