Eastern Cottonwood
Populus deltoides
Hardness
Very soft, dents easily; great for carving, poor for floors.
Overview
Soft, cheap, and lightweight, used for crates, pallets, and utility work. Tends to be fuzzy and woolly to cut, and it moves a lot, a true secondary wood.
Commonly built
- Crates
- Pallets
- Utility boxes
Appearance
Pale grayish-white to light brown, with a fairly plain, sometimes woolly texture.
Recommended uses
Uses to avoid
Similar species
Comparable on hardness, type, and workability, useful when this species isn't available.
Working notes
Soft but the fibers are woolly and tear rather than cut cleanly, very sharp tools essential. High movement and prone to warping. Holds nails without splitting. Paints reasonably.
Wood movement
A 24-inch-wide flatsawn eastern cottonwood panel moves roughly 0.51 inch across a typical seasonal humidity swing (about 6% to 12% moisture content). Use the wood movement calculator to run your own board size and moisture range.
How much does Eastern Cottonwood move? → See flatsawn vs. quartersawn figures and a worked example.
Common questions
How hard is Eastern Cottonwood?
Eastern Cottonwood has a Janka hardness of 430 lbf, a measure of how well it resists denting and wear.
Is Eastern Cottonwood suitable for outdoor use?
Eastern Cottonwood is best used indoors; it is not naturally suited to sustained outdoor or wet conditions.
How easy is Eastern Cottonwood to work with?
Eastern Cottonwood has Fair workability for cutting, shaping, and joinery.
How much does Eastern Cottonwood move seasonally?
A 24-inch-wide flatsawn eastern cottonwood panel moves roughly 0.51 inch across a typical seasonal humidity swing (about 6% to 12% moisture content).
Finishing notes
Soft, pale, and fuzzy: like aspen it blotches under stain and raises a fuzzy grain, so seal or condition before finishing and sand carefully. Takes paint better than stain and is most often painted or used where it won't show. A wash coat before any pigment stain is close to mandatory for even color. Not a showcase finishing wood, but predictable once sealed.
Community photos
Real photos from woodworkers who've used eastern cottonwood, reviewed before they appear here.
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Wood data varies by source and sample. How we source and review our data.