Rainbow Poplar

Native to the Eastern United States, poplar sometimes appears in mineral stained colors ranging from dark purple to red, green, or yellow. Colors tend to darken upon exposure to light.

No one truly knows what causes some poplar to develop a “rainbow wood” or streaking effect. But there is a LOT of speculation around the issue. Some say that rainbow wood is caused by lightning strikes. Others think it is caused by fungus brought in by bugs. Still others think it comes from bacterial heart stain. Others say it comes from mineral staining caused by high mineral deposits in the tree.

Whatever the cause, everyone can agree that Rainbow Poplar is really pretty!

The common names for this wood are Poplar, Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar. The
scientific name is Liriodendron tulipifera. It rates 540 lbf (2,400 N) on the Janka Hardness Scale.

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