Red Alder vs Yellow Poplar
Red Alder (Alnus rubra) and Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) are two woods people often weigh against each other. Red Alder is the harder of the two at 590 lbf on the Janka scale, versus 540 lbf for Yellow Poplar, which affects how each handles wear, tools, and denting.
| Property | Red Alder Alnus rubra | Yellow Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Hardwood | Hardwood |
| Cost | $ · Budget | $ · Budget |
| Hardness | 590 lbf | 540 lbf |
| Workability | Excellent | Excellent |
| Seasonal movement | Small | Small |
| Outdoor-friendly | No | No |
| Origin | Domestic (North America) | Domestic (North America) |
| Commonly built | Cabinets, Electric guitar bodies, Furniture, Trim | Painted bookshelves, Drawer boxes, Crown molding, Toy boxes, Mock-up prototypes |
| Overview | The Pacific Northwest's go-to affordable hardwood, soft, even, and easy to work. Takes stain well and often mimics cherry. A great beginner wood. | The budget hardwood of choice for paint-grade work. Soft, cheap, easy, just don't expect to show off the grain. |
Finishing
Red Alder
Takes stain evenly with little blotching and is often stained to mimic cherry or walnut, which is a traditional use. Fine, even grain finishes smoothly under any finish. A cooperative, forgiving wood to finish.
Yellow Poplar
The premier paint wood: closed, uniform grain takes paint flawlessly, which is its most common finish. Under clear finishes its green/gray streaks are divisive, and it blotches under stain, so if staining, condition first or use dye. For a natural clear finish most people accept the color variation or choose another wood; for paint it is hard to beat.
Want to weigh these against a third wood, or compare different species? Use the interactive comparison tool.