Abstract: Fastgrown wood, as a potential substance for natural forests, can be modified to make products such as parquet with satisfying hardness and surface abradability. In this paper, a combined method, i.e., densification plus carbonization, was tried to optimize properties of poplar wood. Densification was conducted at room temperature (RT) and 100 ℃, with and without water. Densification lumbers were further carbonized at 240, 260, or 280 ℃, for 30 to 180 seconds. Vertical density profile (VDP) of densified and control poplar lumbers was measured. Densified samples were conditioned or bathed for springback test.Furthermore, samples after densification and/or carbonization were used to test surface hardness, abrasive resistance, and wettability. Results were drawn as follows: Poplar lumbers were obviously densified resulting a Vshaped compression rate profile (CRP) in thickness, which can be adjusted by densification parameters.Densified lumber showed ignorable springback under RT&65 %RH. Densified and/or carbonized poplar lumbers showed improved surface hardness and abradability, and changed surface wettability.