Tulip Tree (Yellow-poplar)

The principal herbivore of tulip trees is the aphid, a small insect that can be seen feeding on the underside of leaves. Aphids have sucking mouthparts, which they use to extract plant juices from the leaf. It is estimated that they consume 10% of a tree’s energy. Aphids partially digest these plant juices, excreting a sugary substance called honeydew. (It appears as a sticky film and is sweet to the taste.) Ants feed on honeydew, and can be seen making trips up and down the trunk of the tree, and on the leaves themselves. A decomposer called black sooty mold, similar to the mold on bread soon colonizes honeydew. Finally, birds of many types are frequently seen flying into the canopy of tulip trees to feed on the many types of insects (and their eggs) that are attracted to the emerging food chain.

The seeds of tulip tree occur in cone-like clusters that ripen in the fall.  Some of the tuliptree seeds persist through the winter and are of special value for this reason. Although seeds are usually very abundant, they are only a moderate value to wildlife.