One of the tallest native hardwoods in eastern North America (reaching 200 feet in old-growth) with tulip-shaped greenish-yellow flowers (4-lobed leaves with notched tips give the species its name from the leaf shape, not just the flower). The canonical larval host for eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) per NC State, plus a major early-summer honey plant. Massive scale and weak wood make tulip tree unsuited to small lots — it's a tree for parks, woodlots, and naturalized areas.
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A documented larval host for the Eastern tiger swallowtail and 1 other species — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.
°C
°F
Cold hardiness
Future
2050
2100
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Well-suited
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
✓
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Future
2050
2100
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...
Where this plant fits
Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 40 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today. Best matches first.
Tall pyramidal-to-oval deciduous canopy tree with a straight central leader
Care tips
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Plant only where mature scale (80-120 feet tall) and weak-wooded storm-vulnerability are acceptable — NC State explicitly notes tulip tree is "Not recommended for small residential areas or street tree use."
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Water deeply through the first 5-7 seasons — the species is among the largest eastern hardwoods but also among the most drought-sensitive when young.
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Expect aphid honeydew + sooty mold on lower foliage under residential conditions — plan placement so the honeydew doesn't fall on cars, patios, or seating areas.
Lifecycle
Planting
Plant in spring or fall in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil in full sun. Tulip tree is sensitive to heat and drought stress per NC State; site where moisture is realistic and the trunk has space to develop a clean straight leader.
Transplanting
Transplant at small nursery sizes; older trees move poorly. Best moved in early spring before bud break.
Early growth
Among the fastest-growing eastern hardwoods — 2-3 feet per year through the first decade. Water deeply through dry spells; the species is "Sensitive to heat/drought" per NC State.
Maturity
Mature trees reach 80-120 feet tall and 30-60 feet wide in landscape settings; old-growth specimens (200+ years) can exceed 200 feet. First flowering at 10-15 years. Wood is "light, soft, and easily worked" but the species is "weak-wooded" and prone to limb breakage in storms.
Propagation
Seed propagation requires cold stratification; collected "tulip" cones release winged seeds that can be sown in fall in protected ground. Named cultivars ('Arnold', 'Fastigiatum', 'Little Volunteer') are propagated by grafting for sites where mature scale is a concern.
Pollination
Self-fertile
Perfect cup-shaped flowers (6 green-to-yellow petals with orange basal banding) are bee-pollinated and self-fertile. The flowers produce abundant nectar at the base of each petal — NC State notes the species is a meaningful honey-production resource, with "Yellow poplar honey" recognized as a regional product across the southeastern US.
Plants don't grow alone
Larval host
Moth
Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus)
Larval host
Butterfly
Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
NC State documents tulip tree as the primary larval host for Papilio glaucus, supporting three flights in the deep south (February-November) and one in the north (March-September). The wedge-relevant relationship for eastern butterfly-garden design: planting tulip tree is among the most direct ways to support local eastern tiger swallowtail populations.
Nectar forage
Butterfly
Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
NC State notes spicebush swallowtails forage on tulip tree blooms; the bloom timing fits the second brood of this species.
Nectar forage
Bird
Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
The cup-shaped flowers hold copious nectar at the petal base, well-suited to hummingbird feeding alongside the bee pollinator community.
Nectar forage
Bee
European honeybee (Apis mellifera)
Tulip tree honey is a recognized regional product across the southeastern US; the abundant late-spring nectar supports commercial apiaries during the late-spring nectar gap.
For people
Not eaten by humans
The wood is the major commercial use — "light, soft, and easily worked" per NC State, valued for furniture, plywood, boats, veneer, paper pulp, and general lumber. Historical Indigenous use included dugout canoes (the wood's combination of straight grain and large diameter made tulip-tree-trunks ideal) and medicinal bark preparations. No documented food use of any plant part.
Traditional medicinal use
NC State documents Indigenous medicinal use of tulip tree bark preparations across eastern North America. Modern internal use is not established and should not be inferred from traditional use.
Native range
Native across 29 US states + 1 CA province.
AHS heat range
1-11
Native ecoregions
Naturally belongs in 17 ecoregions — its native range crosses a state or province each one spans (not necessarily this exact habitat).
NC State Extension lists Liriodendron tulipifera for USDA hardiness zones 4a-9b across eastern North America from southern Ontario south through Florida. Found in "mesic forests, cove forests, bottomland forests, and swamps."
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Sensitive to heat and drought per NC State; needs consistent moisture especially during the first 5-7 establishment years. Among the largest eastern native trees but also weak-wooded — site away from structures and high-traffic areas where limb breakage in storms would be a hazard.
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Aphid infestations produce honeydew that fuels sooty mold growth on lower foliage and any cars/furniture beneath — a known nuisance pattern for tulip tree under residential conditions. Verticillium wilt, mold, powdery mildew, leaf spots, and canker can occur per NC State but rarely fatal.
Filled = the plant has seasonal interest · ▾ now = your current season
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Tulip tree (yellow poplar) (Liriodendron tulipifera). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/liriodendron-tulipifera
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
