Wood ID

This was a small tree that I dragged out from behind the neighbor's house... probably only 12" diameter at the base. Very, very light... like balsa wood light. Assume it must have been standing dead for a while? Any ideas?

tulip? need closer look at bark. And your location might help a bit.

Maybe a maple?

Poplar.
Good wood for shoulder season.
A nice score , close to home & seasons fast.
Being dead a while, as light weight as you say, it may be dry enough to burn in a few weeks

2nd poplar, don't work too hard for that.

Yeah, I also think it might be Pooplar. That one split looks like it has a slight greenish cast in the center...

tulip.
which i always called poplar or tulip poplar, but apparently its not a poplar at all.
any of you arborists out there validate that ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liriodendron_tulipifera

I'm not an arborist, but it is a separate genus than the Populous spp ones that we normally know as poplars.

Matt

Thats definately 100% poplar.

you have it right. Tulip is not related to poplars/aspens/cottonwoods. Tulip is Liriodendron tulipifera (Really, that isn't some fake latin I just made up) and poplars are in the genus populus. Tulip does sort of grow like a poplar, growing straight and tall in many situations.

The leaves are VERY different also.

Right on. Those leaves are very different and sort of neat too. I recall the first time I ever saw one of those and wondering what it was. Sort of neat. I also have read how it has been used for lumber a lot.