Bark
Bark gray-brown ridges with white in the furrows
wooden flower
A spike with a few whorls of seeds, resembling a wooden flower
Terminal and lateral buds
reddish bivalved buds that are 'duck billed' in shape
Emerging new leaf
Leaf unfolding from the opening bud in early spring
Leaves emerging in spring
Leaf buds on tree completing bud break with new leaves emerging
Tulip tree - flower
tulip-shaped flower: six yellowish-green with orange base petals
Tulip tree leaves
four lobed leaves
Tulip tree - fall foliage
Fall color on the tulip tree

Plant Characteristics:

  • Tree: the tallest hardwood tree in eastern North America, can grow to 100 ft; in a stand it will be very straight and can be limb free for 60 ft on a strong single trunk; open grown trees have pyramidal crowns when young, becoming oval in shape
  • Bark: light grey and smooth when young, with age develops shallow longitudinal white stripes; and older trees have brown-grey ridges with lighter furrows
  • Twigs: olive to red-brown with a waxy appearance; spicy odor when broken; a stipule scar goes around the twig at leaf nodes
  • Buds: terminal bud elongated on short stalk and oblong lateral buds with smaller bud below (look like mittens); all buds reddish “duck bill” shaped or bivalved
  • Leaves: alternate; 4-6 in long, 4 lobed with a tulip (square) shape; long stalks allow for fluttering in the breeze; pale green beneath
  • Fall Foliage: bright orange-yellow
  • Flowers: showy, tulip shaped flowers high in the tree appearing after the leaves, 2-3 in across, 3 green sepals, 6 petals yellow-green with an orange base
  • Fruit type: an oblong cone of dense samaras 2-3 in long that are dispersed in the wind leaving behind a spike with a few whorls of samaras resembling wooden flowers through winter

Additional Details:

  • Wood is used for siding, trim, crates, musical instruments, toys and furniture.
  • Sprouts and buds are a major food of deer.
  • The flowers are an important source of nectar for bees, birds, and butterflies.
  • The fruits provide food for squirrels.
  • This tree is the larval host for the Tuliptree silkmoth
    (Callosamia angulifera) and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus).
  • Morel mushrooms grow best under this tree, making it popular with mushroom hunters.
  • Famous for Daniel Boone’s 60 ft canoe.
  • American Indians used the bark to make tea; buds for ointment for inflammation; and crushed leaves for headaches.

A member of the Magnolia Family, often referred to as a Yellow Poplar, Tulip Poplar, and Whitewood.

References:
Brown, R. and M. Brown. 1972. Woody Plants of Maryland. Port City Press, Baltimore, MD.
Foster, S. and J. Duke. 1990. A field guide to medicinal plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
Grimm, W. C. and J. Kartesz. 2002. The Illustrated Book of Trees. Stackpole Books. Mechanicsburg, PA.
Harris, J. and M. Woolf Harris. 1994. Plant Identification Terminology: An illustrated Glossary. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, UT.
Peterson, L. 1977. A field guide to edible wild plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
Virginia Department of Forestry. 2022. Common Native Trees of Virginia – Tree Identification Guide.
The Wildflower Center Staff. 2023. Plant Database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The University of Texas at Austin.