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Tulip Poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera

Featured Image Credit: “Tulip poplar” by karen_hine is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Two things I learned about Tulip Poplar when writing this post:

  1. It was actually introduced to North America by European colonists
  2. It’s a member of the Magnolia Family – which makes sense when you think about how both trees’ flowers look similar.

Other things I knew about the tree before-hand:

  1. It’s one of honey bee’s favorite flowers in the spring
  2. It’s flower is of striking appearance
  3. It has a very straight gray trunk with most branches just at the top
Alternate Names: Tulip Tree, Poplar, Yellow Poplar
Size: Up to 150' tall
Family: Magnoliaceae (Magnolia Family)
Habitat: Low, rich woods; stream banks.
Identification:  A tall, straight, deciduous tree, up to150 ft. tall (sometimes taller), tuliptree has a medium to narrow crown and distinctive, star-shaped foliage. The leaves are waxy and smooth, and dependably turn bright gold in fall. Showy, yellow-orange, tulip-like flowers are often missed because they are up 50 ft. or higher in the tops of trees. Cone-shaped seedheads remain after leaves have fall. From wildflower.org. Blooms April-June
Uses: The wood is used for all sorts of things like furniture, crates, toys, and musical instruments.
All text and photos copyright © 2022 Middle Way Nature Reserve, unless noted.
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