Tulip Tree

The Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipfera) is also commonly called Tulip Poplar, White Poplar or Yellow Poplar. However, the tree is not even a Poplar. It is the king of the Magnolia family. The Tulip Tree is the tallest of North American hardwoods, growing to 100 feet or more with a trunk 2-3 feet in diameter. In the early history of the United States, this ancient, forest elder was commonly found to be 200 feet tall or more. It thrives in deep, moist soils of valleys and low slopes or in drier mountain habitats.

Despite its stature, the Tulip Tree is perhaps most known for its large, yellow and orange, tulip-shaped flowers that bloom in May and early June.  Because they are at the tops of the trees, they are easy to go unnoticed until they fall to the ground. Pollinators such as bees, beetles and flies are attracted to the nectar. Bees make honey from the blossoms. The leaves resemble that of the maple and are somewhat primitive looking. The leaf is 3-6 inches long and equally broad. The end is notched, and the leaf has four lobes. The leaf shape resembles the shape of a cat’s head or a woman’s smock. Summer leaves are shimmering green. Fall foliage is bright gold.  The seed matures into a 3 inch cone containing a packet of winged seeds called samara. The samara are scattered by the wind and can stay viable in the forest litter up to 7 years. Wildlife such as squirrels, mice, cardinals, and finches are attracted to the seeds which remain on the tree long into the winter.

Tulip Tree wood is soft and weak but is very easily worked and has many uses. It is used to make furniture, cabinets, toys, house trim, wood veneer, paneling, shipping crates, and boxes.  The wood is a great insulating material against sound, heat, and cold. It is also used for pulp to make a high quality book paper. Early settlers used the wood extensively for cabin logs, shingles, wainscoting and to line wells, because it added no taste to water. Native Americans and settlers also made canoes from this straight-growing tree, because it is one of the lightest woods and easy to float.  Native Americans hollowed the trunks using fires, seashells, and stone hatchets. Twenty paddlers could fit in their dugout canoes. It is thought that Daniel Boone used a 60 foot long canoe made of Tulip Tree wood when he floated his family down the Ohio River, leaving Kentucky for the Spanish Territory in the late 1700’s. 

This is one of 11 (eleven) informational signs at Landis Woods Park.