Quick Facts
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Height at Maturity: 80-120 Feet
Usage: Vibrant Foliage, Shade Tree, Pollinator & Wildlife, Reforestation
Shipped As: Bare-root
Planting Zones: 4-9
Product Details
Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), also called tulip tree, is a fast-growing native with cup-shaped flowers high in the crown and leaves that turn gold in fall. It is not a true poplar, since it belongs to the magnolia family. We ship tulip poplar trees bare-root in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes, in packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500, for shade, large lawns, wildlife and reforestation.
Tulip Poplar Size, Zones and Sun
At full size a tulip poplar is 80 to 120 feet tall and 30 to 60 feet wide, oval to pyramidal, and it grows fast. Six or more hours of sun is the target, although it copes with some shade, and it is hardy in zones 4-9. Acidic loam with good drainage is the match, and it puts up with wet soil and a short dry spell.
Flowers, Leaves and Fall Color
The fragrant cups are 1 to 3 inches wide, yellow-green with an orange band near the base, and they open from May to early June after the leaves are out, high in the crown. Each leaf has four lobes and spans 3 to 8 inches, glossy green above and paler beneath. By fall the foliage goes gold. Brown winged fruits ripen in September and October, and many stay on the branches into winter.
Tulip Poplar and Pollinators
Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and cedar waxwings take nectar from the blooms. Eastern tiger swallowtail, spicebush swallowtail and viceroy caterpillars feed on the leaves, and birds nest in the branches. Deer and squirrels eat sprouts, buds and seeds. For a mixed planting, see our ideas for native companions in a shade planting.
Good to Know About Tulip Poplar
We tell buyers tulip poplar likes cool, loose ground. Heat, drought or compacted soil can make leaves yellow and drop early. The wood is weak, so ice and wind can snap limbs, shallow roots make it hard to grow other plants underneath, and rabbits chew the bark and buds of young trees. Use our list of trees for sun and part shade sites to choose where it goes.
Tulip Poplar Sizes, Packs and Shipping
Tulip poplar trees ship bare-root in November, in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes and packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500. Volume pricing available. Browse more trees for sale in our wholesale collection.