Tulip Tree

Liriodendron tulipifera

Basic Information:
The tulip tree, also known as the tulip poplar, and American tulip tree, can grow higher than 165 ft. These pictures came from two different trees, but both of which I found in my backyard. The larger one sure could have been a hundred and sixty-five feet, but the younger was probably seventy-five. The wood is light yellow to brown, and this specimen grows rather quickly. It is actually a part of the magnolia family, and not a poplar at all. The flower is yellow and/or orange and tulip shaped with six petals.

How Is It Used?

Settlers earlier on called the tulip tree wood "canoe wood" because, as it says in the nickname, it was often used to make boats and ships. In Virginia, sometimes the tulip tree is still called the "canoe tree" because Native Americans would make dugout canoes out of this wood.

Native Americans used the leaves for a poultice for sores and to make an ointment for inflammation. They also made a tea from the bark to reduce fever and help indigestion. Early colonists adopted the uses for this tree, and made a tincture of the root and bark to treat rheumatic fever.
The tulip tree was a popular choice by early pioneers for log homes because it is water and termite resistant. Log cabins made from tulip tree have been known to last over a hundred years.