OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Magnoliids: Magnoliales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera   FAMILY Magnoliaceae   Go to FSUS key



INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Liriodendron tulipifera   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Liriodendron tulipifera var. obtusiloba

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Liriodendron tulipifera

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)

Liriodendron tulipifera

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 080-01-001:

Liriodendron tulipifera   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Liriodendron tulipifera

 

COMMON NAME:
Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Trees You Want to Know (Peattie, 1934); illustration by F.A. Michaux    dcp34_p34a

        

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm191222_2355_l_tulipife

    Clay County    AL

Cheaha State Park

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_384

        

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_litu_001_lvd

        

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_litu_012_lvd

        

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm0301a_10a

January    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm0401b_20

January    Pickens County    SC

Jocassee Gorges

Bark light gray & smooth on young trunks w black V markings below branches, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm090109_009

January    Greenville County    SC

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Gill Newberry    gn02_l_tulipifera_fruit

February        

Lowermost scales of the conelike upright fruit persist through winter, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Gill Newberry    gn02_l_tuliplifera_branch

February        

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm100314_031

March    Decatur County    GA

Old bark is thickly ridged and furrowed, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm230322_1925

March    Oconee County    SC

Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_l_tulipifera_2

March        

Mature bark gray to brown, with narrow ridges, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Alan S. Weakley    asw_760412349021670

April        SC

Jocassee Gorges

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm0104c_08a

April    Greenville County    SC

Every leaf on this particular tree is missing the lower lobes.

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm0204f_07

April    Greenville County    SC

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm120429_896

April    Greenville County    SC

The flower's many stamens and pistils are spirally arranged, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm120429_900

April    Greenville County    SC

Sepals 3, reflexed. Petals 6, in two rows, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm160422_034

April    Sevier County    TN

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Old bark...

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm220421_7173

April    Pickens County    SC

Nine Times Forest

Note what looks like white to silver-white chalk dust in the channels & depressions of the bark, per Identifying Trees: An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America (Williams, 2007).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_l_tulipifera4211

April    Floyd County    GA

Coosa River Nature Center

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    s000427_g

April    Greenville County    SC

Broadly notched leaves with 4-6 lobes, per Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    s040405_a

April    Greenville County    SC

Twigs bear large terminal buds with 2 glabrous, valvate scales, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm200522_5154

May    Transylvania County    NC

Mature leaves of fertile branches large, 4-8-lobed (sun lvs), terminal lobes acute to acuminate, per Weakley's Flora (2023).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Keith Bradley    kab_l_tulipifera_73546

May    Jackson County?    NC

Nantahala National Forest

Trees grow almost 20 yrs before flowering, then can flower for 200 yrs, per Teaching the Trees (Maloof, 2007).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_l_tulipifera

May        

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_l_tulipifera_3

May        MA

Arnold Arboretum

The flowers must pollinated within 24 hours after opening or no seeds, per Teaching the Trees (Maloof, 2007).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_l_tulipifera_5

May        

Flowers showy, tulip-shaped, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm0207c_01

July    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm230720_4662

July    Greenville County    SC

Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve

interesting how the roots find their way through the rocks...

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Gill Newberry    gn08_liriodendron_bark

August        

Young trunks smooth, thin, gray, often w white striping as furrows develope, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Paul Thompson    pstliriodendron_tulipife

September?        

Note that the stipule scars encircle the twig. — Clemson Extension

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_l_tulipifera_1

October        

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Gill Newberry    gn11_l_fall_color

November        

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm0311d_01

November    Jackson County    NC

Roadside

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

JK Marlow    jkm0411b_22

November    Haywood County    NC

Roadside

image of Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera, Tulip-tree, Yellow Poplar, Whitewood

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_l_tulipif_1_bark

December    Floyd County    GA

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Liriodendron tulipifera   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Liriodendron tulipifera var. obtusiloba

INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Liriodendron tulipifera var. tulipifera

INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Liriodendron tulipifera

INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Liriodendron tulipifera

INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 080-01-001:
Liriodendron tulipifera   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Liriodendron tulipifera

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

849

Tree
Perennial

Habitat: Mesic forests, cove forests in the Mountains to at least 1500m in elevation, bottomland forests and swamps, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Greenish-yellow with orange blotch
Radially symmetrical
3 sepals
6 petals
Numerous stamens
Bisexual

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Samara

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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