Balsam Poplar

Populus balsamifera · Hardwood · North America

≈21 lb/ft³ dried (est.)

Properties

Average dried weight (est.)	21 lb/ft³ (340 kg/m³)
Specific gravity	0.34
Modulus of rupture	6,800 psi (46.9 MPa)
Modulus of elasticity	1.10 million psi (7.58 GPa)
Crushing strength	4,020 psi (27.7 MPa)
Shrinkage — radial	3.0%
Shrinkage — tangential	7.1%
Shrinkage — volumetric	10.5%
Shrinkage T/R ratio	2.4

Values at 12% moisture content, clear-wood averages. Source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 (2021), Table 5–3b p. 5–9; shrinkage Table 4–3 p. 4–8.

Balsam poplar is a light, soft northern member of the cottonwood group (specific gravity 0.34, bending strength 6,800 psi), grown across Canada and the northern United States. Like the other cottonwoods, it goes mainly into boxes, crates, pulpwood, and other utility products rather than fine work.

Appearance & grain

The heartwood ranges from grayish white to light brown. The sapwood is whitish and blends into the heartwood gradually, without a sharp boundary. The texture is uniform, the grain generally straight, and the dried wood is odorless.

Workability

The Handbook cautions that some cottonwood is difficult to work because tension wood in the log can leave a fuzzy surface after machining. Otherwise the wood is light and soft, and it is handled much like the rest of the cottonwood group.