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The Beautiful Tulip Tree
With Spring here and plants blooming I’ve really started paying close attention to the different trees in my neighborhood. Recently I noticed, my beautiful Eastern Redbud tree in my front yard that blooms the most beautiful purple-pinkish flower in the Spring has a disease and the trunk is splitting. So my poor Redbud tree will have to be removed and I will have to replace it with a new tree.
Have you ever seen a Tulip Tree? After doing some research to determine how big a Tulip tree gets, as well as I always like to find out if the trees are pretty sturdy and not as prone to getting diseases etc… I put it in my list of possible replacements. Yes, I had to make a list or I would definitely forget all the names of the trees that I’ve loved.
In my research, I’ve learned a couple of things. Tulip trees grow extraordinarily tall and straight, with thick gray trunks and spreading roots. They get as tall as 100 feet, some even maturing to over 150 feet. The leaves and branches have a spread of forty feet. The tulip trees get their name both from the leaves and their flowers. You can expect to start seeing the blooms of this gorgeous tree mid to late May or early June after its leaves are developed.
Tulip tree wood is strong and versatile and has been used to make furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments and wood veneer. Did you know that the seeds of a Tulip tree are an important food source for wildlife such as finches, rabbits & squirrels? The Cherokee tribe used parts of the Tulip Poplar tree as medicine. They would treat parasitic worms, coughs, gastro distress, fever and snake bites.
I always like to look up what plants symbolize. I found out that Tulip trees symbolize Roots of Freedom. At the founding of this nation, tulip trees were often designated as gathering places in the towns and cities across the colonies.
After all my research while Tulip trees are gorgeous, I don’t think it would be good for my yard as they are very fast growers and can reach soaring heights. Definitely bigger than my Eastern Redbud I currently have. I’ll tell you though, if I had some space and land I would love to have quite a few of these beautiful tree on my land. Trees that bloom beautiful flowers always are my favorite!
