International Poplar Commission

Uses

The following list of goods and services derived from poplars and willows is not exhaustive. However, it gives an idea of the broad range of uses and illustrates that new ways of using poplars and willows in the service of humankind are still being developed.

Poplars:

• saw timber - the wood is usually soft, low density and light in colour, so it is used for furniture frames and other indoor uses including framework and roof trusses;
• veneer - traditionally used for fruit crates and boxes, since the wood does not taint the fruit, but due to the ease with which poplar wood may be peeled there are a number of other uses for poplar veneer, ranging from plywood to matches;
• reconstituted wood - the development of oriented strand board (OSB) has opened up a new market for poplar wood, especially in North America;
• paper pulp;
• fodder;
• protection of stream banks;
• shelterbelts and windbreaks;
• fuelwood, including recent developments in biomass energy;
• phytoremediation (use of trees to uptake contaminants) of polluted sites;
• ornamental and landscape uses, including screening.

Use of poplar in windbreaks (Photo: Washington State University)

Willows:

• sports goods, especially cricket bats;
• canes for furniture and basket-making;
• protection of stream banks;
• fuelwood, including recent developments in biomass energy;
• phytoremediation (use of trees to uptake contaminants) of polluted sites;
• ornamental and landscape uses.