Tulip tree

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade, but develops its best crown and autumn colour in sun.

Water

Moderate to high; prefers consistently moist soil and suffers in prolonged drought.

Soil

Deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Avoid shallow, compacted, persistently waterlogged or very dry ground.

Height

60-90 ft (18-27 m), occasionally taller

Spread

30-50 ft (9-15 m)

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; greenish-yellow, cup-shaped flowers with an orange band near the base of each petal.

Foliage

Large, bright green, four-lobed leaves with a distinctive squared-off or notched tip; usually turn golden yellow in autumn.

Growth

Fast when young in moist, fertile soil.

Care needed

Medium

• Plant while dormant in a broad space with room for the mature crown and roots; keep the root flare at soil level.
• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two or three growing seasons, and water established trees during prolonged drought.
• Spread a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) layer of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Avoid routine feeding on fertile soil; use a soil test before adding fertiliser to a poorly growing tree.
• Stake only if the root ball is unstable, use flexible ties and remove the support once roots have anchored, usually within one growing season.

Pruning. Prune young trees in late winter while dormant to retain one main leader and remove crossing or poorly attached branches. Avoid topping or heavy pruning; have an arborist assess large limbs, storm damage or structural defects.

Late autumn

Plant container-grown trees after leaf fall where the soil remains workable; delay planting until spring in very cold districts.

Late winter

Check young trees for competing leaders and make small formative pruning cuts before growth starts.

Spring

Refresh mulch, check stake ties and begin watering newly planted trees as the soil dries.

Late spring

Look for flowers on mature trees and inspect shoots and leaf undersides for aphids or scale.

Summer

Water deeply during extended dry weather; early yellowing and leaf drop can indicate drought stress.

Autumn

Collect fallen leaves for leaf mould and inspect the crown for dead or damaged branches.

• Use as a specimen in a large lawn, allowing the broad mature crown to develop without repeated pruning.
• Plant in spacious parkland or estate gardens for a tall canopy and strong golden autumn colour.
• Use at the edge of a large woodland garden, with shade-tolerant shrubs and groundcovers beneath the developing canopy.
• Include in eastern North American native woodland planting with oaks, flowering dogwood and spicebush.

Garden styles it suits: Grand estate, Woodland, Autumn colour, Wildlife garden, English manor and New England.

Plant it with: Flowering dogwood, Eastern redbud, Spicebush, Oakleaf hydrangea, Christmas fern and Wild ginger.

Wildlife: Flowers supply nectar and pollen to bees and other insects. Seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, and the foliage supports caterpillars, including eastern tiger swallowtails within their North American range.

• Aphids can produce sticky honeydew and black sooty mould. Encourage ladybirds and other predators, avoid excess nitrogen and wash reachable infestations off young trees with water.
• Tuliptree scale appears as swollen bumps on twigs and can cause honeydew and dieback. Have the pest identified and time any locally approved treatment to its vulnerable crawler stage; large trees need professional assessment.
• Drought can cause leaf scorch, premature yellowing and summer leaf drop. Water slowly over the root area and maintain mulch rather than feeding the stressed tree.
• Verticillium wilt can cause branch-by-branch wilting and dieback. Seek a diagnosis, remove dead wood and reduce water stress; there is no reliable cure, and severely affected trees may need removal.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is commonly recognised as a serious poisoning hazard, but leaves, bark and seeds are not intended as food, and eating plant material can cause stomach upset.

• Chinese tulip tree (Liriodendron chinense)

  Has similar squared-off leaves, usually with deeper side lobes; its flowers lack the conspicuous orange petal band typical of American tulip tree.

• Saucer magnolia (Magnolia × soulangeana)

  Sometimes called a tulip tree, but it is usually much smaller, with oval, unlobed leaves and large pink, purple or white flowers that open before or with the leaves.

Liriodendron means 'lily tree' and tulipifera means 'tulip-bearing', referring to the flowers; despite the names tulip poplar and yellow poplar, it belongs to the magnolia family.

Propagation. Grow from seed collected from mature cone-like seed heads; seeds need a period of cold, moist stratification, and many are empty or fail to germinate. Named cultivars are usually propagated by grafting to preserve their characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Liriodendron tulipifera

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maryland.

Measured

Soil pH 4.5 to 6.5. Average height 2530 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.