Species Category Name: Woody
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree or yellow poplar) is a tall, fast-growing deciduous tree with distinctive tulip-shaped leaves and greenish-yellow, tulip-like flowers. It’s native to eastern North America and valued for its straight trunk, short flowers, and golden fall color.
Liriodendron tulipifera is Indiana’s state tree.
The tulip poplar is planted for reforestation purposes because of its rapid growth and the commercial importance of its wood, and is often planted as an ornamental.
This species has some wildlife value. The fruits provide food for squirrels in the late fall and winter months, and the white-tailed deer often browse on the twigs.
LEAVES are tulip-shaped, alternate, and simple; smooth on both surfaces, dark green and lustrous above; pale and often with a slight whitish bloom beneath
TWIGS are moderately stout, olive-brown, to reddish brown, very smooth and usually lustrous; the large terminal bud has two large duck-bill shaped scales
FLOWERS tulip-shaped, light greenish-yellow (April to June)
FRUIT The cone shaped fruit clusters usually persist on branches
YOUNG BARK smooth, light ashy-gray with very shallow, longitudinal, whitish furrows
AGED BARK very thick, deep interlacing furrows, narrow rounded ridges
MATURE HEIGHT of 80-120 feet
MATURE TRUNK diameter of 2 to 5 feet. Young trees have a pyramidal form.
