Tulip Tree

Although the size of this species varies depending on location, a common characteristic is the bark encapsulating the trunk. On younger trees, the bark is smooth and tends to be green. As the tree ages, the bark becomes brownish-gray as wide, deep furrows that separate flat ridges develop. The bark has been used medicinally for centuries. Modern treatments derived from it include antiarthritic medicine, cough syrup, worming medicine, and cholera remedies. 

The tree is also prized for its hardwood, often used for furniture. Native Americans, early European settlers, and even pioneer Daniel Boone carved canoes from tulip trees for their straight, tall trunks and light, buoyant nature.

The tree’s bright green leaves are distinguishable due to their four main lobes. In the fall, leaves turn a golden yellow and drop from the branches.

Tulip trees usually produce their first flowers at around 15 to 20 years of age, and once they reach sexual maturity, flower production can continue for 200 years. Flowers bloom late in the spring and are considered “perfect” because each contains both male and female reproductive structures. Self-pollination may occur, but due to the showy orange and white fragrant flowers, cross-pollination may also occur with the help of various pollinators like honeybees, bumblebees, beetles, and flies. 

As flowering plants, tulip trees also can produce fruits. Following pollination of a flower, seeds develop, and the ovaries surrounding the seeds become fruits. However, not all fruits are appetizing for humans. In tulip trees, the fruits are brown, dry, scaly, and cone-shaped. They bear numerous winged seeds that disperse when they mature in late fall. Depending on the location, fruits’ maturation and ripening occur from late August to late October, and seed fall begins in mid-October. The winged seeds are dispersed by the wind, traveling distances up to four or five times the tree’s height. They retain their viability for four to seven years on the forest floor. If they do not become trees, the seeds provide food for birds and mammals. The species is also a host for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

*This resource is a product of Dr. Sara Wright’s Plant Diversity course in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department.