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Liriodendron ( Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607.) is a genus of two species of characteristically large trees, deciduous tree over most of their populations, in the magnolia family (Magnoliaceae).
These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their large flowers superficially resembling . It is sometimes referred to as tulip poplar or yellow poplar, and the wood simply as "poplar", although not closely related to the true Populus. Other common names include canoewood, saddle-leaf tree, and white wood.
The two extant taxon species are Liriodendron tulipifera, native plant to eastern North America, and Liriodendron chinense, native to China and Vietnam. Both species often grow to great size; the North American species may reach as much as in height. The North American species is commonly used horticulture, the Chinese species is increasing in cultivation, and hybrids have been produced between these two allopatry distributed species.
Various extinct species of Liriodendron have been described from the fossil record.
Leaves are slightly larger in L. chinense, compared to L. tulipifera, but with considerable overlap between the species; the petiole is 4–18 cm long. Leaves on young trees tend to be more deeply lobed and larger in size than those on mature trees. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow, or brown and yellow. Both species grow rapidly in rich, moist soils of temperate climates. They hybridize easily, producing L. x sinoamericanum cultivars.
are 3–10 cm in diameter and have nine — three green outer sepals and six inner petals which are yellow-green, with an orange flare at the base in L. tulipifera and L. x sinoamericanum. They start forming after around 15 years and are superficially similar to a tulip in shape, hence the tree's name. Flowers of L. tulipifera have a faint cucumber odor. The and are arranged spirally around a central spike or gynaecium; the stamens fall off, and the pistils become the samaras. The fruit is a cone-like aggregate of samaras 4–9 cm long, each of which has a roughly tetrahedral seed with one edge attached to the central conical spike and the other edge attached to the wing.
/ref>Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.). Liriodendron
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In the Appalachian cove forests, trees 150 to 165 ft in height are common, and trees from 166 to nearly 180 ft are also found. More Liriodendron over 170 ft in height have been measured by the Eastern Native Tree Society than for any other eastern species. The current tallest tulip tree on record has reached 191.9 ft, the tallest native angiosperm tree known in North America. The tulip tree is rivaled in eastern forests only by white pine, loblolly pine, and eastern hemlock. Reports of tulip trees over 200 ft have been made, but none of the measurements has been confirmed by the Eastern Native Tree Society. Most reflect measurement errors attributable to not accurately locating the highest crown point relative to the base of the tree—a common error made by the users employing only / when measuring height.
Maximum circumferences for the species are between 24 and 30 ft at breast height, although a few historical specimens may have been slightly larger. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the greatest population of tulip trees 20 ft and over in circumference. The largest-volume tulip tree known anywhere is the Sag Branch Giant, which has a trunk and limb volume approaching .
The genus name should not be confused with an extinct genus known only through fossils. That is Lepidodendron, which entails an important group of long-extinct in the phylum Lycopodiophyta that are well known Paleozoic Carboniferous fossils).
The wood of the North American species (called poplar or tulipwood) is fine grained and stable. It is easy to work and commonly used for cabinet and furniture framing, i.e. internal structural members and subsurfaces for Wood veneer. Additionally, much inexpensive furniture, described for sales purposes simply as "hardwood", is in fact primarily stained poplar. In the literature of American furniture manufacturers from the first half of the 20th century, it is often referred to as "gum wood". The wood is only moderately rot-resistant and is not commonly used in shipbuilding, but has found some recent use in light-craft construction. The wood is readily available, and when air dried, has a density around .
The name canoewood probably refers to the tree's use for construction of by eastern Native Americans, for which its fine grain and large trunk size is eminently suited.
Tulip tree leaves are eaten by the of some Lepidoptera, for example the eastern tiger swallowtail ( Papilio glaucus).
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