Poplar picks up as prices drop

After an unusual increase last year, prices for poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) have eased, according to lumber suppliers interviewed by Woodshop News. Commonly used for painted projects and secondary components, they report that the higher prices hurt sales.

“This time last year, poplar prices were up about $.75 per board foot, which for poplar was pretty drastic. So, sales were a little bit slower, and now with prices back down, volume is up,” says Chad Muterspaw of C.R. Muterspaw Lumber in Xenia, Ohio.

“Poplar is always a big mover just because it can be used for anything and everything. It’s a utility type wood for drawer slides, drawer boxes and such, and it paints and stains as well, so it’s a great all-around lumber.”

“The price has dropped over the last six months,” says Dave Norman of Parkerville Wood Products in Manchester, Conn. “There’s been a drop in demand for lumber overall and we’re seeing a little relief on that particular product. There are still other woods that we’re seeing go up, but (poplar) is one where we see movement in the other direction. It’s the most common wood that’s used for painting. The second would be soft maple. It used to be, back in the day, their prices were separated by a dollar or two a board foot. Now the soft maple can be much more.

“Some people do like to clear coat poplar or stain it, but we don’t usually advertise it like that because the coloring is all over the place. Right now, everybody is building paint-grade cabinetry, so there’s still been a demand for poplar over everything else.”

Rick Herbine produces about 25,000 bf of lumber annually at his one-man sawmill, Herbine Hardwoods, in Leesburg, Va. He does not cut much poplar due to its low margin, but usually has some for sale.

“I’ve got a lot of different thicknesses of poplar on hand, and it has always been fairly steady,” says Herbine. “I guess I didn’t run up the price when pretty much everything was going up. I kept it pretty much the same.

“It’s a go-to secondary lumber if you’re not going to go with soft maple or birch. Also, I will specialty mill live-edge poplar and rainbow poplar with different colors in the heartwood and that will sell well. I also do 3/4 poplar for drawer sides and bottoms for interior pieces and charge a premium for that because it’s quartersawn and more stable.”

Retail price quotes for 4/4 FAS poplar ranged from $2.65-3.59/bf. 

This article was originally published in the August 2023 issue.