TULIP POPLAR
(YELLOW POPLAR)

The tulip poplar is a tree that traces its lineage back to prehistoric times. It is related to the ancient magnolias, and fossil leaves have been found in rock deposits in Europe. It is a straight-trunked tree with very few limbs near the ground. Virgin trees reached heights up to two hundred feet but specimens of today seldom grow taller than one hundred feet with a diameter of up to four feet.

The bark of the yellow poplar is ash gray with thick uniform furrows. In contrast, a young tree presents a smooth, almost delicate outer covering that protects it through the formative years.

The tulip tree is well named, having flowers that rival earth-bound tulips. The blossoms, ranging from a greenish yellow to a deep orange, appear on the tree in May and June. Southern housewives pick up dropped blossoms and float them in a shallow dish of water to provide an interesting table centerpiece.

When the flower petals disappear, the fruit in the form of a cone two to three inches long is left. Each cone is made up of many winged seeds that extricate themselves and fall to the ground during the autumn and winter seasons. The seeds are a favorite food of squirrels, rabbits, robins, blue jays, bobwhites and other forms of wildlife.

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