Tree Talk: Tuliptree
The false Poplar
If you ask Ken Fromknecht about his favorite tree, he'll always say "Tuliptree." Ken is what I consider a certified "tree guy," as well as a longtime member of both the Sierra Club in Erie and LEAF's ReLeaf Committee. He's so invested in trees that he hand-plants interesting and/or native tree species at his own home. Ken and I don't always see eye to eye on things like whether or not a Giant Sequoia belongs in his backyard, but he's got one thing absolutely right — the Tulip Poplar just might be one of the best native trees in our region.
Tulip Poplars are a scientifically sneaky class of tree — they're not a true poplar, which would belong to the willow family, but rather a member of the magnolia family. This is evidenced by the presence of large, green-and-orange, cup-shaped flowers found on the tree in late spring or early summer. These flowers may be responsible for the common name of the Tulip Poplar, but the tree also goes by "Yellow Poplar," "Tuliptree," and of course its scientific name, Liriodendron tulipifera.
The story goes that early colonial lumbermen called the tree poplar-related names because its heartwood resembles that of true poplars. The "tulip" part was surely added by scientists or botanists later on, due to either the tree's flowers or peculiar leaf shape. Before any of these names came about, however, multiple indigenous tribes had classified the tree as "canoewood" and titled it accordingly: Mùxulhemënshi in Lenape, meaning "tree from which canoes are made," and Tsiyu in Cherokee, meaning simply, "canoe."
Tulip Poplar's many names across time are relative to today's understanding of this magnificent tree, although I can't say I'm personally looking to build a canoe. Instead, I often tout the Tuliptree as a poster child for excellent urban trees. It grows strong, straight, and tall, without the pollen-y mess of a cottonwood or brittle branches of a nonnative ornamental (*cough, cough, the Bradford Pear*). It grows well in tandem with other native trees and can contribute to local biodiversity both as a street tree and in wooded areas. Its flowers are gorgeous little pieces of art, lime green blending like watercolor into orange and yellow. What's not to love?
If nothing else, the sturdiness of these trees speaks to their importance to urban canopy cover. With springtime winds in Erie wreaking havoc on our city's trees, I've noticed many of these Tulip Poplar flowers strewn about on the ground. I've also noticed that most if not all the Tuliptrees in the city are still standing strong despite the whippy weather. If strength isn't reason enough to adore these trees, they are also a host plant for the Tiger Swallowtail butterfly and hold the title of tallest hardwood trees in Eastern North America.
As I write this, I'm noticing the trees in full bloom in my neighborhood. All I have to do to see them is look up in the tree canopy for "tulips!"
For more information on Erie's Arboretum at LEAF, visit: leaferie.org
Hannah Rhodes can be reached at hannah@leaferie.org
