LiriodendronLiriodendron tulipiferatulipiferaTulip TreeTulip Tree

Susie HouldenSusie HouldenENH 101ENH 101

GeneralGeneral•• Family: Family: MagnoilaceaeMagnoilaceae•• Size/shape: 60Size/shape: 60--80 ft, 40 ft80 ft, 40 ft

wide, pyramidalwide, pyramidal–– biggest at this time 177 ft North Carolinabiggest at this time 177 ft North Carolina–– Oldest: Kentucky, 250ft, 2000 years oldOldest: Kentucky, 250ft, 2000 years old

•• Native: Eastern U.S.Native: Eastern U.S.•• AkaAka: Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar: Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar•• Foliage: deciduousFoliage: deciduous

RequirementsRequirements

Soil: Soil: well drained, neutralwell drained, neutral--acidicacidicSun: full to moderateSun: full to moderate

Water: regularWater: regular–– Not sustainable in California,Not sustainable in California,

because of water usagebecause of water usageSpace: Room to grow bothSpace: Room to grow both

outward and upwardoutward and upward

GrowthGrowth•• FastFast growing,growing,

pyramidal shapepyramidal shape•• Flowers after 10Flowers after 10--15 years,15 years,

depending on varietydepending on variety

•• Bark starts out smooth butBark starts out smooth butas it gets older it formsas it gets older it formsdeep ridgesdeep ridges

Leaves• Size: 5-6 inches

• Shape: lyre shaped, soft lobed – Star shaped, maple leaf

• Color: Turn from bright green to yellow in fall

• Variegated varieties• Arrangement: alternate

Fruit & FlowersFruit & Flowers•• Flower: yellow withFlower: yellow with

orange at bottom,orange at bottom,blooming in lateblooming in latespring.spring.

•• Fruit: coneFruit: cone--likelikeaggregate samara. aggregate samara. green to dried brown,green to dried brown,opening up to disperse seedsopening up to disperse seeds

ProblemsProblems•• Little resistance to pollutionLittle resistance to pollution•• Shallow roots make it hard to plant Shallow roots make it hard to plant

anything underneathanything underneath•• Not always a good street tree, height Not always a good street tree, height

restrictionsrestrictions•• Usually free from pestsUsually free from pests

except for the except for the yellowyellow--poplarpoplarweevil, weevil, nectria nectria canker, aphids,canker, aphids,and and fusarium fusarium cankercanker

CultivarsCultivars•• L. L. tulipifera 'Aureomarginatum' tulipifera 'Aureomarginatum'

–– Yellow margins on leavesYellow margins on leaves

•• L. L. tulipifera 'Mediopictumtulipifera 'Mediopictum’’

–– Yellow centered leavesYellow centered leaves

•• L. L. tulipifera 'Fastigiatumtulipifera 'Fastigiatum’’

–– More columnarMore columnar

•• L. L. tulipifera tulipifera 'Glen Gold'Glen Gold’’

–– Gold Gold lealeaves instead of greenves instead of green

How its used as urban treeHow its used as urban tree

•• Used for its timber, cheap and easy to work Used for its timber, cheap and easy to work with, used to make organs with, used to make organs

•• Native Americans used it for canoesNative Americans used it for canoes•• Good shade tree or lawn treeGood shade tree or lawn tree•• Fast growing, used for reforestationFast growing, used for reforestation•• Have fleshy roots so they need to be handled Have fleshy roots so they need to be handled

carefullycarefullyUsed for producing dark rich baking honeyUsed for producing dark rich baking honey

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.Why I like itWhy I like it……

•• Shape of the leafShape of the leaf•• Color of the leafColor of the leaf•• Flowers, only visible from Flowers, only visible from upcloseupclose•• The light colored The light colored tepalstepals•• The the dry fruitThe the dry fruit•• Shape and Shape and eveness eveness of the structure of of the structure of

the treethe tree

Resources• Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias,

http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/191887• The Eastern Native Tree Society

http://www.nativetreesociety.org/species/tuliptree.htm

• United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LITU

• The floral genome project http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/flowerpower/poplar.html

• Sunset Western Garden Book