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Tulip trees are the tallest native hardwood — one living specimen is 190' tall, the tallest tree east of the Mississippi. (Most tulip trees are in the 80-100' range). Illinois is on the western edge of tulip trees' range, but it is the state tree of Indiana (and Tennessee). Tulip trees have a single trunk and (usually) a pyramidal crown; the bark is gray with whitish furrows. Flowers arise on short stalks in leaf axils. Each flower is bell-shaped, erect, 2-3" across, and ~2.5" tall; there are 9 tepals — 3 pale green sepal-like tepals reflected downward and 6 fleshy petal-like tepals, yellowish-green to green in their upper half with an broad orange stripe below; the very base of the petal is pale yellow-green. In the middle of the flower is a tall (2.5") conical cluster of 60-100 pistils (the receptacle); surrounding the receptacle are 20-50 white stamens with yellow anthers. The fruit is a 1.5" long winged seed (samara) reminiscent of an ash seed; the ovate seed lies at one end of a long, thin wing with a central ridge. The leaves alone are sufficient for a confident identification; in flower or in the fall when the receptacle has produced a crown-like circlet of woody, persistant basal samaras, tulip trees are unmistakable.

Liriodendron

Liriodendron tulipifera

tulip tree [Blooms: June]