You’d probably think twice about throwing a backyard barbeque under the hot august sun without a tree shading your outdoor entertainment space. However, planting trees that provide shade in outdoor areas is a crucial component of every outdoor party – and get this, a tulip tree is a perfect shade tree to consider!
Tulip trees are excellent shade trees. They are one of the tallest trees in the North American forest, they grow rapidly, and have large unique leaves ideal for providing shade. In addition, their lowest branches are far off the ground, making them perfect for lounging underneath the shade.
If you are wondering if a tulip tree is a fitting addition to your landscape, you can stop wondering and start learning. Read on to learn why tulip trees make excellent shade trees!
Are Tulip Trees Good Shade Trees?
Traditionally, shade trees are large trees with big canopies that can disperse shade on everything below it. This is true of tulip trees, along with other attractive qualities.
Tulip trees are fast-growing and have long straight trunks.
They can grow between 80 and 100 feet tall, which makes them one of the tallest trees in North American deciduous forests.
Tulip Trees Have Large Leaves That Provide Shade
Tulip trees have large leaves that provide a very dense shade. Almost no sun rays are filtered through the leaves and allowed to land on the ground below.
The tulip tree’s leaves blow quickly in a slight breeze and make a calming, fluttering noise that is soothing to all who hear it.
Tulip Trees Grow Tall To Provide Shade
According to the National Park Service, tulip trees are one of the tallest American hardwood trees.
Tulip trees can grow between 80 and 100 feet tall. Since they are so tall, they naturally provide a wider span of shade, than trees that are shorter!
So if you look at the horizon and notice a few trees that stand above the rest, you can bet on those more towering trees being tulip trees.
Tulip Trees Grow Fast To Create Shade Quickly
When grown in optimal conditions, tulip trees may be the best to plant if you want to develop shade fast. They are one of the fastest-growing North American Trees.
Tulip trees reach their epic heights by being very fast-growing and out-competing other trees for sunlight in a developing forest, up to 2 feet a year!
The optimal conditions for the tulip tree are loamy, moist soil that is slightly acidic. It grows best in full sun and needs at least six hours of sun a day.
Tulip trees also need lots of room to grow. Because they grow so fast, their wood can be weak, making them prone to storm breakage. For more information on how a tulip tree grows, head on over to our article about a tulip tree’s growth timeline!
Tulip Trees Have Large Leaves That Provide Shade
The leaves of the tulip tree are beautiful and have an unusual shape. Once you know what a tulip leaf looks like, it is unlikely you will mistake it for any other type of tree.
Tulip tree leaves are three to six inches across and have four to six distinct lobes. The end of the leaf has a shallow V-shaped notch that makes its shape recognizable, but also amazing for shade.
In addition, the leaves grow densely in the canopy, providing a very dense shade below.
In the fall, the leaves of the tulip tree turn lovely light yellow and orange colors. Appreciate these fall colors quickly because the tulip tree is one of the first trees to lose its leaves in a deciduous forest, especially when subjected to drought or other stressors.
Tulip Tree Branches Grow High Off The Ground
When a tulip tree is young, its branches may look like most other trees of its size. However, as the tree grows and matures, its lower branches fall off.
As a result, the tree drops its lower limbs throughout life to direct more energy to the tree’s canopy, where it collects sunlight. This unusual growth habit makes the tulip tree ideal for shade because its branches do not hang low to disrupt any activities that may take place underneath it.
The trunk of this tree grows tall and straight and above other trees in its habitat.
Tulip Trees Have Large Showy Flowers
Tulip trees get their names from their large, showy blossoms that occur high in the tree’s canopy.
These flowers are pale yellow and orange and look like a tulip from a distance. The flowers have six yellow-green petals surrounded by three green sepals. Inside the flower is bright orange and yellow.
A tulip tree will not flower until it is at least 15 years old, and in the beginning, it will only bloom sparsely in the tree’s highest branches. This quality makes the flowers challenging to appreciate up close.
Pollinators Love The Tulip Flowers
Even though this tree’s flowers are too high to appreciate, you will still notice the smell wafting to the shaded regions below.
The flowers have a delightful aroma they use to attract pollinators.
The flowers of the tulip tree are favorites of hummingbirds, who get a rare chance to rest as they drink nectar high in the tree. The flowers also attract honeybees and butterflies.
The seeds of this tree feed birds such as finches and cardinals, as well as small mammals. This tree is a beautiful addition to your yard if you wish to provide an animal habitat.
What’s Unique About Tulip Trees?
Tulip trees are unique, with many qualities that set them apart from other trees in a deciduous forest. Let’s talk about some of those features below!
Tulip Trees Have Beautiful Fall Foilage
Like other deciduous trees, tulip tree leaves turn color in the fall. This tree’s leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow to deep orange color.
Tulip trees may drop their leaves earlier than other trees, so don’t miss out on the beautiful display.
However, if you live in an area with warm sunny fall weather and are hoping your tree continues to provide shade long into the fall, you may want to choose another tree.
Tulip Trees Have Amazing Leaves
Perhaps the most exceptional quality is the shape of its leaves.
Tulip leaves are unlike any other. They have four to six lobes and smooth edges. There is a slight “V” shape between the two lobes at the end of the leaf. This “V” shape is most helpful when identifying this tree!
Plus, they make a beautiful sound when fluttering in the wind.
Tulip Trees Produce Hardwood
In addition to providing incredible shade, tulip trees’ wood is useful as a construction material.
Tulip tree trunks grow straight and tall making their pliable wood useful for building carpentry and carving small figurines.
In addition, the fast rate at which tulip trees grows makes their wood soft and easy to manipulate.
But, it may be shocking, although the wood is soft – it is actually considered hardwood. Check out our article about why a tulip tree is a hardwood and not softwood, to learn more, and it has to do with the fact that it’s a flowering tree!
Tulip trees are called tulip poplar, yellow poplar, or white wood. Don’t let these common names mislead you; tulip trees are not poplars; they are part of the magnolia family. Since the wood is soft and pliable, it was used by native people and early Americans to carve canoes, earning it its last common name, canoe wood.
Tulip Trees Loves Moist Soil
This tree loves well-drained, moist soil, and while it prefers full sun, it does not tolerate heat and drought well. It grows best in loose soil free from compaction.
This tree will love your property if you live in a river valley or along a stream.
However, it does not like rocky or sandy soil, so people living in a mountainous region would do better to choose another tree.
Tulip Trees Are Tolerant Of Moisture
Finding a good shade tree tolerant of constant or occasional moisture can be tricky. Luckily this type of environment is ideal for the tulip tree!
So, if you have a site that is often wet and are struggling to find the right tree, look no further; the tulip tree is what you need!
Tulip Trees Have Beautiful Flowers
Like other trees in the magnolia family, the tulip tree has fascinating flowers that make it unique. The flowers look like tulips and have yellow petals with a flash of bright green color at the center.
Tulip trees are one of the only shade trees with attractive and showy flowers.
The seeds of the tulip tree turn light brown in the winter and sometimes stay on the tree into the next growing season.
Winged like a helicopter blade, tulip seeds twirl and spiral downward once they have been released from the tree.
Should You Plant A Tulip Tree?
When grown in the right conditions, tulip trees are excellent additions to your property. If you can offer these right conditions – then yes, absolutely you should plant a tulip tree!
Tulip Trees grow in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4-9. If you are unsure of how to grow a tulip tree or if you’re property is right – we recommend checking in with your local arborist!
Tulip trees have been studied as additions to landscaping in commercial projects. Findings suggest the tulip tree performs well in landscaping when the right spot is chosen for its growth.
Tulip Trees Need Certain Conditions To Grow Well
Let’s talk about some of the conditions they need to grow well!
- Moist, well-drained soil.
- Plenty of room to grow.
- Climate-free from drought.
- Climate-free from extreme heat.
- Full sun.
- Lose ground free from compaction.
- Slightly acidic soil.
Tulip trees are slightly pickier than other landscape trees, so ensure you have chosen the correct location. They will do best in large parks or naturalized areas. However, because they grow so tall, they are not best suited for urban landscaping.
Tulip trees create the best shade when given plenty of room to grow and expand. If the tree grows free from competition from other trees, it will produce a more expansive canopy and cast even more shade.
Tulip Trees Like Slightly Acidic Soil
Like many trees, tulip trees prefer slightly acidic soil. Have your soil tested locally and add a soil acidifier like Down to Earth’s All Natural Acid Mix Fertilizer if needed.
Soil compaction happens when soil particles get pressed together so closely that it makes it difficult for water and nutrients to flow between them. Soil compaction could create a drainage problem and make it harder for your tulip tree to grow.
Land that has been farmed commercially for many years usually suffers from compaction.
If you fear the site you have identified for your tree has compacted soil, consider loosening the soil before planting with the Yard Butler Twist Tiller.
Aphids Are A Problem For Tulip Trees
Tulip trees are not prone to many pests or diseases; when they are, they are minor. The most common problem results from aphids.
Aphids secrete a sugary substance called honeydew that can cause sooty mold to build up on the leaves. This problem is primarily cosmetic and should not disrupt the long-term growth of the tree.
You can minimize aphids on your tulip tree by applying an insecticide like Compare-N-Save Systemic Tree and Shrub Insect Drench.
For information on how to stop aphids from destroying your tulip tree, head on over to our sister site to learn about scents that aphids hate, and how to use them to protect your tree!
That’s a Wrap!
Now that you know all of the unique qualities of a tulip tree, let’s revisit the question: Do tulip trees make good shade trees?
Tulip trees are fantastic shade trees. They are some of the tallest trees in the forest, grow rapidly, and have large leaves that cast a dense shade. In addition, they thrive under the right conditions, making them great additions to many spaces.
If you’re ready to dive in and plant this amazing tulip tree – then, give yourself a head start by planting this Tulip Polar Tree, it’s anywhere from 2-3 years old, and would be the perfect addition!
If you’re sold on planting a tulip tree but want to start from the very beginning, Tulip Polar Tree Seed Grow Kit may better meet your needs.
Plant a tulip tree today and enjoy this beautiful tree for many years to come!
References
Carter, D. R., Fahey, R. T., & Bialecki, M. B. (2013). Tree growth and resilience to extreme drought across an urban land-use gradient.
Conway, T. M., & Vander Vecht, J. (2015). Growing a diverse urban forest: Species selection decisions by practitioners planting and supplying trees. Landscape and Urban Planning, 138, 1-10.
Frank, S. D. (2019). A survey of key arthropod pests on common southeastern street trees. Arboric. Urban For, 45, 155-166.
Midcap, J. T., & Weatherly, N. (2006). Trees for the landscape: Selection and culture.
