Tulip Tree, Tulip Poplar
Latin name: Liriodendron tulipifera
Etymology: Liriodendron tulipifera gets its name from the striking flower of the tree. The genus name is derived from the Greek words for ‘lily’ (leirion) and ‘tree’ (dendro) and the species name means ‘tulip bearing’.
Family: Magnoliaceae (Magnolias)
Origin: Eastern North America
Native habitats: Mesic woodlands, lower areas of wooded slopes and protected wooded valleys.
Though sometimes called tulip poplar, the tulip tree is instead a close relative of magnolias that evolved nearly 100 million years ago. It grows straighter and taller than any other tree in Herrontown Woods. The tulip tree’s green and yellow tulip-shaped flowers are seldom seen close up, but you can still spot their tan remains in winter, catching light high in the canopy.
Description: Tulip Trees are the largest North American hardwood and can grow to more than 150 feet with a diameter of 2-6 feet. Leaves are hairless, 4-pointed and notched at the tip, they measure between 6-10 inches. Crushed leaves and buds are spicy-aromatic. The mature bark is light gray and often whitened in grooves, while younger bark can be whitened in patches. Bark gets neither peeling nor shreddy with age. Flowers are yellow-orange, very large and shaped similar to a tulip blossom and appear between May and June. Fruits are winged and clustered upright in a light-brown conelike, 3 inch long structure which is found from September onwards. Central stalks of cones can remain on higher branches throughout the winter.
Similar species: This tree is distinctive during all seasons.
Wildlife value: Tulip trees are the sole host plant for the larvae of the Giant Silkmoth and a common host for Eastern Swallowtail larvae. The seeds are eaten by birds and mammals.
Uses: Due to their size, straightness, and low-density wood, trunks were made into dugout canoes by the native Americans. Its fibrous inner bark was used to make rope.
Nowadays, the wood is used for e.g., furniture or trims and the large flowers are a great source of a strong-flavored honey that is commercially sold.
