FNPS Plant Database

Liriodendron tulipifera

tulip-tree, yellow-poplar
  • Photo by: Eleanor Dietrich, Magnolia Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

tulip-tree, yellow-poplar

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Liriodendron tulipifera

Family:

Magnoliaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

70–100 ft tall by 50 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow, green

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms mid- to late spring. Fruits ripen in late spring. Yellow fall color. Life span 200+ years

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Large shade tree.

Considerations:

Not particularly wind tolerant as a stand-alone specimen because of brittle wood and shallow root system.

Availability:

Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Stays wet -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam, Organic

Soil pH:

Acidic to neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds

Larval host for eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) Attracts bees.

Provides cover for birds and mammals. Said to attract hummingbirds.

Native Habitats:

Mesic forests, 2nd bottom, upland hardwood forests

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

While its common name is tulip poplar, it is not related to poplars--it is a member of the magnolia family. Source of the name probably comes from the nature of the light-colored wood. Noted as a good honey plant. Its range in Florida appears to be disjunct. However, there is no reason to believe that this plant would cause issues if planted outside of that range. It is said not to perform well to the south of its range.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Beck, Donald E. (Undated). Liriodendron tulipifera.. ( https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/liriodendron/tulipifera.htm ). Accessed 2026. U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station, Asheville, NC.


Burns, Russell M, and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2025.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (2023). Plant Database: Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip tree). ( https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=litu ). Accessed 2026. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.


Minno, Marc, and Maria Minno. (1999). Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Traas, Pamela. (2001). Gardening for Florida's Butterflies. Great Outdoors Publishing Co, St. Petersburg, FL.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2026. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville, TN.


Watkins, John, and Thomas Sheehan. (1975). Florida Landscape Plants, Native and Exotic. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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