Liriodendron tulipifera
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| iAmerican Tulip Tree | ||||||||||||||
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 Liriodendron tulipifera flower,
Sumter, South Carolina |
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Liriodendron tulipifera, the American tulip tree, is the Western Hemisphere representative of the two-species Liriodendron genus. It is native to eastern North America from southern Ontario and Illinois eastward across southern New England and south to central Florida and Louisiana. It can grow to more than 50 m (165 feet) in virgin cove forests of the Appalachian Mountains, often with no limbs until it reaches 25-30 m (80-100 feet) in height, making it a very valuable timber tree. It is fast-growing, without the common problems of weak wood strength and short lifespan often seen in fast-growing species. April marks the start of the flowering period in the southern USA (except as noted below); trees at the northern limit of cultivation begin to flower in June. The flowers are pale green or yellow (rarely white), with an orange band on the tepals; they yield large quantities of nectar. This species is a major honey plant in the eastern United States, yielding a dark reddish, fairly strong honey. It is also called the tuliptree Magnolia, or sometimes confusingly, "tulip poplar" or "yellow poplar" (though it is not a poplar, family Salicaceae). The American tulip tree is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
All young tulip trees and most mature specimens are intolerant of prolonged inundation; however, a coastal plain swamp ecotype in the southeastern United States (Parks et al. 1994) is relatively flood-tolerant. This ecotype is recognized by its blunt-lobed leaves, which may have a red tint. Parts of east-central Florida near Orlando have an ecotype with similar-looking leaves (in most cases; see image gallery below) which flowers much earlier (usually in March, although flowering can begin in late January) than other types. This east central Florida ecotype seems to have the best ability to tolerate very wet conditions, where it may grow short pencil-like root structures (pneumatophores) similar to those produced by other swamp trees in warm climates. Some individuals retain their leaves all year unless a hard frost strikes.
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[edit] Cultivation and uses
Tulip trees make magnificently-shaped specimen trees, but are very large, growing to about 35 m in good soil. They grow best in deep well-drained loam which has thick dark topsoil. They show stronger response to fertilizer compounds (those with low salt index are preferred) than most other trees, but soil structure and organic matter content are more important. The southeastern coastal plain and east central Florida ecotypes occur in wet but not stagnant soils which are high in organic matter. All tulip trees are unreliable in clay flats which are subject to ponding and flooding. Like other members of the Magnolia family, they have fleshy roots that are easily broken if handled roughly. Transplanting should be done in early spring, before leaf-out; this timing is especially important in the more northern areas. Fall planting is often successful in Florida. The east central Florida ecotype may be more easily moved than other strains because its roots grow over nine or ten months every year -- several months longer than other ecotypes. Most tulip trees have low tolerance of drought, although Florida natives (especially the east central ecotype) fare better than southeastern coastal plain or northern inland specimens.
L. tulipifera has been introduced to many temperate parts of the world, at least as far north as Oslo, Norway. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is cultivated in parts of Argentina, Australia (at least as far north as Sydney), Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, and Uruguay. In Canada, it is native to that part of Ontario south of a line from Hamilton to Sarnia, with many specimens in Rondeau Provincial Park, but most cultivation is seen in British Columbia. There, it has been planted on the Queen Charlotte Islands, and in the southern interior as far north as Vernon. Its easternmost cultivation is at Creston. It is common in southwestern cities such as Burnaby, New Westminster, Port Alberni, Vancouver and Victoria. In the United States, introductions have been most successful in parts of Washington, Oregon, California, Oklahoma and Texas. A few are in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Maine. The east central Florida ecotype grows well in Palm Beach County, Florida and Austin, Texas.
The soft, fine-grained wood of tulip trees is misleadingly known as "poplar" (short for "yellow poplar") in the U.S., but marketed abroad as "American tulipwood" or by other names. It is very widely used where a cheap, easy-to-work and stable wood is needed. The sapwood is usually a creamy off-white color. While the heartwood is usually a pale green, it can take on streaks of red, purple, or even black; depending on the extractives content (i.e. the soil conditions where the tree was grown, etc). It is clearly the wood of choice for use in organs, due to its ability to take a fine, smooth, precisely-cut finish and so to effectively seal against pipes and valves. It is also commonly used for siding clapboards. Its wood may be compared in texture, strength, and softness to white pine.
 Leaf on mature tree, Sumter, South Carolina |
 Fall color of L. tulipifera |
 Seed aggregate and individual seed of L. tulipifera |
 Mature L. tulipifera tree |
 Trunk bark of L. tulipifera. |
 Bark of L. tulipifera. |
 Trunk of L. tulipifera with burls |
 L. tulipifera approximately 30 years old, nine feet tall, stunted by dry summers near Sidney, British Columbia |
 Juvenile foliage of L. tulipifera, east central Florida ecotype. Note the blunt lobes and red petioles. Photo by William Moriaty. |
 More mature foliage of L. tulipifera, east central Florida ecotype. Photo by William Moriaty. |
 Another view of foliage from east central Florida Liriodendron. Photo by William Moriaty. |
 Mature east central Florida L. tulipifera, Dr. Howard A. Kelly Park near Apopka, Florida. Photo by William Moriaty. |
 Flower of L. tulipifera, east central Florida ecotype, near Lake Worth, Florida. Flower is smaller and yellower than in most northern upland types. Photo by Richard Moyroud. |
 An occasional specimen of east central Florida L. tulipifera shows features more typical of northwestern Florida stock, as seen in this flowering branch near Lake Worth, Florida. Photo by Richard Moyroud. |
[edit] Cultivars of L. tulipifera
- 'Ardis' - shorter, with smaller leaves than wild form.
- 'Arnold' - narrow, columnar crown; may flower at early age.
- 'Aureomarginatum' - variegated form with pale-edged leaves; sold as 'Flashlight' or 'Majestic Beauty'.
- 'Fastigatum' - similar form to 'Arnold'.
- 'Florida Strain' - blunt-lobed leaves, fast grower, flowers at early age.
- 'Integrifolium' - leaves without lower lobes.
- 'Mediopictum' - variegated form with yellow spot near center of leaf.
- 'Roothaan' - blunt-lobed leaves.
[edit] See also
- The Queens Giant, a tulip tree that is the oldest living thing in the New York Metropolitan area (350-450 years old, 40 m / 134 feet tall)
- Spathodea campanulata, often known as the African tulip tree, an unrelated plant in a separate family (Bignoniaceae).
[edit] References and external links
- Hunt, D. (ed). 1998. Magnolias and their allies. International Dendrology Society & Magnolia Society. (ISBN 0-9517234-8-0)
- Parks, C. R., Wendel, J. F., Sewell, M. M., & Qiu, Y.-L. (1994). The significance of allozyme variation and introgression in the Liriodendron tulipifera complex (Magnoliaceae). Amer. J. Bot. 81 (7): 878-889 abstract and first page
- Moriaty, William. The Tulip Tree in Central Florida
