Growth form: The Yellow Poplar is a large tree often reaching greater than 100 feet tall. It has a straight trunk with its limbs being found on the upper half of the tree. Younger trees have a pyramidal shape that eventually grows to form a more oval shape.
Leaves, twigs, and bark: Leave s of the tulip Poplar are 4-lobed, alternate, simple, palmately veined, and are 4-8 inches long. They turn yellow in the fall. Twigs are smooth with a brown coloration and a waxy look. Its stipules are large and alternating on the twig. The buds are elongated with adjacent edges that are touching but not overlapping. Bark is a like grey coloration with shallow ridges running parallel up the tree.
Bark of Yellow Poplar Tree #829, showing shallow ridges running mostly parallel up the trunk of the tree and it's light gray coloration. (Photo by B. Jones 10/31/2019)
Leaves of the Yellow Poplar tree #829 showing them turning to their yellow fall colors. Also notice the smooth, darker twigs. (Photo by B. Jones 10/31/2019)
Flowers: Flowers appear late spring into early summer. They are very showy, yellow with an orange corolla, and resemble a tulip. They are 2 1/2 inches long. They grow at the top of the tree making it difficult to see them.
Yellow-orange flower of Tulip Poplar tree. (Creative Commons Image, David Ohmer)
Aggregate of samaras to disperse seeds. (Creative Commons image. James DeMers)
Fruits: The tulip poplar produces an aggregate cone of samaras rather than a fleshy fruit. These cones are 2 inches long that mature August to October and disperse through late fall and winter. The bases of these fruit look like wooden flowers.
Native range and habitat: These trees thrive in moist, nutrient rich loam habitat. It is grown as far west as Texas, as far north as Ontario Canada, as far south as Florida, and in almost every state along the east coast.
Distribution of Tulip Poplar across North America (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service)
Plant Family: Broad-leaf trees that produce aggregate cones and large flowers. Magnoliaceae (magnolia family) date back more than 100 million years in fossil records. This family is known for its show flowers with many simple pistils forming a cone in the middle.
Ecologic Importance and Uses:
Edible and Medicinal Uses: The roots of a tulip poplar are used as a lemon-like flavoring in spruce beer, it takes away some of the bitterness of the beer. Bark and roots are used as a diuretic, tonic and stimulant.
Wildlife: In southern Appalachia the tulip poplar is an important bee tree due to its flavorful nectar.
Gardens and Landscaping: This tree is not recommended as a street tree, but rather a large shade/lawn tree. Can be grown in zones 4-9. Its pleasant fragrance as well as pretty fall colors make for a great addition to any yard. This tree doesn't have any serious insect issues other than the occasional aphid and scale infestation. It is somewhat of a weak wooded tree making it susceptible to wind/snow/ice damage.
Campus Specimens - Tulip Poplar
State and national champions? The largest state and national champion is located in the City of Chesapeake with a total points of 511. It has a circumference of 390 inches, a height of 100 feet, and an average crown of 83 feet.
At Radford University, there is only one tulip poplar found on campus and is located in front of the alumni garden (circled below).
Tree #829
Trunk circumference: 53.0 inches
Tree height: 50.0feet
Crown spread: 34.3 feet x 33.6 feet Average = 34.0 feet
Total points: 111.5
Notes: This is the only Tulip poplar on campus.
References
Elpel, T. J. (2018). Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification, Edition 6.1. Hops Press, Pony, MT.
Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. (2019). Fringe Tree Fact Sheet, Virginia Tech Dendrology. dendro.cnre.vt.edu/DENDROLOGY/factsheets.cfm