Quick Facts
Exposure: Full Sun
Height at Maturity: 70-100 Feet
Usage: Flowering
Shipped As: Bare-root
Planting Zones:
Product Details
Few native hardwoods put on height as quickly as tulip poplar. Our tulip poplar seedlings (Liriodendron tulipifera), also sold as yellow poplar or tulip tree seedlings, are bare root and dormant-lifted in Tennessee, the state that claims this tree as its official state tree. Timber growers, reforestation contractors, beekeepers and landscape firms buy them by the bundle for straight-stemmed hardwood stands and fast shade.
Why Timber and Reforestation Buyers Choose Yellow Poplar
Tulip poplar grows a tall, arrow-straight trunk with very little lower branching, which makes it one of the most valuable fast-rotation hardwoods in the eastern United States. On deep, moist soils, young trees commonly add 2 to 3 feet of height per year. That speed helps reforestation crews close canopy sooner, shade out competing growth and reach free-to-grow status ahead of slower species.
Specifications
- Botanical name: Liriodendron tulipifera
- Common names: Tulip poplar, yellow poplar, tulip tree, whitewood
- Family: Magnoliaceae (magnolia family)
- Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 9
- Mature height: 70 to 100 feet, 30 to 50 feet wide
- Growth rate: Fast
- Light: Full sun
- Soil: Deep, moist, well-drained loam; slightly acidic
- Flowers: Tulip-shaped, yellow-green with an orange band, late spring
- Fall color: Clear golden yellow
- Grades offered: 6-12 inch, 12-18 inch, 6-24 inch row run
- Bundles: 100, 500, 1,000
A Nectar Tree for Pollinators and Honey
Each tulip-shaped bloom holds a generous amount of nectar, and beekeepers prize tulip poplar as a major spring honey source that yields a dark, rich honey. The tree is also a host plant for the eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, and ruby-throated hummingbirds visit the flowers. In fall, the winged seeds feed finches, cardinals and squirrels.
Recommended Spacing
| Use | Spacing | Seedlings per acre |
|---|---|---|
| Timber or reforestation | 8 x 8 ft | About 680 |
| Mixed hardwood restoration | 10 x 10 ft | About 435 |
| Shade or park planting | 35 to 40 ft | Under 40 |
Best Sites
Tulip poplar excels on coves, lower slopes, stream terraces and old fields with deep, well-drained soil and full sun. These are the same sites where it dominates natural Appalachian forests. It is a strong choice for riparian buffer uplands, highway reforestation and large commercial grounds that need shade quickly.
Plant It With
Build a classic Appalachian cove mix with white oak, sugar maple and American beech, or underplant with redbud seedlings for spring bloom. See all species in our bulk seedling collection and our roundup of top wholesale seedlings for landscape projects.
Questions Buyers Ask About Tulip Poplar Seedlings
How fast do tulip poplar seedlings grow?
On good sites, tulip poplar commonly grows 2 to 3 feet a year once established, making it one of the fastest native hardwoods.
Is yellow poplar the same tree as tulip poplar?
Yes. Yellow poplar, tulip poplar and tulip tree all refer to Liriodendron tulipifera, a member of the magnolia family.
How old are tulip poplars when they first bloom?
Trees grown in full sun usually begin flowering in 7 to 15 years.
What soil is best for tulip poplar?
Deep, moist, well-drained and slightly acidic soil in full sun produces the fastest growth.
When are tulip poplar seedlings shipped?
Seedlings ship bare root and dormant in November. Planting help is on our planting instructions page.
Grown in Tennessee Since 1959
Our tulip poplars come from the 170-acre Altamont, Tennessee farm that Roscoe Tate founded in 1959, now operated by the same family as the wholesale division of TN Nursery. Plants from our fields have been supplied for Arlington National Cemetery. Seedlings are packed with a Terra-Sorb hydrogel root treatment in sealed bundles (see how we package our plants). Ordering every season? Open a trade account.