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Tulip PoplarFenwick-Hollowell Wetlands Trail

Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)

Description

The Tulip poplar is a deciduous tree with palmately-veined lobed leaves in an alternate arrangement. Mature trees have bark with ridges separated by wide, lighter furrows and the top of the tree often tapers to a point. The fragrant green to orange cup-like flowers appear in spring and summer, and the leaves turn a brilliant yellow in the fall. Winged seeds develop from the flowers and are released in the fall.
Tulip poplar

Gardening Tips

Care Known Problems How to Harvest Mature Size Notes/Uses
Does best in moist, well-drained acidic soil with full sun or partial shade but will perform poorly in very hot or dry conditions; When planting, a large area must be available for its growth; It can be kept as a shrub through pruning and cutting to the ground every few years Aphids are pests for the poplar, causing them to secrete honeydew on which mold and mildew may grow; Limbs break easily Seeds can be harvested and sewn in the fall; Clear-cutting is the method most often used to harvest the wood height: up to 120 feet
trunk diameter: up to fix feet
width: up to 60 feet
Valuable as hardwood for furniture, boats, paper pulp, musical instruments, etc; Deer and other wildlife eat the leaves, flowers and seeds of the tulip poplar; It attracts a variety of pollinators and is used in all garden types

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