Plant Family: Magnoliaceae
Growth Form: Large tree with a straight trunk, the tallest deciduous tree in eastern North America, reaching heights of 50 meters and more!
Leaves: Alternate, simple, with 4 to 6 pointed lobes, and a squared off apex, as if cut off, to 15 cm long.
Bark: Gray, deeply fissured.
Flowers: Large, attractive, tulip-like, with 6 greenish yellow petals that have an orange base, appearing May to June.
Fruits: Spire-like aggregations of samaras that turn brown when ripe, autumn into early winter.
Habitat: Prefers the fertile soil of river valleys and the lower slopes of mountains in full sun, where it may grow quite rapidly.
Range: Absent in the wild from Maine and New Hampshire, rare in Vermont, more common in southern New England, ranging south to the Gulf Coast.
Key Features: The large size, unique squared off leaves, and attractive flowers will identify this magnificent tree.
Comments: Its fast growth rate and close-grained wood make Tulip Tree a commercially valuable species south of our area. Native Americans used the large straight trunks to construct war canoes. Tulip Tree is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
