FAMILY: MAGNOLIACEAE
ALTERNATE COMMON NAME: tuliptree, tulip-poplar
LEAVES: alternate, simple, deciduous; blades 4-6” long and broad, with 4 (-6) lobes; apex truncate or notched
FLOWER: perfect, superficially tulip-like, 1.5-2” across, with 6 green-yellow petals in two whorls, each petal with an orange spot
FRUIT: aggregate of samaras
TWIGS: stipule scars encircle twig (characteristic of Magnoliaceae); large, duck-billed terminal bud with 2 valvate scales
BARK: light gray and smooth when young; gray or light brownish gray and deeply furrowed, forming a diamond pattern, when older
FORM: fast growing, very large tree to 200’ tall and 3-4’ dbh; very straight clear bole
HABITAT: mostly in rich mesic forests; also in bayhead swamps
WETLAND DESIGNATION: Facultative Upland (FACU): Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Plain Region
RANGE: eastern US [USGS Range map]
USES: high value timber, wood used for furniture, veneer, cabinets, musical instruments, toys; wood easily worked; reportedly used by Native Americans and European settlers for dugout canoes; ornamental; tonic made from inner bark mainly of roots, for rheumatism, indigestion; various other medicinal uses
WILDLIFE: moderate whitetail deer browse, deer eat flower petals in spring; browsed by cottontail rabbits; squirrels and birds eat fruit
Best Recognition Features:
- large straight tree with gray bark that is smooth on younger trees and furrowed with diamond pattern on older trees
- unique leaf shape
- stipule scars encircling twigs
- yellow-green magnolia-like flowers
- diaphragmed pith
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