Tulip Trees

Plant taxonomy classifies tulip trees as Liriodendron tulipifera. For their common name, you will also find "tulip poplar" and "yellow poplar," perhaps because their leaves shake in the breeze a la poplar leaves ("quaking" aspens). Nonetheless, tulip trees aren't poplars at all, being more closely related to magnolias. Don't confuse American tulip trees with the unrelated African tulip trees, Spathodea campanulata.

Tulip trees are deciduous trees.

Tulip trees are best grown in planting zones 5-9.

Indigenous to eastern North America, tulip trees reach 90' or more in height. They're tall and straight-trunked, with a canopy width somewhat less than 1/2 their height at maturity. The branches begin rather far up the trunk and are often arranged symmetrically. Tulip trees can be identified by the shape of their leaves: the concavity at the tips of the leaves (or where one would expect a typical tip) suggests that someone came along and took a bite out of them! Their leaves provide yellow to gold fall foliage. The flowers that give tulip trees their name are yellowish-green, with a touch of orange on the outside.

Grow tulip trees in full sun to partial sun, in a deep, well-drained soil with plenty of humus.

Tulip trees function in the landscape as fast-growing shade trees with fall-foliage interest. The showy flowers of tulip trees make them something of an anomaly among tall shade trees in temperate regions. But the Ohio State University Extension notes that "often the tree does not flower until it reaches at least 15 years of age, and even then only sparsely in the uppermost reaches of the tree, making the upright-held flowers more difficult to notice and appreciate," adding that "older trees flower heavily and their lowermost branches become pendulous, allowing for visualization of the beautiful flowers up-close."

Due to the following facts, some may judge tulip trees best suited to large properties, where homeowners are fostering woodland gardens, perhaps:

• Tulip trees can be messy for homeowners, as their flower petals will "litter" the area below just after blooming
• The aphids that tulip trees attract also make a mess, with their honeydew secretion
• Some leaves will turn yellow and drop prematurely during dry summers
• Tulip trees should not be planted near homes in regions prone to hurricanes

Hummingbirds are drawn to the nectar in tulip trees' flowers, while bobwhites, rabbits, squirrels and other animals feed on the seed.

According to the Ohio State University Extension: "Tuliptree is extremely sensitive to being transplanted in the Autumn (a general characteristic of fleshy-rooted and coarsely-rooted woody plants), and extra care should be taken to amend the soil, fertilize, water thoroughly, mulch adequately, and avoid Winter salt spray, to enhance survival chances during the first Winter, if transplanting cannot be delayed until Spring."

There is something of a discrepancy in the scientific name, Liriodendron tulipifera. Composed of the Greek words for "lily" and "tree," the genus name, Liriodendron suggests that the flowers of tulip trees resemble lilies. One is tempted to ask then, "Which is it: do tulip trees' blooms look like lilies or tulips?" Considering that we commonly call these giants "tulip trees," the species name, tulipifera may carry more weight: tulipifera is Latin for tulip-bearing, referring to the flowers' appearance. To my eye, the leaves could also pass for two-dimensional representations of opened tulips (see photo, above right).

More on Trees With Colorful Fall Foliage

Fall Foliage of Aspen Trees
Fall Foliage of Beech Trees
Fall Foliage of Birch Trees
Fall Foliage of Dogwood Trees
Fall Foliage of Japanese Maple Trees
Fall Foliage of Maple Trees
Fall Foliage of Oak Trees
Fall Foliage of Sumac Trees
Fall Foliage of Hickory Trees
Fall Foliage of Sweetgum Trees
Fall Foliage of Ginkgo Biloba Trees