Tulip Tree State Tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee

The state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee is the Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera). This prized tree is also knows as yellow-poplar, blue-poplar, tulip-poplar, tulip magnolia, whitewood, and yellow wood. The tulip tree is found in states from Maine to Florida and from Illinois to Texas. Valued as a hardwood tree, the fast growing tulip tree can reach 100-165 feet high. Older trees can have a diameter of 10 feet.

These handsome deciduous trees prefer full sun and well-drained rich soil that is slightly acidic. They are popular in landscapes as a specimen tree because of their shapely appearance and well formed leaves and flowers, both of which resemble a tulip flower. The summer leaves are a clear green that become golden yellow in the fall.

The tulip tree is well suited for larger residential landscapes and parks. The mature tree is quite tall with a massive trunk and pyramidal canopy. The flowers are not a major feature since they tend to be more populous at the upper reaches of the branches.

The flowers appear from April through June depending on the climate zone. The flowers are green or yellow, sometimes a chartreuse, and have red and orange markings. The flowers are mostly upright in a cup shape and are a favorite of bees that make a honey valued by bakers. The nectar will also attract hummingbirds. The tree is a favorite breeding site for the larva of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, a colorful yellow and black butterfly with blue and red markings on the lower back wings.

The tulip tree is harvested for construction grade lumber. It is used in cabinets and is fabricated as a veneer. Early people used the tree's inner bark as a remedy for worms, arthritis, coughs, and cholera.

The saplings and seeds from the tulip tree are not a favorite of local wildlife. Deer and cattle will eat the young trees. Birds such as bobwhites, purple finches, cottontails, as well as squirrels and mice will eat the seeds that are dispersed in the fall.

Trees are propagated from both seeds and cuttings. They germinate easily. The roots are easily damaged and care should be taken during transplanting.

The tulip tree has few predators. Both scale and weevil will attack the stems. The borer and timber beetle will burrow in the tree and allow an entry point for diseases.

Sources
Liriodendron tulipifera, US Forest Service, http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/lirtul/all.html
Liriodendron tulipifera, University of Connecticut, http://www.ipm.uconn.edu/Plants/l/lirtul/lirtul1.html
Liriodendron tulipifera, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LITU