Tulip-Poplar

Liriodendron tulipifera

Tulip Poplar 

Despite its name, the Tulip Poplar is not actually a poplar tree, but rather, a member of the magnolia family. Under the right conditions, this deciduous tree is capable of exceeding heights of 150 feet, making it North America’s tallest eastern hardwood. Historically, Tulip Poplars could be found in primeval forests, where they were often cut down and transformed into long, lightweight canoes made from a single log. While the common name “Tulip Poplar” is derived from its tulip-shaped leaves, another common name derived from its leaf shape is fiddletree, as some liken the shape to a violin. 

The following identification information is from Trees of Alabama, a Gosse Nature Guide by Lisa J. Samuelson. Use of this text was permitted by the University of Alabama. Order your own copy of this great guide to Alabama’s trees here: https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Alabama-Gosse-Nature-Guides/dp/0817359419

Magnolia Family (Magnoliaceae)  

Tulip-Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera L.  

COMMON NAMES tulip-poplar, yellow-poplar, tuliptree, white-poplar, whitewood  

QUICK GUIDE Leaves broadly lobed, alternate, simple, tulip shaped; bud shaped like a duck’s bill; flower tuliplike; petals yellow-green with orange; fruit a persistent cone of samaras; bark ash gray and deeply furrowed.  

DESCRIPTION Leaves are alternate, simple, deciduous, and 13-25 cm (5.1-9.8 in) long, mostly with four broad lobes; apex is broadly notched to truncate; base is truncate; margin is smooth; petiole is long; autumn color is bright yellow. Twigs are moderately stout, red-brown to purple-maroon, and glabrous, with stipule scars encircling the twig; leaf scar is round and raised, with numerous bundle scars. The terminal bud is yellow-green to dark purple, up to 2 cm (0.8 in) long, and flattened, with two valvate scales, like a duck’s bill. Flowers are perfect, tuliplike, and up to 10 cm (3.9 in) wide, and bloom in late spring or early summer; petals are yellow-green with orange at the base. Fruit is a samara, about 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long, and in a conelike aggregation up to 8 cm (3.1 in) long; fruit matures in early autumn. Samara are shed throughout the winter and open cones persist on branches. Bark is gray or gray-green and smooth with light vertical grooves and black branch scars on small trees; large trees are ash gray, thick, and deeply furrowed. The growth form is a tall tree up to 46 m (150 ft) in height and 1.5 m (5 ft) in diameter with a straight, clear bole.  

HABITAT Moist, fertile soils, such as stream banks, cool slopes, well-drained bottomlands, coves, and ravines.  

NOTES Tulip-poplar is one of the tallest trees in North America and fast-growing on good sites. Forest associates include red maple, sugar maple, common persimmon, American beech, sweetgum, sweetbay magnolia, cucumbertree, southern magnolia, blackgum, eastern hemlock, shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, black cherry, white oak, northern red oak, black oak, and eastern hemlock. The wood is white to green-brown with green to black stripes and is light, soft, and straight-grained. The wood is used for pulpwood, veneer, furniture, paneling, trim, framing, cabinets, pallets, musical instruments, and boxes. Tulip-poplar can be planted as a shade tree, but it requires a large area, plenty of sun, and moist soil. The flowers are very popular with bees. Tulip-poplar is a preferred white-tailed deer browse when succulent in the spring and summer. The seeds are eaten by a wide variety of songbirds and small mammals. Beaver will cut young stems growing near water.  

Liriodendron means “lily-tree”; tulipifera means “tuliplike.”