Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree)
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree)
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$30 minimum per species for seed.
$30 minimum per species for seed.
Each species requires a minimum of $30 of seed to proceed with checkout.
Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) refers to the percentage of a seed lot that consists of the desired species and is viable (capable of germination).
Here's why PLS is crucial for native seeds:
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Accurate Planting:
- PLS helps determine the actual number of viable seeds in a given weight or volume of seed.
- This ensures you plant the correct amount of seed to achieve the desired density and success rate.
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Cost-Effectiveness:
- By knowing the PLS, you can avoid overspending on seed that may not germinate.
- This is especially important for native seeds, which can be more expensive than some cultivated varieties.
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Weed Control:
- PLS helps minimize the presence of weed seeds within the seed lot.
- This reduces competition for resources and ensures the successful establishment of the desired native plants.
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Ecological Restoration:
- Using high-quality native seeds with a high PLS is essential for successful ecological restoration projects.
- It helps to re-establish diverse and resilient plant communities that support local wildlife.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Tulip tree develops fairly quickly and can become exceptionally tall. Choose a spacious, permanent site with fertile soil rather than judging its needs by a young tree's narrow outline.
For Liriodendron tulipifera, choose full to partial sun and mesic soil. Recorded habitats include mesic woods; Lower wooded slopes; Protected wooded valleys. Reported height: 80-120 ft.
Its below-ground structure is described as taproot. Choose the permanent location with that root structure and the mature size in mind. Planning the surrounding space at planting time reduces the need to reorganize an established bed later.
Plant specifications & ecological relationships
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Full to partial sun |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Mesic |
| Height | 80-120 ft |
| Bloom season | Late spring |
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Long, straight trunk; young open-grown trees have pyramidal crowns that become more oval with age |
|---|---|
| Root form | Taproot |
| Soil pH | NC State lists acidic soil conditions; no optimal numeric interval is established. |
| Cultivation hardiness zones | Zones 4a–9b (NC State cultivation guidance) |
| Drought tolerance | Low |
| Deer browsing | White-tailed deer browse twigs and foliage. |
| Salt tolerance | Low |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Liriodendron tulipifera |
|---|---|
| Other common names | tulip tree; Canary Whitehood; Canoewood; North American Whitewood; Tulip Poplar; Tulip Tree; Western Poplar; Whitewood; Yellow Poplar; Yellow-Poplar |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as required; duration is not specified. |
| Plant family | Magnoliaceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 14000 |
Plant characteristics
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree) is one of my favorite trees with its majestic 4'-6' mature tree trunk, lush green foliage, pyramid shape, relatively fast growth, showy tulip-like flowers, and its golden-yellow fall color! It is one of the largest native trees in North America and is a member of the magnolia family. Tulip Tree can be used as a large shade tree, a specimen tree, and if given enough soil and canopy space and the correct conditions a street tree. However, this tree is not very tolerant of salt so avoid busy streets with high salt use. This is a unique and exotic (but native) tree indeed!
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
| Wetland indicator — NWPL 2022 Midwest | FACU |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 5 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Mississippi; Missouri; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Tennessee; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates
Other documented plant associations
These published associations show how this plant fits into natural vegetation. The region and community are identified for each list; moisture, shade and flooding can differ within a community.
Mixed mesophytic forest canopy
Eastern United States; range-wide synthesis
Lower ravine slopes
Central Kentucky
Central hardwood forests; different stand types
Central part of the American hornbeam range
Southern mixed-hardwood and loblolly-pine forests
Southern part of the American hornbeam range
Other regional plant communities
These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.
- Submesic oak forest (South Carolina coastal plain): Geranium maculatum.
- Forest canopy and understory associates (Eastern North America; account synthesis): Geranium maculatum.
- Woodland canopy and ground flora (Eastern North America; account synthesis): Osmorhiza claytonii.
- Black-cherry and maple forest (Allegheny Plateau and Mountains): Prunus serotina.
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife
Caterpillars & other plant-feeding insects
This plant has published caterpillar host records for the butterflies and moths listed below. These are larval feeding relationships, separate from adult nectar visits. The records span a North American literature compilation and do not establish that every insect occurs locally or uses only this plant.
Butterflies & skippers
- Papilio glaucus — Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Moths
- Paralobesia magnoliana
- Perimede erransella — Gray Perimede
- Zeuzera pyrina — Leopard Moth, Wood Leopard (listed as introduced in the source)
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for Tulip Tree?
Liriodendron tulipifera performs best in partial sun to full shade with dry to mesic conditions. It thrives in authentic regional soil types ranging from sandy loam to well-drained clay loams.
How do I germinate and establish Tulip Tree from seed?
Seed of Liriodendron tulipifera has a germination code of C(60). For best results, sow seed in late fall/winter for natural outdoor freeze-thaw stratification, or cold-moist stratify in refrigeration for 30 to 60 days before spring indoor propagation.
Is Tulip Tree deer and herbivore resistant?
Yes. Native plants adapted to Midwestern habitats naturally produce protective secondary compounds and fibrous textures that make them highly resistant to deer, rabbits, and other grazing herbivores.
When should I expect Tulip Tree to emerge and bloom?
Established plants break dormancy in spring as soil temperatures warm, developing vigorous foliage before blooming in their seasonal window to provide vital nectar when native pollinators need it most.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Chicago-region assessment: Wilhelm & Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region, via Kenneth Johnson’s Universal FQA dataset (2018). Chicago-region native status is separate from U.S. nativity.
The C-value and Chicago-region native status shown here also agree with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chicago Region FQA dataset (2017), distributed through the USACE/ERDC fqadata package under CC0.
Flora of the Chicago Region (2017) records this taxon as native in the Chicago region.
The state list describes native botanical distribution. It does not establish county nativity or occurrence, suitability for every site, or the origin of the plants and seeds offered here. An unlisted state is not proof of absence.
Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.
State and county nativity: The state list uses WCVP records marked native, excluding introduced, extinct and doubtful records. County nativity has not yet been verified for this listing. Presence in a county or preserve does not establish nativity there.
Documented plant associations: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service — american hornbeam; black maple. Regions and community contexts are retained in the lists above. Federal botanical facts summarized in original wording; no photographs reproduced.
Available Flora-linked Chicago assessments remain controlling. These regional ecology accounts supplement evidence not available for direct reuse from the Flora; they are not represented as Chicago Flora association lists.
Plant communities: USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System (FEIS): Geranium maculatum; Osmorhiza claytonii; Prunus serotina. Selected association facts regrouped in original wording; regional scope retained. No source photographs or captions reproduced.
Caterpillar host records: Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025), Lepidoptera of North America, Supplement 1. Contains information from this database made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Natural Communities selected species-level records and screened source qualifications. The complete selection and transformation instructions for this page are available below under the same license.
C-value source: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), Universal FQA database 80. Matched source taxon: Liriodendron tulipifera. Exact.
Sources checked September 5, 2026. Regional assessments and growing observations apply to their stated settings. Unverified fields are omitted; missing information does not mean an ecological relationship is absent.
- Illinois Wildflowers — John Hilty. Limited botanical facts presented in Natural Communities’ own wording. Source-specific observations retain their stated scope; photographs, original descriptive prose and compiled relationship tables are excluded. Supports: Bloom Season; Deer Resistance; Height; Opening botanical description; Primary Native Habitats; Root Architecture & Depth; Soil Moisture Range; Spread Habit; Sun Exposure; Sunlight Exposure.
- Universal FQA — Flora-linked Chicago database 80. Taxonomic names, family and regional nativity originally checked against Kenneth Johnson’s Flora-linked database 80 (2018), citing Wilhelm & Rericha (2017). Limited factual identification only; the C-value follows this Flora-linked database wherever an exact or documented synonym match is available. Supports: Alternate Common Names; Botanical Name; Chicago-region native status; Plant Family.
- USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Retained for comparison; the displayed C-value follows Flora database 80.
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Limited botanical facts presented in Natural Communities’ own wording. Source-specific observations retain their stated scope; photographs, original descriptive prose and compiled relationship tables are excluded. Supports: Alternate Common Names; Soil pH Range; USDA Hardiness Zones.
- USDA NRCS PLANTS — taxon profile and characteristics. USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, checked September 5, 2026. Numeric and categorical taxon-level facts only; no photographs or third-party guide prose reproduced. Supports: Drought Tolerance; Germination Code; Salt Tolerance; Seeds per pound — USDA reference estimate.
- USACE National Wetland Plant List 2022 — Midwest. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2022 National Wetland Plant List, Midwest region; effective February 13, 2024. Federal data. Supports: Wetland Indicator Status.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
Historical botanical names remain visible where used by the source. These regional accounts supplement the available Chicago Flora evidence.
Reusable research data
{"title":"Natural Communities selected host records for Liriodendron tulipifera","source":"Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025). Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. Supplement 1.","source_doi":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1261.160796.suppl1","download":"https://binary.pensoft.net/file/1478226","source_sha256":"250a11ec19c89f81374af3bc632f6897491cbe540edb09ccdaf298dc73bf9472","license":"ODbL-1.0","license_url":"https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/","method":"Complete machine-readable selection and alteration file under ODbL section 4.6(b). In source worksheet UDELep May 2025, select only rows whose column A UDLepID appears in selection. Each selection entry contains [retained source plant names, selected insect IDs]. Create one record per selected ID and retained plant name; these are reported larval hosts. Scientific insect name is the first two whitespace-separated tokens of column H; common name is E; source category is AB. Other source fields are unchanged and are not part of this derived table. No other rows or host pairs are used on this page. Group Butterfly and Skipper categories together, and other categories as moths; retain exotic category labels. Display names are sorted by scientific insect name.","plant":"Liriodendron tulipifera","scope":"Host literature synthesis; no county nativity or local insect occurrence inferred.","selection":[[["Liriodendron tulipifera"],["209314","209371","209757","213041"]]]}
Plant Shipping & Care
Plant Shipping & Care
We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.
As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.
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Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
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- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Shipments
- Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
- Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
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- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed Shipping & Care
There is a minimum order requirement of $30 for each seed species. Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed.
We have attempted to put together some basic information regarding native seed installation, establishment, and maintenance. We hope you find it helpful. If you need further assistance on native seed establishment, please schedule a free consolation call here.
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