Why do we call the American Tulip Tree a Tulip Poplar or Yellow Poplar? When in fact it is more closely related to the Magnolias and not at all to the true Populus poplars.

Try looking at this.



Kind of looks like an aspen doesn’t it?

…. No …..I’ve never wondered about that lol

It's the shape of the leaf....looks like a tulip.

That's the tulip part but what about the poplar part when it's not really a poplar.

An aspen is a type of poplar.

Keith

That it is. But at a distance they look similar to tulip, tall light colored stem with yellow/gold fall color. My working theory is why tulip got poplar hung on it.

I don’t know about your area, but around here, they develop flowers in the spring that resemble tulips. I figured that’s why they were called tulip poplars.

Oh come on, this isn't the type of question that keeps you awake at night???

Tulip poplars do well on my end of the state, but don't grow here without being planted. In South East, Ohio, tulip poplars grow in the wild. Twenty some years ago, I planted some at my mom's house, that are spectacular now. A friend of mine has some that he planted too. I love how straight tulip poplars are. I have a 16' stickered bunk of tulip poplar and beech in my barn, that I should do something with, that's dried in there since 2012. It's 9/4 to 10/4 thick.

Keith

The Y. Pop I know grows tall, straight,
and splits easy with an axe.
If air drying, cups and warps.

The Tul. Pop is harder, needs hydros or a young girl
for processing. And burns better.
The Rainbow slabs command big money
IF you find the buyer.

Two different color saw dust.
No doubt youns milage will vary.

as far as i know, they are both the same species, WB...Liriodendron tulipifera

Indiana’s first state forester, Charles Deam, had a personal mission to get everyone to call it “Tulip tree”.

There's an old boy over here that
calls them cottonwoods. Clear as mud.

I may be seeing the same species in
drastically different growing conditions.

A Penn St guy comes around twice a year.
I've "unlearned" a lot from him.


First snow right now.

confusion around common names is why foresters use scientific names when talking among themselves.

I think you're right about different growing conditions...makes sense to me.

I agree

Eastern Cottonwod is our only native poplar down south and it is never called poplar. Matter of fact many have no idea that cottonwood is a poplar unless they've done some basic botany.

The trees normally grow straight and tall. Very good self pruners. And the wood is good for lots of different construction materials.

Makes a great honey here.

The Tul I had, grew within 50 yards of an older
"Big Leaf Maple". Bloom times were real close
and many experts confused the two.

Do beaver like it? That would be the important thing…