yellow-poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera
Yellow-poplar is a tall, fast growing, beautiful deciduous tree of eastern forests. Its name is a misnomer: it is not a poplar but a a relative of the magnolias. Yellow-poplar is valued for its soft, versatile wood, and typically straight, limb-free trunk.
Fall
Color.
Yellow-poplar wood is used for furniture, cabinets, veneer, plywood, and pulpwood.
The seeds are eaten by various species. Yellow-bellied sapsucker feeds on phloem tissue. Ruby- throated hummingbird consumes nectar from the flowers.
Clearcut and seed-tree methods work best to exploit yellow-poplar's fast growth and full-sun preference. Shelterwoods and group selections also work, but growth of saplings is compromised.
Fun facts
Yellow-poplar is tallest hardwood in North America. The tree's tulip-shaped greenish-yellow and orange striped flowers are very attractive and worth a second look. It is also a high nectar yielding honey tree.Liriodendron
Greek "leiron" (lily) and "dendron" (tree).
tulipifera
tulip-bearing.
2004 Virginia
Tech Forestry Department, all rights reserved. Text, images, and programming
by: Dr. Jeff Kirwan, Dr. John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson, Edward C. Jensen,
Guy Phillips, or Andrew
S. Meeks.
questions, comments, and criticisms: email John.Peterson@vt.edu