Size of a Tulip Tree

Tulip trees produce large tulip-like blooms.

Liriodendron tulipifera, tulip tree, yellow poplar or tulip poplar tree, has beautiful yellow tulip-like blooms and wood fit for furniture and construction. Tulip trees can grow up to 3 feet in a year, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Statistics

Everything about the tulip tree is large. Tulip tree leaves may grow up to 8 inches long, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, and Ohio State University reports that blooms may grow up to 2 to 3 inches long.

Features

Tulip trees commonly grow between 60 to 100 feet tall, but can reach up to 150 feet tall according to the United States National Arboretum. To balance their massive height, the trees grow between 35 to 50 feet wide.

Tips

Because of their large size and fast growth rate, tulip trees make good shade trees for homeowners, according to the "The Homeowner's Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook."

Considerations

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service suggests planting tulip trees where they have ample room to grow, preferably away from living areas and driveways, which might get damaged from the "honeydew" secretions of aphids on the trees.

References

• Ohio State University: Ohio Trees Bulletin 700-00: Liriodendron--Tuliptree
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: Large Native Trees for the Landscape
• U.S. National Arboretum: State Trees & State Flowers: State Trees
• "The Homeowner's Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook"; Penelope O'Sullivan and Karen Bussolini; 2007