Tulip Trees

Also known as yellow poplar, tulip trees are a tall and visually grandiose tree, blooming each spring and creating a beautiful and fragrant addition to your yard and garden. Even better, their high boughs provide ample space for planting a shade-loving garden underneath. But just what are the best plants to plant under your favorite tulip tree?

The best plants to plant under a tulip tree are those that love moist, slightly acidic soil and grow well in shady conditions. These include plants like hostas, impatiens, Virginia bluebells, foamflower, Jacob’s ladder, bee balm, bleeding hearts, epimedium, ferns, and shade tolerant herbs.

Interested in learning more about what plants to plant under a tulip tree or what conditions a tulip tree thrives under? Read on for more!

Why Tulip Trees Can Be Great Yard Trees

At least, it might make a good yard tree, depending on the makeup of your yard!

The Missouri Department of Conservation reports a single tulip tree can grow to over 100 feet tall, with a 40-foot spread of branches. So if you have a large piece of property and plenty of empty space, a tulip tree might be an excellent option for you.

Tulip trees are also considered hardwood trees, which you can learn more about in this article on the topic!

If you like the look of the tulip tree but not the size, you don’t have to give up hope of a gorgeous flowering tulip tree just yet. If you want something smaller in your yard, it is possible to keep it from growing to quite that height.

You may choose to keep trees small by pruning them every other year. Although you can trim it at any time, the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science reports that little to no root growth happens in the fall, and the greatest amount occurs in the spring after winter has passed.

This means trimming during slow growth periods in the fall and winter will keep your tree the healthiest when there is the lowest risk of pests or infections.

Why Put A Yellow Poplar (Tulip Tree) In Your Yard?

The simple answer is that these tulip trees produce beautiful blooms in the spring! They also attract bees and ruby-throated hummingbirds, making them a great way to encourage natural fauna and pollinators to stick around your yard habitat.

However, there are other things to consider before you plant. For example, a study by researchers at Virginia Tech showed that tulip trees are intolerant of shade and are vulnerable to drought when compared to other trees.

This means depending on the natural climate where you live (as well as how your yard is set up), the tulip tree may or may not thrive for you.

Read on below for other things to consider before planting a tulip tree.

The Depth Of Tulip Tree Roots Can Vary

For the most part, tulip tree roots grow in the top three feet of soil, preferring to stick in the shallowest foot if possible. But their growing depth entirely depends on the type of soil they’re in.

If the soil is very loose, the roots will penetrate deeper. If the ground is squished and compacted together, tulip tree roots will stay near the surface.

So why does this matter to you?

Before planting a tulip tree, you’ll want to be sure that the roots won’t penetrate too deeply, affecting any piping or structures on your home and property. You’ll also want to avoid soil that’s too compact, which may create a shallow root system and a tree that’s prone to tip in high winds (especially once it grows to its full height!)

The location of your future tulip tree will not only matter for the tree itself, but also for any plants you would like to plant under it. If the tree’s roots are extremely shallow, you risk affecting the soil and upsetting the root systems of any future plants as well.

Tulip Tree Roots Can Spread Quite Far

You might think that since tulip tree root systems are relatively shallow, they also don’t spread very wide either.

However, roots can expand as far as three times the width of the branch spread. So, even if you aren’t planting directly beneath the tulip tree itself, any nearby plants can still be affected by the root system.

This also means you’ll need to take care when planting near structures, sidewalks, or anything that might lay underground like piping or wires.

If you’d like to encourage your tulip tree to grow as big and beautiful as possible, consider using a product such as Miracle-Gro Tree & Shrub Plant Food Spikes. Fertilizers such as this can help supplement poor growing conditions, encourage trees to remain healthy, and produce better blooms in the spring.

If you think your tulip trees roots are spread too far, it may be a good reason to cut it down.

These Are The Best Places To Plant a Tulip Tree

We’ve already mentioned considering soil density (although soil can often be compacted or loosened as required). But it’s not enough to only consider the type of soil you’ll encounter. You’ll want to think about the quality as well.

According to the North Carolina State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, tulip trees prefer moist, well-drained soil. This means avoiding installing them in a low-lying area of your yard where standing water gathers and stays.

You also may need to mix the soil with another substance (such as sand or rocks) to encourage extra water to drain away and avoid collecting around roots.

Tulip trees also thrive in slightly acidic soil, a fact you’ll want to remember when you consider future companion plantings. Although most plants prefer acidic soil, some flowers and garden shrubbery prefers alkaline soil and may not be a good match for underneath a tulip tree. Here’s a full tulip tree timeline if you’d like to learn more about how long they take to grow.

So What About Shade Versus Sun?

We already mentioned that the research shows tulip trees are not shade-tolerant plants. Instead, they want full sun to grow big and strong and spread wide.

This means planting well away from other trees, avoiding shaded areas from buildings, and ensuring that the tree won’t be blocked by any other tulip trees you may plant at the same time.

Finally, when you consider a location for your tulip tree, you’ll want a place that is well away from pavement, walls, and known piping for sewer, water, electrical lines, etc. This is to avoid future complications where root systems may invade piping or crack concrete and cement sidewalks or barriers.

If you’d like to plant underneath your tulip tree, you’ll need to give yourself plenty of room to do so. Although we’ve chosen plants that are contained and easy to maintain, you’ll want some space for plants to spread out and grow after planting.

Interested in planting and growing your own tulip three? This Tree Seed Grow Kit has everything you might need in one box. With it, you can be well on your way to enjoying the smells and sights of a full-grown tulip tree.

Plants You Can Grow Under Tulip Trees

Although most shade-loving plants can be planted underneath the boughs and limbs of a tulip tree, not all of them will thrive. You’ll want to choose a plant that tolerates little to no sunlight, likes moist conditions, and does best in slightly acidic soil to best match the conditions the plant will find underneath your tulip tree.

Before you plant anything, you might use a product such as this 3-in-1 Soil Tester. This tester will tell you the pH, moisture levels, and light levels of any soil you’re considering using for a garden, taking the guesswork out of the planting process. 

Below are our favorite options for your future shady garden. These plants are not only beautiful, but they require little maintenance, and they all will happily grow underneath your tulip tree for years to come.

Hostas

Also known as “plantain lilies,” these plants are a shade-tolerant option that requires very little maintenance and will return year after year.

Hostas love the same type of soil as tulip trees (moist and slightly acidic), which makes them a great option to plant under your tree.

Impatiens

Unlike hostas, impatiens like partial shade, so if you have a spot that will receive a few hours of sunlight a day, these gorgeous blooms may be a better option. Don’t worry if it’s a little shadier than you expected, though; the plants will still grow but will bloom less frequently!

Here’s one more important thing to know about impatiens: How closely you plant them together affects their growing height. Plants that are close together will grow taller, while those farther apart will stay low.

This is something to consider if you are planning to include several heights in your garden. Although impatiens are beautiful, you don’t want them blocking your view of all the pretty plants in the back.

Virginia Bluebells

These woodland plants are a brilliant choice to plant under your tulip tree, as they can be easily grown in full shade to partial shade.

However, because they are so good at proliferating, they can quickly outgrow the area under the tree and may need to be occasionally trimmed back.

Epimedium

More commonly called “Barrenwort,” epimedium is known as a semi-evergreen plant that makes for excellent ground cover under trees. These plants grow quickly, spreading to up to 36 inches wide and around 6 inches tall.

Although they won’t travel as far as the Virginia Bluebells, epimedium may still need to be occasionally trimmed to look their best before blooming the following spring.

Foamflower

Featuring bright white, towering blooms, foamflower is a tall perennial (meaning you only need to plant it once) that can tolerate partial to full shade.

In addition, this plant will grow well in moist conditions and requires no maintenance once planted (though you may choose to cut off blooms at the end of the season for cosmetic reasons).

Ferns

With so many varieties to choose from, ferns are a great shade-loving option for those who want a plant that will not spread far and will stay green year-round. The one downside? Ferns like moist, humid conditions that may be too wet for your tulip tree to enjoy.

You may also consider searching for a local variety of fern that already grows readily in your area to avoid taking the chance on delicate ferns that are better suited to other types of climates.

Bleeding Hearts

Dicentra makes for a beautiful choice for those looking for a colorful addition to their shade garden.

Bleeding hearts may require some watering if there is a particularly dry spring and summer, but otherwise can be left alone. Pair this plant with another choice from the list, as dicentra is not good as ground cover.

Shade Loving Herbs

Having a small herb garden can do more than just provide you with fresh spices for your cooking and baking; it can help keep your tree healthy and ward off pests!

Unfortunately, tulip trees not only frequently suffer from aphid and fungal infestations but can attract large numbers of wasps as well. Tulip trees affected with scale will secrete honeydew (a substance that wasps love), meaning you may have a wasp problem even if your tree isn’t actively blooming.

To discourage wasps from hanging around your tulip tree, consider planting herbs that wasps hate, which thrive in the shade. Possible ideas are Corsican or Stone mint, or something that is partially sun tolerant, like citronella or sage.

Bee Balm

Interested in attracting more pollinators? This shade-loving plant will help encourage bees to hang around your yard and garden.

Not only is this great for the planet, but the rest of your gardens will benefit from having bees around, as they pollinate both veggies and flowers alike.

Jacob’s Ladder

This low-maintenance plant has both beautiful leaves and gorgeous blooms. Best of all, it not only does well in the shade, but it’s a favorite of bees, helping to turn your garden into a pollinator haven.

Other Tulip Trees!

If you love one tulip tree, you might even want more! Although you can’t technically plant one tree underneath one another, you can plant other tulip trees nearby.

Tulip tree groves can be created by planting multiple trees in one area and can make for a stunning visual display in gardens and landscaping. 

Just be sure to keep up on trimming so the trees do not block one another from receiving a healthy dose of sunlight.

That’s A Wrap!

With careful planning and consideration, you can not only have a happy, healthy tulip tree in your yard and around your home but one with a variety of beautiful plants underneath its boughs.

Just be sure you’re taking care to plant your garden with soil quality, expected light levels, and future growth in mind, and you’ll be able to have a gorgeous yard for years to come.

References

Carter, David R., Robert T. Fahey, and Margaret B. Bialecki. “Tree growth and resilience to extreme drought across an urban land-use gradient.” (2013).

Kelly, R. J., and B. C. Moser. “Root regeneration of Liriodendron tulipifera in response to auxin, stem pruning, and environmental conditions.” Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 108.6 (1983): 1085-1090.

Krombein, Karl V. “Wasp Visitors of Tulip-Tree Honeydew at Dunn Loring, Virginia (Hymenoptera Aculeata).” Annals of the Entomological Society of America 44.1 (1951): 141-143.

Your tulip tree may be near and dear to your heart, but sometimes that just isn’t enough reason to keep a plant around. Even if you absolutely adore your tulip tree, you might have had to consider cutting it down a time or two.

Your tulip tree may need to be cut down if it’s too messy, housing pests, is in a sensitive area, or is dying and may fall on its own. Tulip trees are extremely messy, shedding sap and leaves shortly after blossoming which can cause issues when planted too close to homes.

Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) can be a beautiful addition to your yard, but sometimes it’s time to say goodbye, sadly. Let’s talk about the reasons you might need to cut down your tulip tree and the best time of year to do it.

1. Your Tulip Tree is Too Messy

So, you may not expect a tulip tree to be very messy. Right?

Wrong. 

Just after the spring bloom, the ground around your tree will be littered with flower petals that have fallen from your tulip tree

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, tulip trees flower from May to June, and the mess will be worst during those months.

If this sounds like the worst of it, you may be thinking… well, that isn’t too bad.

Unfortunately, the fallen flower petals are the easy part of the mess that tulip trees create.

When the tree drops its petals, you can rake them up or allow them to naturally decompose back into the soil around them.

The real culprit here is going to be tulip tree sap.

Tulip trees are absolutely notorious for getting their sticky sap everywhere. You will especially want to avoid any vehicles being parked under a tulip tree unless you want a mess that takes forever to clean up.

If your biggest goal is to manage your space and not have a mess, there is not much else to do than remove your tree.

Both fallen petals and sap can be managed, but it’s up to you to decide whether that is worth it for you.

You can even clean your car using a product like Goo Gone Automotive Cleaner, it’ll just take you some time to remove all the mess from the surface.

Here are some things to consider when it comes to deciding if you should work to keep your tree and its space clean, or if removal is the way to go.

Pets

If you have pets that like to run around your yard (and maybe even roll around in something like flower petals) there is quite a good chance that their fur is going to end up caked in sap.

Eventually, this may become more frustrating than it’s worth.

Your Car

Things can get pretty sticky (pun intended) when there is sap that ends up on your vehicle.

Not only is it a potential safety factor if sap is on your windshield and blocks your view, but it is not great for your car to constantly have a sticky mess that needs removed.

If you have to park your car in the same area where the tree lives, this can very well build up sap and frustration over time.

Sidewalks

If your tulip tree hangs over a sidewalk, the neighbors may end up with some qualms as well.

If pets, kids, or bikes have to go through fallen petals and/or sticky sap, you might even get some complaints about your tree. Public opinion is important, whether or not we like to think so.

According to Cornell University, there is a bit of good news when it comes to the messiness of tulip trees.

Flowers and fruits are first produced when a tulip tree is 15-20 years old, so if you have a relatively young tree, you may not have to worry about one aspect of the mess after all.

While messiness might seem like a silly reason to remove an entire tree, it could be the best decision if you are unable to maintain your space in the way that you see fit.

2. Ongoing Drought Conditions Are Damaging It

There are many reasons you may need to cut down a Liriodendron, or tulip tree, named after its flowers’ resemblance to tulip flowers.

One of those reasons could have to do with the amount of water in the soil around your plant.

If your tree is suffering from drought conditions, it is going to be much more susceptible to infestation by insects or possible diseases. 

When there are drought conditions, you can do a few things to sustain your tree before throwing in the towel. 

If you have access to water that you can use to give your tree some extra support, try to utilize that. 

You can turn to a product like the Rain Bird Drip Irrigation Blank Distribution Tubing to help you manage the water that is distributed around your tree. Not only can this help you manage the process, it can help to conserve water and assure that your tree gets what it needs.

This ensures that no water is wasted, especially in a drought. 

You will want to utilize watering times by using a balanced fertilizer like Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food. Fertilizer is such an important component to keeping a tree sustained and healthy, even in conditions that are less than favorable. 

Drought may not be the main concern for you, but there are certainly other reasons that your tree might need to be removed.

3. Your Tulip Tree Is Dying

Dying trees are often one of the most prevalent reasons that they have to be removed. It may even be the first thing that came to mind for you.

You can get pretty lucky if you catch the issue early on, but so often that is not the case.

If you do get lucky, utilize the Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears to help you remove the damaged area without having to cut too much of the tree away. This is a great way to manage your tree, and pruning should be incorporated into your general tree maintenance in one way or another.

Like most things, if you have the right tools and the right timing, you are likely to find success.

If you have a situation where it is too late to trim your tree and solve the issue, it may be time to shift from upkeep to a damage control mindset. This will be seen when disease is in the later stages or if it has spread too far to take care of.

Remember that you can utilize a local arborist that can give you a real-time, in-person view of your options.

If you’re interested in pruning on your own, check out the best time to prune large trees.

4. Some Tulip Trees Can Be Invasive And May Need To Be Cut Down

This is a less common issue, but there are some species of tulip tree that can be invasive. In this case, your tulip tree may be negatively impacting the environment where it is located.

The African tulip tree is invasive in tropical climates. For the United States, this would be places like Hawaii, Florida, and other regions of the southwest and the deep south.

This species of tulip tree will come into an environment and has a knack for out-competing the native species that live there.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, the African tulip tree is one of the most popular flowering ornamentals, but is also fast growing and is often planted successfully outside of its natural range.

This means that the species can be planted in a wide variety of places where it does not belong and where it can significantly impact the surrounding environment.

The African tulip tree can extend throughout the tropical climate areas of the United States, growing in dense thickets that interrupt and easily overtake native plants.

If you have this type of tulip tree on your property, and especially if it is interacting with your other plants, you should consider removing this species. This will give your other plant life a better chance to survive and thrive.

Most species of tulip tree are just fine, but you can always contact a professional to help you assess your concerns.

5. Your Tulip Tree’s Roots are Too Big

Roots can get tricky, especially when your tree is one that has roots that grow and extend rapidly.

The roots of a tulip tree will often extend when the tree itself is not receiving enough of its basic needs, such as water and nutrients.

You can refer back to the first section on drought for suggestions for an irrigation system and balanced fertilizer that might help nip this problem in the bud. (Pun intended, thank you very much.)

So, back to the root of this section: roots!

Not only are they a pain to mess with, but they can also cause safety issues.

If your tree’s roots have started to overgrow and stick up above the soil, they may create a tripping hazard.

Aside from extending upward in search of nutrients or water, roots may also extend outward. The roots of a tulip tree can go quite far (around 30ft) which means that they may even start to interfere with your home or any other buildings that are close.

If tree roots get too out of control, they might start to damage the structure of a building that they run into. This could cause serious issues with the integrity of your foundation which, in turn, will cause more issues with the structure overall.

If the roots get to be an issue in this way, it is time to remove the tree to prioritize your space. 

Roots can be annoying to mess with, but they can also cause issues that impact other parts of your space.

I might start to sound like a broken record here but you can always…say it with me… check in with a trained professional to help you. This may not only look like an arborist but also someone who specializes in evaluating homes and structural integrity.

6. You Want To Mitigate Potential Storm Damage

Speaking of potential hazards to your home, there is another consideration that may lead you to take down your tulip tree.

If your tree has grown too close to your home, it could cause some serious damage if a bad storm comes through and takes down your tree before you get a chance to.

While it may be hard to make the decision to remove an otherwise healthy, stable tree, you’ll want to consider the danger and cost of damages if it has gotten too close for comfort.

If there are any specific branches that could be removed to buy some time, this might be a good first step.

However, when the tree itself has grown bigger and there is a better chance of it causing damage to your space, you’ll want to consider taking grander action.

Avoiding a branch coming through your window in a lightning storm is more important than keeping your tree around, as sad as it may be.

If you feel that your tree has become unsafe, make the call to do what is best for you and get it removed. Especially if any other factors have weakened the tree. 

This could look like prior storm damage, infestation, disease, or any other external factors that may make your tree (and home, by extension) more susceptible to storm damage.

The last thing you need is a hardwood branch damaging your home. (Yes, tulip trees are hardwood trees, not softwood!)

7. Too Much Tulip Tree Upkeep Is Needed

A lot can go into this one, but what it comes down to is this— if your tulip tree has become too much of a burden in any way, it may be taking more time and work than it is worth. 

Any of the reasons above are enough to make the call to take your tree down, but if you are dealing with a combination of issues you might be way in over your head. 

That’s okay. 

As much as we want to care for our plants and prioritize things like that, it is not always possible. If your tulip tree is costing you more money than you have to put in, or if there just isn’t enough time in the day to keep your tree cared for, removal is an option.

8. You Have Insect Infestations In Your Tulip Tree

Insect infestations are another common issue that may lead to the tree needing to be taken down, in a similar way to disease in trees.

Here are two insects you might have to deal with:

Tulip Tree Aphids

According to the North Carolina State Extension, tulip tree aphids and scales are the biggest issues when it comes to an infestation in your tulip tree. 

We’ll talk about tulip tree aphids first. 

These are similar to other aphids, but simply opt to infest tulip trees, specifically.

You can recognize them by their dark antennae and cornicles on a yellow body. 

These insects will feed on the underside of leaves and, when infestations are heavy, they can also cause leaves to drop off the tree entirely. This can cause lasting damage that manifests as a thinned-out canopy and reduced tree growth overall.

These tulip tree aphids also produce huge amounts of honeydew, which makes the surrounding area of the tree, and other nearby surfaces, black with mold.

Tulip Tree Scale

The next culprit when it comes to infestation is the tulip tree scale. 

With a brown body, these insects appear to be brown lumps on the branch of a tulip tree. Make no mistake, they are living creatures that are actively harming your tree. 

You can apply certain oils and treatments in the dormant season to help remove these insects. However, since they are both pretty difficult to spot without specifically searching, you may miss this issue until it has weakened your tree beyond repair. 

In cases where damage from other sources has occurred, insect infestations will have a particularly damaging impact.

9. Your Tulip Tree Is Getting Too Close to The Property Line

So, say that your tulip tree is doing well and does not have any major health issues. 

What on earth else could lead you to removing the tree?

One factor to consider is your property line. Your tree may be growing under, or even too far over the top of a fence. If your tree begins to invade your neighbors’ space, you may need to take action.

First of all, this may be mandated by many Homeowner’s Associations, but you could also just want to keep a good relationship with those that live around you. That means making sure that your tree does not overtake their yard.

It’s always worth a conversation first, if your neighbor has not brought up the issue. Maybe they don’t mind, but they certainly might.

10. Your Tulip Tree Just Doesn’t Look Right

If you cannot place your finger on a specific issue, you might still be able to notice that something is just off.

In this case, figuring out the culprit might take you more time or money than you have to put toward the issue.

Unfortunately, as much as we try to have all the answers, some tree decline can be pretty mysterious.

If removal is your best bet due to your circumstances, know that this happens sometimes and you are not alone.

With that, let’s talk about when to cut down your tree if it doesn’t require immediate removal.

When To Cut Down Your Tulip Tree

Regardless of the reasoning, you should know when the optimal time to remove your tree will be.

Part of this question will have to do with the reason. If you are avoiding damages or need removal immediately, that takes priority.

If your purpose is more aesthetic or related to the management of your space, waiting until the dormant season to cut down your tree is ideal.

Early spring, or even late winter, are the best times to take down your tulip tree because there will be less bloom to navigate, as well as less sap to make a mess of things during the removal process.

If you’re tulip tree had healthy wood, you could also season it as use it as some of the best firewood!

Why You SHOULDN’T Cut Down Your Tulip Tree

There are some hindrances that may be leaving you discouraged, but I want to remind you that the choice to keep or remove your tree is always up to you to make.

Ultimately, you have to follow the best interest of not only your space but yourself, and what you have the capacity to do.

If you are still questioning at this point in the article if you should really be removing your tree, the answer might be no.

I’d urge you to consider the value your tree has beyond the work it takes to be kept up. If the value of your tree outweighs the work you put in, it could be worth keeping.

Trees can hold fond memories, especially ones that have been around for quite a while. Maybe your tulip tree was once a fun childhood playset or there are memories of sitting under the tree on a summer day with friends.

Maybe your tree is simply healthier, or less work than you thought upon opening this piece. Comparison can be the thief of joy, but it can also remind you about the good things you’ve got.

Your tree might not seem like such a pain, after seeing other issues that could have occurred.

Sometimes your tree will have more potential than you thought, or the value feels too great to let go of. 

If you feel sorry to see your tree go, don’t let this article be the only resource you rely on!

Call a local arborist to help you officially determine what is best for your situation. I can give you the facts, and even advice, but I can’t see your individual tree to tell you what exactly your situation needs. Most will advocate to keep the tree around rather than take it down if it can be helped.

Now, if your tree is potentially a hazard or causing some more serious issues in any way, sentimentality unfortunately also isn’t enough to save it. So, try to find the balance between your decision-making mind and your attachment to the tree.

Wrapping Up!

Now it might be time to let your tulip tree grow. Even if you love the tree, cutting it down could be the best decision for you. 

Now, lets recap all that good stuff we talked about.

You may need to cut down your tulip tree if:

• Your tulip tree is too messy
• Ongoing drought conditions are damaging It
• Your tulip tree gets an infection
• Some tulip trees can be invasive (African tulip tree)
• Your tulip tree’s roots are too big
• Potential storm damage
• Too much tulip tree upkeep is needed
• Insect infestations in your tulip tree
• The tulip tree is getting too close to the property lines
• The tulip tree just doesn’t look right

Remember that your situation could vary, and these are all examples of reasons why you might need to cut down your tree.

Taking in all of the factors and evidence is important, and can help keep you assured that your choice is the right one.

When it is time to make that call, the dormant season is going to be the best time to cut down a tree that does not need immediate removal.

Call a professional arborist if you have concerns or if your tree is causing safety issues and needs to come down ASAP.

If this piece helped you decide to remove your tree, I’m sorry that it has come to that.

This is just one step on your tree journey, and I wish you the best!

References

Burns, D. P., & Donley, D. E. (1970). Biology of the tuliptree scale, Toumeyella liriodendri (Homoptera: Coccidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 63(1), 228-235.

Choi, O., Choi, O., Kwak, Y. S., Kim, J., & Kwon, J. H. (2012). Spot anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on tulip tree in Korea. Mycobiology, 40(1), 82-84.

Labrada, R., & Medina, A. D. (2009). The invasiveness of the African tulip tree, Spathodea campanulata Beauv. Biodiversity, 10(2-3), 79-82.

 

A tulip tree (sometimes called a yellow poplar or tulip poplar) can make a tall and beautiful addition to any garden. With proper care, this towering tree can live for centuries, producing beautiful blooms year after year. But just what is a tulip tree timeline?

A tulip tree’s life cycle has several stages. It starts from a seedling, growing each year until it transitions into a sapling and then a mature tree. Tulip trees produce blooms when they are 15 years old. After that, it will continue to grow until the end of its life cycle at around 200 years.

Interested in learning more about the life cycle of a tulip tree? Read on below for the scoop, as well as for our tips on how to best care for your tree and ensure it has a long and healthy life ahead of it!

Tulip Trees Take Many Years to Grow and Reach Maturity

Tulip trees are considered full grown when they reach 15 years of age, although they’ll continue to grow throughout their lifespan. At that point, they’ll begin blooming and produce beautiful, lightly scented flowers in the late spring!

Be aware that if you purchase your tree from a nursery (rather than growing it from seed), it can be difficult to know exactly how old it may be. Most nurseries sell trees when they are one to three years old, but this isn’t always the case.

If your sapling has come from a garden center or nursery and you’re worried that your tree isn’t flowering at fifteen years, you may have gotten a younger tree than expected and simply need to wait another season or two for it to mature.

You may be able to use your tree’s height as a rough estimate of how old the tree is, although the exact growing rate can vary depending on the growing condition and the individual tree. Read on below for more info on a tulip tree’s growth rate.

A Tulip Tree Growth Rate Depends on Several Factors

Although it may seem slow initially, your future tulip will quickly grow from a seedling to a sapling to a large and blooming yellow poplar. But just how fast will it get there? 

On average, a tulip tree will grow about 2-3 feet per year, although it may grow a little faster or slower in some years. The exact growth rate can depend on the soil and growing conditions the tree experiences. 

For example, if a tree has full days of unrestricted sun, you’re more likely to see growth rates closer to 3 feet. But if the tree lacks nutrients, appropriate sunlight, or doesn’t receive the proper amount of water, you may find that your tulip tree’s growth is limited.

Because of the variation in growth rates, it can be hard to determine a tree’s age simply by looking at its height. For example, if a tree experienced good growing conditions and poor ones the next, the growth rate might have varied so much that the size doesn’t correspond to the age.

But one thing’s for certain: don’t be concerned about whether your tulip tree will thrive in an urban environment. One study from Georgetown University showed that yellow poplars (tulip poplar/Liriodendron tulipifera) can grow and populate in both forest and urban environments, making them a great option no matter where you live.

The Timeline Of A Tulip Tree

A tulip tree’s life cycle happens not in decades, but over centuries! A tulip tree typically lives 200-250 years, although it’s possible for them to live as long as 300 according to the USDA.

During that time, your tulip tree will continue to grow, eventually reaching about 120 feet tall. But before it reaches that height, it will pass through several distinct stages.

Read on below to learn more about each stage, as well as to hear our tips on how best to support your tree as it grows.

Day 1: How To Find The Right Tulip Sapling Or Seed

The first step to growing your new tree is to find it! 

When looking for a good tulip tree seedling or sapling, look for a tree with healthy green leaves with flat edges. In addition, the tree should look like it has recent growth, and there shouldn’t be any signs of damage or pests on the trunk, branches, or the underside of leaves.

If you do choose a sapling, check out our sapling planting instructions below (found in the Year 1 instructions). Otherwise, keep reading for our tips on starting your tree from seed.

Although finding the right sapling can be as easy as heading down to your local nursery, you may also want to start your tree from the very beginning.

If you’d like to grow it from seed (or if your local nursery does not have any tulip trees available), consider using a product like this Tulip Poplar Tree Seed Grow Kit.

You may want to consider starting your tulip tree seed indoors, especially if you plan on starting it in the fall or winter. Starting it indoors will give it the best growing conditions, allowing it to germinate and thrive before it’s exposed to harsh outdoor conditions.

You can start your seed in a small pot with some potting soil, placing it near a window or under a grow light like the GooingTop LED Grow Light. Ensure the soil remains moist but not soaking wet. Once the seed sprouts and becomes a small seedling, it’s time to transplant it outdoors!

The U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station states that your seed will need to stay in temperatures 32-50 degrees for a period of 70-90 days in order to germinate. But once it does, you can easily replant it outside and watch it thrive.

When To Plant Your Tulip Tree

Whether you are planting a tiny seedling or a larger sapling, you’ll want to transplant it into the ground in spring. The exact timeframe is going to be based on your region’s typical final frost date.

You don’t want to risk planting too early. If a late frost occurs, it may damage your tree before it has a chance to get big and tall.

That’s why it’s best to plant in the early spring, but after the danger of any frost has passed.

Speaking of frost, there’s good news for those worried about whether their tulip tree will survive next winter.

The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment state that the yellow poplar is winter hardy to Zone 4. This means that the tulip tree can withstand winter temperatures for most of the United States, but may not survive without help in the very coldest areas.

When planning your planting time, you also don’t want to wait too long to plant your tree.

Getting it in the ground early in the season will ensure that the tree has plenty of time to grow and establish its roots before the weather gets cold and the tree’s active growing time is done.

Where To Plant Your Tulip Tree

Plant your tulip tree seedling in a large, open space with slightly acidic soil, where it will receive as much sunlight as possible during the day (at least 6 hours). You may want to consider testing it before planting by using a kit like the Luster Leaf Rapitest for Soil pH.

You’ll want to avoid planting too close to buildings, underground piping, or other structures.

Tulip trees can have widespread root systems that go as deep as three feet, and though your tulip tree is small now, eventually, it may grow as high as 120 feet tall with a root system three times that size!

Day 1 To 365: Becoming A Tulip Sapling

If you do choose to grow your tree from a seed, during the first year, you’ll see it grow taller, with plenty of additional branches and leaves. In fact, it may grow as much as three feet, leaving you with a beautiful growing sapling.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources defines a seedling as a young tree that is less than one inch in diameter and less than four and a half feet tall, while a sapling is less than five inches in diameter and less than four and a half feet tall.

This means that in the first year, your tree may quickly grow from seed to seedling to sapling and be well on its way to maturing and producing flowers.

Years 1 To 3: Encouraging Growth And Protecting From Pests

You’ll quickly find that your sapling has become a full tree in the second to third year of growth! 

During this time period, you should be focused on encouraging healthy growth by trimming dead branches in the fall and winter, as well as watching for signs of pests (like the appearance of chewed leaves or branches that fail to grow).

It’s also important to keep an eye out for excessive sap production, which may actually be a sign of aphid or tulip tree scale infestation. If you do think your tree has been infested, one study by the Annals of the Entomological Society of America shows that freezing conditions, ice, or other temperature extremes will often take care of the scale, so the arrival of winter may take care of your problem.

Although you have several years to go before your tulip tree will bloom, your tree will still make a beautiful supplement to your yard and garden.

Years 3 To 15: Waiting On Your Tulip First Blooms

After your seedling (or sapling) has grown, you may become impatient waiting on the first gorgeous spring blooms to appear. 

During this time, you may consider planting additional vegetation around the base of your tree or even planting another few tulip trees to create a tulip tree grove.

Now is also an excellent time to start shaping your tree, pruning back errant branches, and trimming it into the desired shape.

You’ll also want to take care of any diseased or damaged branches or limbs by trimming at the end of summer, in the fall, or in winter so as to not threaten your new trees next growing season.

Years 15 And On: Preparing For The Long Haul

After your tree has fully matured, your primary responsibility is to keep it pruned and healthy.

You can do this by periodically checking the soil to ensure the proper pH and nutrients are being maintained near your tulip tree, as well as watering it during any time of drought.

Read on to hear more of our favorite tips on how to keep your tulip tree happy and healthy.

Here’s The Best Time To Prune Your Tulip Tree

The best time to prune your tulip tree is not during the growing season in spring or summer but after leaves drop in fall or winter.

This is because pruning can be stressful to your tree, so doing any major trimming in the winter lets the tree recover while it’s not trying to grow or fight off pests and disease.

If needed, you can do some small and minor pruning in late summer as well, without risking the health of the tree. But if possible, it’s best to save the big pruning projects for the off-season.

And, if you need to cut the tree back wholly (due to damage, pests, or other reasons), you’ll want to do it during the winter. The good news is that as long as the root system is intact, your tree will have a chance of growing back.

If you do end up cutting the tree down, don’t despair! The wood of tulip trees can be used for a variety of purposes, even to create timber for flooring or framing. 

In fact, tulip trees are also referred to as “canoe wood” because Native American tribes often used the yellow poplar to create dugout canoes.

If you’re curious to learn more facts about tulip trees, you can read about why tulip trees are considered hardwoods and not softwoods here.

Here’s How to Best Take Care of Your Tulip Tree

The best news of all is that a tulip tree is a low-maintenance tree, meaning that once your tree has grown, it usually requires little in the way of fertilizing or watering.

Give It Full Sun!

Tulip trees do best in an area with full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, although more is better) and with slightly acidic soil. Be sure not to build any structures or plant any other trees that may cast shade across your tulip tree.

Give Your Tulip Tree Lots Of Space

You’ll also want to avoid building anything nearby, as a tulip tree’s root system can be very widespread (several times the horizontal spread of the branches). In order to allow your tree to continue to grow, it’s best to give them plenty of space to spread out.

Keep An Eye On The Soil Ph Under The Tree

Tulip trees don’t require specific fertilizer but keep an eye out on the soil pH in the area surrounding the tree. Spotting signs of nutrition deficiency early and correcting any imbalances can help your tree live the best life possible.

Things like leaves curling or wilting, inconsistent coloring across leaves, or a scorched appearance can sometimes mean your tulip tree lacks certain minerals.

If you do notice some signs of a deficiency, you may want to try a product like Jobe’s Fertilizer Spikes. These pre-measured spikes can be placed in the ground surrounding the tree, providing nutrients and food for your yellow poplar all season long.

Maintain Deep Watering

As far as watering goes, you want to tread carefully between underwatering and overwatering.

If you under-water your tree, you risk affecting the growth and overall health rate of the tree. If you overwater, you expose the tree to a higher risk of disease and pests, which is a particular concern for tulip trees that are at risk for aphid and scale infestation.

A good rule of thumb is to check the top few inches of the soil underneath the tulip tree. If they feel really dry to the touch, the tree may need a good watering. 

You want the soil to be slightly moist but not soaked after you are done.

Be especially careful about two things in particular: letting your tulip tree become too dry or experiencing too much shade. One study by the International Society of Arboriculture showed that the tulip tree is often more intolerant of shade and drought than other similar species of tree.

That’s A Wrap!

Tulip trees grow from a seedling, maturing and producing their first blooms at fifteen years of age. But that’s just the beginning of their journey, as they continue to grow several feet a year until the natural end of their life cycle at 200 years old.

When properly maintained and provided for, tulip trees will add scent and beautiful flowers to your yard for generations to come.

References

Burns, Denver P., and David E. Donley. “Biology of the tuliptree scale, Toumeyella liriodendri (Homoptera: Coccidae).” Annals of the Entomological Society of America 63.1 (1970): 228-235.

Carter, David R., Robert T. Fahey, and Margaret B. Bialecki. “Tree growth and resilience to extreme drought across an urban land-use gradient.” (2013).

Gutierrez Ozuna, Ricardo. Population genetic differentiation, mating system, and effective population size of the tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Diss. Georgetown University, 2017.

Tulip trees are beautiful, large trees, with gorgeous blooms. They are commonly referred to as yellow poplar and white wood trees. But there is some controversy on if tulip trees are hardwood or softwood trees.

Tulip trees are hardwood trees because they have lobed shaped leaves and dry fruit. This leads tulip trees to being classified as angiosperms or flowering trees, which is why they fall into the hardwood category. Softwood trees are generally coniferous trees that bear pine cones or needles.

If you’ve ever seen a tulip tree flower, you’ll know it bears resemblance to a magnolia tree in bloom. Let’s get into the details as to why tulip trees are hardwoods and not softwoods.

What Is A Tulip Tree?

The tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, is also known as yellow-poplar, whitewood, and tulip poplar. Despite their name, tulip trees are part of the magnolia family and not a poplar. It is native to North America and has beautiful yellow blooms that resemble tulip flowers, it is also one of the largest native trees. 

The tulip tree is deciduous, meaning that it loses its leaves in the fall. The seeds are held in a cone-shaped casing, which sits upright on the branches. This seed casing is called a samara, which is just a dry fruit that bears seeds, specifically winged seeds.

It grows between 70-90 feet tall and 30-50 feet wide and has a fast growth rate with more than two feet of growth per year!

Tulip trees grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9 and grow well in moist and well-draining soil. It also grows well in acidic, loamy, sandy, and clayey soils. 

Additionally, this tree provides food in fall and winter for mammals and birds, and nectar in spring for hummingbirds. 

What Is A Hardwood Tree? 

So, what exactly is a hardwood tree? What does that even mean?

Despite the names hardwood and softwood, it has nothing to do with the hardness or softness of the wood. It has nothing to do with how weak or strong the wood is either. What hardwood and softwood refer to is the way the tree reproduces, which is characterized by angiosperms and gymnosperms.

A hardwood tree is a flowering, fruiting tree, or nut-bearing tree, also referred to as angiosperms. Angiosperms are the scientific classification of flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in fruit. 

Hardwood trees are found in temperate and tropical forests and can be both deciduous (in the temperate regions) and evergreen (in the tropical regions). An angiosperm tree is also a broad-leaved tree, unlike conifers, which have needle-like leaves. 

The broadleaf tree is a characterization of the group of trees that lose their leaves in the fall. These trees have leaves just like the name says and are flat leaves.

Additionally, hardwood trees are not always considered to have harder wood. They can be softer wood than some softwoods.

When trying to determine if a tree is a hardwood or softwood tree, we can look at a cross-section to help determine this. 

For more of a helping hand in hardwood tree identification, consider getting a field guide such as the Trees of The Central Hardwood Forest, or the Sibley Guide To Trees!

Hardwoods have wood that is porous and contains vessels. The vessel element within the wood contains the xylem, which is responsible for transporting water throughout the tree. 

The pores within the xylem are found in angiosperms but are lacking in gymnosperms, which makes it a distinguishing characteristic between hardwoods and softwoods. 

Hardwoods are used for things like tools, constructions, boats, furniture, and flooring. Because it is an extremely dense wood, it is hard to work with, resulting in its use in flooring and furniture. 

Hardwoods include oaks, maples, walnuts, and cherries, all of which are broad-leaf trees that don’t contain cones or needle-like leaves. 

You can determine that a tree is a hardwood and the species of hardwood tree based on their growth ring pore arrangement, which examines the size, distribution, and changes in the number of pores within a growth ring between earlywood and latewood. 

Earlywood is considered early springwood, produced in the early season, and latewood is considered autumn wood, produced late in the growing season. 

Hardwoods are classified into three groups based on their pore arrangement, unlike softwood. 

The following hardwood classifications help determine the species of tree:

• Ring-porous, which have pores that change between the earlywood and latewood, transitioning from small in the early season to large in the late season. This group consists of oak trees and elm trees.
  
• Semi-ring porous contain pores that transition between small and large within a growth ring, where pores are larger in earlywood, and generally smaller in the latewood, but do not have the distinct pattern of zoning that is seen in ring-porous species. This group consists of walnuts, pecans, and hickories.
  
• Diffuse-porous have the same size pores throughout their growth ring. This group consists of yellow poplars or tulip trees, gum trees, and maple trees.

You can learn more about hardwood trees in our article 10 Silver Oak Tree Uses (And What To Do With Yours)!

What Is A Softwood Tree?

As we said, the name softwood has nothing to do with the hardness or strength of the wood. So softwoods are anything but soft!

When compared to hardwoods, softwoods on the other hand are gymnosperms, which have unenclosed seeds. Gymnosperms are conifers, meaning they are cone-bearing plants. Softwood trees also have evergreen leaves, which are made up of needles or scale-like leaves.

Softwood trees lack pores in the xylem. Instead, they contain tracheids and resin canals, which are responsible for water transport, and resin transport. Tracheids and resin canals are lacking in hardwood trees.

Softwood trees are the source of 80% of the world’s timber used in construction and are also used for paper products. Softwood is also used for roofing, framing, furniture, doors, and windows because it is lighter in weight than hardwood. Softwood, when compared to hardwood, is also much easier to work with, which explains its various uses in windows and doors.

Softwoods include trees that we know to have needle-like leaves and cones. This includes trees like pines, firs, hemlocks, spruces, and cedars. 

Softwoods lack the vessel elements of pores and instead have what is called resin canals. Resin canals are ducts that produce resin to serve as a defense mechanism to insects. 

Aside from the bad taste of resin to insects, resin canals allow the resin to seep out and form a protective barrier to a damaged or attacked area of a tree. The resin forms a scab-like covering on these damaged areas.

These resin canals can look very similar to pores that are found in hardwood, so it can be hard to determine if a tree is softwood or hardwood based on this. However, resin canals are generally much smaller and can be seen in cross-sections of the trunk. These resin canals, unlike pores, are oftentimes found in the latewood of the growth ring instead of throughout.

Additionally, resin canals are not always present in softwoods. So you may not see any resin canals if the species is a fir, hemlock, cedar, redwood, bald cypress, or a yew. Softwood species that contain resin canals are pine, spruce, larch, and Douglas fir.

Like pores found in hardwood, resin canals are separated by size, from small to large resin canals that can help determine the species of softwood tree. 

All of the Pinus genus pine tree species, for example, have large resin canals. Spruce, larch, and Douglas fir on the other hand have small infrequent resin canals. And species like cedar, fir, hemlock, juniper, and yew lack resin canals. 

Also, softwoods have what are called tracheids, which can be used to determine the softwood species. Tracheids are measured by diameter and rated by their transition between earlywood and softwood.

In softwood, generally, tracheids are larger in the earlywood, which transitions to smaller in the latewood. The transition of tracheids is then described as being anywhere from gradual to abrupt, which is represented by light to slightly dark transition in the color of the wood, to an abrupt light to dark transition in the color of the wood.

If you are trying to grow a healthy softwood tree of your very own, consider getting some great equipment such as this AeroGarden Liquid Fertilizer, or this THANOS Tree Trimmer!

Is A Tulip Tree Hardwood Or Softwood?

Now that we’ve gone over the differences between hardwoods and softwoods, and exactly what a tulip tree is, let’s get into the question of the day: is a tulip tree hardwood or softwood?

What do you think it is? If you guessed hardwood, you’d be right!

The tulip tree has all the characteristic features of hardwood, the first being an angiosperm or flowering tree. The tulip tree bears large, yellow, and orange tulip-shaped flowers in the springtime. 

And like we just covered, tulip trees have a dry fruit, a samara, that covers and bears seeds, unlike that of a softwood, which has ‘naked’ or unenclosed seeds. 

Next, the tulip tree has four-lobed leaves, and not needle-like leaves, which distinguish the hardwoods from the softwoods. 

Lastly, tulip trees contain pores within their wood, unlike softwoods which lack these pores. 

If you want to make sure you can take care of your tulip trees, the Fiskars Chain Drive 7–16 Foot Extendable Pole Saw & Pruner is perfect for this! It is extendable to 16 feet so you can prune those high-up branches on your trees. You can also prune those branches that are 1.25 inches thick with this pole saw!

That’s A Wrap!

That’s all we have for today on just why tulip trees are hardwoods and not softwoods. 

Let’s recap what we covered in this article, like the differences between hardwoods and softwoods and why tulip trees are hardwoods.

Tulip trees are hardwood trees. Tulip trees are part of the flowering angiosperms fruit-producing trees. They fall into the hardwood category because they are flowering, unlike that softwood trees, which are coniferous trees that bear pine cones.

The tulip tree is deciduous, which means it loses its leaves in the fall. The seeds are contained in a casing, called a samara, which is just a dry fruit that bears seeds, unlike that of softwoods, which have ‘naked’ or unenclosed seeds.

Softwood trees lack pores in the xylem. Instead, they contain tracheids, which are responsible for water transport. Additionally, softwoods also contain resin canals, which are lacking in hardwoods.

Now knowing the difference between hardwoods and softwoods, it makes sense what trees are considered softwoods, like pines, and spruces. As we know that they contain resin canals, and are also needle, and cone-bearing.

Thanks for sticking around and learning why tulip trees are hardwoods and not softwoods!

If you want to learn more about hardwood trees, check out our article 4 Maple Trees That Produce The Most Helicopter Seeds!

References

Busing, R. T. (1995). Disturbance and the population dynamics of Liriodendron tulipifera: simulations with a spatial model of forest succession. Journal of Ecology, 45-53.

Han, Si Ho, Ji Young An, Jaehong Hwang, Se Bin Kim, and Byung Bae Park. “The effects of organic manure and chemical fertilizer on the growth and nutrient concentrations of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera Lin.) in a nursery system.” Forest Science and Technology 12, no. 3 (2016): 137-143.

Kim, Y. H., Lee, S. M., Lee, H. W., & Lee, J. W. (2012). Physical and chemical characteristics of products from the torrefaction of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). Bioresource technology, 116, 120-125.

Park, Jongsun, Yongsung Kim, and Mi Kwon. “The complete mitochondrial genome of tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera L.(Magnoliaceae): intra-species variations on the mitochondrial genome.” Mitochondrial DNA Part B 4, no. 1 (2019): 1308-1309.

Zwieniecki, Maciej A., Lucy Hutyra, Matthew V. Thompson, and N. Michele Holbrook. “Dynamic changes in petiole specific conductivity in red maple (Acer rubrum L.), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) and northern fox grape (Vitis labrusca L.).” Plant, Cell & Environment 23, no. 4 (2000): 407-414.