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West Virginia Trees

Chapter 82: TULIP TREE
By A. B. Brooks
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Nature/Gardening/Animals

About This Book

A practical field guide to the native and introduced trees of West Virginia, providing keys based mainly on leaves and fruits, concise family and species descriptions, and detailed line drawings for about 101 native species. It organizes trees by botanical families, gives brief flower notes, a glossary of terms, and suggestions for identifying specimens; occasional introduced species and shrubs are noted. The bulletin emphasizes simplicity for non-specialists, offers measurements and habit descriptions for each species, and includes administrative prefatory material. Its aim is to aid lay readers and students in tree identification and to encourage local interest in forestry.

TULIP TREE

Liriodendron tulipifera, L.

Form.—Height 80-150 feet; diameter 3-10 feet; trunk long, clear and straight; crown open, conical, of slender branches.

Leaves.—Alternate, simple, 5-6 inches long, and about as broad, usually with four lobes, two at the truncate apex and one on each side, smooth, bright green above, paler beneath; petioles angled, slender, 5-6 inches long.

Flowers.—May-June; solitary, terminal, perfect, tulip-shaped 1½-2 inches long, greenish yellow with orange spots; petals 6, in two rows; sepals greenish, early falling.

Fruit.—Matures in early autumn; oblong, cone-like, composed of numerous brown flat pointed carpels, each bearing a 1-2-seeded nutlet at its base.

Bark.—Rough on old trunks, with prominent parallel connected ridges, and deep fissures, light grayish-brown.

Wood.—Light, soft, not strong, easily worked, light yellow with creamy white sapwood.

Range.—Rhode Island and Michigan, south to Florida and Arkansas, not of commercial size at the extremes of its range.

Distribution in West Virginia.—Found throughout the State below the Spruce belt, rare on the Potomac waters.

Habitat.—Prefers rich, moist soil of stream valleys and coves, but adapts itself to less favorable situations.

Notes.—This tree, commonly known as Yellow Poplar, is of first importance for forestry purposes; it reproduces readily from the seed, is a rapid grower, and its wood is easily worked and desirable for many purposes.