Liriodendron tulipifera | Family: Magnoliaceae

Submission: Owen Ferguson ‘25 & Maia Seigerman ‘26

Identification:

Leaves – Deciduous; about 5”; generally 4-lobed; lobe margins entire; base and apex nearly truncate or notched.

Twigs & Buds – Stout; reddish-brown; bitter; with conspicuous stipule scars encircling twig; pith diaphragmed; buds a “duck-billed” shape with two valvate scales.

Fruit – 3” or more, cone-like aggregate of samaras; individual samaras 4-angled and deciduous from aggregate’s axis. 

Bark – Ashy-gray with long interlacing rounded ridges; inner bark aromatic and bitter.

Natural History:

Liriodendron tulipifera is commonly known as a yellow poplar, tulip tree, whitewood, or tulip magnolia, but perhaps most often as a tulip poplar. However, don’t be fooled by the name – it is not a variety of poplar, but instead a relative of the magnolia. It has become a very well-known tree in North America because of its various uses.

The tulip poplar is a softwood deciduous tree that is one of the two largest trees in the Eastern Forest of North America, alongside white pine. Because of its size and characteristically straight trunk, its wood is excellent for lumber and plywood, and it has been used for many purposes spanning from pre-colonial times to today. The tulip poplar is especially useful when it comes to crafting, as fewer tools are needed to desirably shape its soft wood. Historically, the tulip poplar was used by the Cherokee in North America to create dugout canoes, houses, furniture, paper, and baskets. The Cherokee also made use of different parts of the tree for medicinal purposes. These uses include treating parasites, gastrointestinal problems, coughs, fevers, inflammation, joint pain, and snake bites. When European settlers came to North America, they found the tulip poplar to be an important lumber for the construction of containers to store dairy, lard, and other food products because its odorless quality aided their quality and freshness. It was also utilized for shingles, beams, joints, carriage bodies, saddle frames, and various kitchen utensils. Today, it is mostly used for cabinets, veneers, furniture, pulp, and kindling for fires.

Not only is tulip poplar often planted for commercial purposes, but it grows rapidly, aiding in reforestation efforts in areas impacted by fires, clear-cutting, and other forms of deforestation. Tulip poplar is also a common ornamental tree, prized for the beautiful yellow color of its leaves in autumn. Up-close, each leaf appears to resemble the Looney Tunes character Sylvester the Cat. Its buds have a similar animal-like appearance as they are somewhat duck-bill shaped. However, its true popularity comes from its yellow, orange, and green tulip-shaped flowers that bloom in the late spring.

In the natural world, the tulip poplar plays an important role in providing food. Deer and livestock browse on its saplings, and during the fall and winter months, northern bobwhites, purple finches, cottontails, red squirrels, gray squirrels, and white-footed mice eat the samara seeds. It also provides thermal cover for various animals and is a habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. The tulip poplar is very insect and disease-resistant – however, it may be affected by the yellow poplar weevil, the Nectria canker, and the Fusarium canker. 

The tulip poplar has a wide distribution across the United States, specifically throughout the East Coast, the Deep South, the Midwest, and the Appalachian Mountain range. It ranges as far north as New York, as South as Florida, and as West as Texas. Tulip poplars survive best in rich, well-drained sites with loose and deep soil between 4.5 and 7.5 pH.

References:

Index of Species Information. 2018 June 11. 2nd edition. Fire Effects Information System (FEIS): US Department of Agriculture; [2018 June 11; 2023 December 1].

Inside the Collections – HOCU 6162. 2021 October 28. 1st edition. Hopewell Culture National Historical Park: National Park Service; [2021 October 28; 2023 December 1].

Tulip Poplar – Plant Fact Sheet. 2002 February 5. 2nd edition. USDA NRCS New York State Office: US Department of Agriculture; [2002 February 5; 2023 December 1].