American Forestry 



VOL. XXI 



AUGUST, 1915 



No. 8 



The Tulip or Yellow Poplar Tree 



A General Description for Identification 



THE tulip tree, also erroneously called tulip poplar 

 and yellow poplar, is a large, handsome tree, 

 native of the Eastern United States from north- 

 ern Florida to ^lassachusetts and the Great Lakes west- 

 ward beyond the Mississippi. 



It grows to a height of 80 feet in the open and in a 

 forest to a height of 120 feet, with a tall, straight, un- 

 branched trunk. Its branches are comparatively few and 

 large. The lower ones frequently branch at right angles 

 from the trunk and then turn abruptly upward. Its bark 

 is dark, mottled with gray spots, smooth with shallow 

 lines. 



Its leaves are markedly different from all others, and 

 once recognized will never be confused with any other. 



It appears as though half of the leaf were cut away by 

 cutting the apex off, leaving the remaining portion 

 notched. At each side also is a sharp lobe. This makes 

 an angular leaf having four points and where the apex 

 should be there is an indentation. The leaves are pale 

 green or yellowish green, nearly alike on both sides 

 and when fully developed they have a tremulous motion. 

 In early autumn they turn bright yellow. 



The name of the tree is suggested by its conspicuous 

 flowers that come soon after the leaves. They are tulip 

 shaped, greenish yellow, with darker yellow and deep 

 orange on the tip of the petals. As they are borne on 

 stout stems they stand erect above the foliage and are 

 conspicuous against the pale green background. When 

 in full bloom these trees are showy and attractive. The 

 flowers are complete and perfect. The fruit is a cone 

 containing thin narrow scales attached to a common axis. 

 Each scale has a seed attached to a thin membraneous 

 wing. They begin to ripen in October and one by one 

 as they ripen they blow out, leaving the outside or lower 



scales appearing like an empty pod. By early winter the 

 seeds are all gone, but the empty scales remain erect on 

 the tree all winter, giving an easy means of winter identi- 

 fication. 



The tulip is one of our handsomest shade trees, being 

 S3-mmetrical when young and maintaining its symmetry 



TULIP OR YELLOW POPLAR LEAF 



The leaf is quite different from all others and when once recognized 

 is never confused with any other. It is angular, has four 

 points, a sharp lohe on each side, and where the apex should be there 

 is a sharp indentation. 



well. A mature tree is imposing from its size and ap- 

 parent strength of parts. The foliage is of pleasing color 

 and form. It thrives best on rich, deep soils. Although 

 successful for street planting as a young tree on deep soil 

 in suburban conditions, it does not succeed so well on 

 narrow streets, or where surrounded by much aSphalt 

 and concrete. Under these conditions it is apt to drop 

 many leaves all through the season. 



833 



