Scientific name: Liriodendron tulipfera
Common name: tulip poplar
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the eastern and southeastern United States [1,3].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for L. tulipfera.
USDA Zones: 5A-9A [2]
Maximum age: May reach a maximum age of 300 years, but typically lives to between 200-250 years [3].
Ecology: The fruits and seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, and the twigs are browsed by deer [1,3]. It hosts a number of large saturniid moths, including the luna moth (Actias luna) and the cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), as well as two species of swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus and Papilio troilus) [5].
Ethnobotany: Its large stature, unusual, colorful flowers, and shiny green leaves make it a desirable ornamental [1,3]. The Cherokee and Rappahannock use the tree for a variety of medicinal purposes, including as a pain reliever, and also use the tree as a source of fiber and building material [4].
