Tulip tree

Tulip tree: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Large tree of 25–40 m with a straight, continuous trunk and a conical to oval crown; fast-growing.

Leaf

Alternate, 10–20 cm, with 4 (sometimes 6) lobes and a squarely cut-off or notched tip. Long leaf stalk. Autumn colour golden yellow.

Bark

Grey, with a regular network of shallow furrows.

Flower

Tulip-shaped, greenish-yellow flowers with an orange band, in June, often high in the crown.

Fruit

Upright, cone-shaped fruits made up of winged nutlets.

Flowering: June · Pruning: November–March

Identify by feature: Lobed leaves (like an oak) · Winged seeds

Why grow it?

• A unique leaf you recognise at once, with golden-yellow autumn colour.
• Tulip-shaped flowers in June, rich in nectar for bees.
• A stately, fast-growing specimen tree for a park or a large garden.
• Needs little pruning.

Tulip tree: where does it grow best?

• Full sun; in shade it grows poorly and hardly flowers.
• Deep, fertile soil that doesn’t dry out; no waterlogging.
• Allow for a crown 15 m wide and a height of up to 35 m: only for a large garden, a park or an avenue, well away from buildings.
• For a smaller garden there is the columnar form ‘Fastigiatum’, which still grows tall but stays much narrower.

Light

Full sun

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Normal

Size

35 m tall, 15 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Sweetgum: Another North American park tree: red and purple autumn colours next to the golden yellow of the tulip tree.
• Red maple: Also from eastern North America, with a fiery red autumn colour.
• Snowy mespilus: A small tree for the edge, with blossom in April and red autumn colour.
• Snowdrop: Flowers in February under the still-bare crown.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Tolerate the shade under this tree: oregon grape, rhododendron, oleaster, japanese skimmia, garden privet, camellia, laurustinus, box-leaved honeysuckle

Tulip tree: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant in spring (March–April) or in autumn, root-balled or container-grown: its fleshy roots don’t like being moved.
2. Choose a young, small tree: it establishes best.
3. Dig a generous planting hole, loosen the bottom and set the root ball at the same depth as before.
4. Put a stake on the windward side and tie the trunk loosely; remove stake and tie after 2–3 years.
5. Water generously after planting and during dry spells in the first few years.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first few years; even older trees drop yellow leaves early in dry summers.

Feeding

Not needed; a layer of compost or leaf mulch over the planting spot helps a young tree get going.

Under the tree

Keep the ground around a young tree free of grass and cover it with mulch.

Patience

A young tulip tree only starts flowering after a good number of years.

Tip: No room for a giant? Choose the columnar form ‘Fastigiatum’: the same leaves and the same flowers, on a much narrower tree.

Tulip tree: when to prune it?

Pruning months: November–March.

When: Dead, diseased and broken branches can be removed at any time of year. If pruning is needed, do it during winter dormancy (November–March).

How:

• Needs little pruning; leave the leader in place.
• On a young tree, remove competing leaders so that a single straight trunk remains.
• If necessary, raise the crown by removing a few of the lowest branches at a time, never many at once.

Caution: Cut large branches in three steps, just outside the branch collar: large pruning wounds heal slowly.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing

Sow the winged nutlets outdoors in a seed tray in autumn; they germinate in spring. Much of the seed is empty, so sow generously.

Grafting

Varieties such as the columnar form are grafted; that is a job for the nursery.

Tulip tree: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Fully hardy.
• In winter the upright fruit cones stay on the bare branches for a long time.

Diseases and pests

• Aphids: In summer, aphids under the leaves produce sticky honeydew that drips onto cars and patios. Ladybirds deal with them; a mature tree is not troubled.
• Drought: Yellow leaves and early leaf fall in midsummer. Water young trees and mulch the ground.
• Poor establishment: A large transplanted tree sometimes struggles for years. Plant young, root-balled or container-grown.
• No flowers: Young trees don’t flower yet, and on older trees the flowers are often high in the crown, hidden among the leaves.

Through the year

• January: Formative pruning of young trees in mild weather.
• February: Remove dead branches; the fruit cones are still on the branches.
• March: Last month for formative pruning; plant root-balled or container-grown trees.
• April: Planting; the leaves unfold.
• June: Flowering: tulip-shaped flowers high in the crown.
• July: Water young trees in dry spells; watch for aphids.
• October: Golden-yellow autumn colour; collect seed for sowing.
• November: Winter pruning can begin; sowing.
• December: Formative pruning of young trees; remove dead branches.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Magnificent specimen park tree for large gardens; golden-yellow autumn colour.

Wood

In North America (‘yellow poplar’) widely used for furniture and plywood.

For wildlife

The tulip-shaped flowers produce plenty of nectar.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Bumblebees

Nectar and pollen for bumblebees, also from deep flowers and early in spring.

Did you know?

• Native to eastern North America, where it is one of the tallest broadleaved trees.
• In North America it is called ‘yellow poplar’, and its wood is widely used there for furniture and plywood.
• There is only one other tulip tree, the Chinese one (Liriodendron chinense); both belong to the magnolia family.
• It belongs to the magnolia family. There are only two species of tulip tree: this American one and a Chinese one.
• Native Americans hollowed out the long, straight trunks of the tulip tree to make dugout canoes.