Tulip Tree

Where it grows

The tulip tree (also called yellow poplar, though it is not a poplar at all) is native to rich, moist forests across the eastern United States and southern Ontario, from southern New England to northern Florida. It is one of the tallest hardwoods of the eastern forest, with old-growth specimens reaching 50 metres.

How to recognise it

Look up at the leaves: they have a unique shape with four pointed lobes and a flat, almost cut-off tip, looking as if the apex was clipped off with scissors. The 5-centimetre-wide flowers in May and June have six greenish-yellow petals blotched orange at the base, recalling a tulip — these emerge high in the crown and are easy to miss.

Uses

The light, straight-grained yellow heartwood is sold as poplar in the American lumber trade and is the standard for inexpensive cabinets, mouldings, drawer sides, and plywood. Tulip tree flowers are an early summer nectar source that produces a dark, robust honey valued by Appalachian beekeepers.

In culture

The tulip tree is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, reflecting its commercial importance in the Appalachian forest economy.