Tulip Poplar in Central Florida

The tulip poplar's (Liriodendron tulipifera) flowers really do resemble tulips (Tulipa spp.)!

Overview
The Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), also known as the Yellow Poplar and Tulip Tree is native from central Florida and southeastern Louisiana northward to southern Vermont, southern Ontario, and central Michigan. It is a member of the Magnolia Family (Magnoliaceae), and is the state tree of Indiana and Tennessee. It is most commonly found in the rich soils of the Ohio Valley and the moist slopes of the lower and middle elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Specimens in excess of 150 ft (45.7 m) in height in these locations are not uncommon.

Tulip Poplar in Florida
Northwest and West Central Populations
In Florida, Tulip Poplar is most commonly found in the red clay seepage slopes of the northwestern part of the state from Jefferson County westward to the Alabama border. The most populous locations can be found in and around Gadsden and Leon Counties. The leaf structure of the northwest Florida specimens more closely resembles those of Piedmont and Appalachian origin, being large in size and having more of a pronounced curved margin with deep lobes. A disjunct and relict population of Tulip Poplar is found much further south in the west central portion of the state in and near the McKethan Lake Recreation Area of the Withlacoochee River State Park in Hernando County. The west central specimens at this location display leaf structures and leaf-out sequencing more similar to those trees of northwest Florida origin than those trees of east central Florida origin.

Northeast and East Central Populations
The next most common area in Florida for Tulip Poplar is in the moist woods and stream banks of Duval County. From that point southward, the species becomes much more limited in distribution, with stands often found miles apart from one another. These populations are also generally found in moist woods and stream banks, usually associated with the St. Johns River watershed. The species reaches its southernmost limit along the Wekiva River and Soldiers Creek (both of these are also tributaries of the St. Johns River) watersheds in the east central counties of Lake, Orange, and Seminole. Notable examples of these east central specimens can be found at Big Tree Park and Spring Hammock Nature Center near Longwood and Winter Springs in Seminole County and at Kelly Park near Apopka in Orange County. The leaf structure of the northeast Florida specimens tend to have shallower lobes, with more of a squared and rounded margin flaring out to the leaf tips. In the east central populations, this squared to slightly rounded and minimized lobed leaf structure becomes even more exaggerated, exhibiting very little curvature in the lobe margins when compared to northwestern Florida examples.

Cultivation of Northwest and East Central Specimens in West Central Florida
I found there are major differences between the performance of northwest and east central Tulip Poplars in my efforts to cultivate them in west central Florida (Hillsborough County). I have cultivated Tulip Poplars since 1976 in this area with results based commensurate with the nativity of the stock. From 1976 to 1984 my experiences were almost entirely limited to stock from Warren County, Tennessee (McMinnville) as this species was not commonly sold in central Florida nurseries at that time. My failure rate was total - the trees succumbed either due to prolonged spring drought or summer flooding, both typical components of west central Florida weather. Much better results came with the availability of stock from northwestern Florida purchased from 1985 through 2000 (Jefferson County-Salter Tree Farm: Leon County-Tallahassee Native Nurseries: Covington County,Alabama-Superior Trees, Inc.). The best results so far, however, appear to be from stock native to east central Florida (2000 to the present).

Tulip Poplars native to East Central Florida have a much less lobed leaf that is more square and rounded at the margins than their more northern counterparts. In addition they have red petioles, a reddish immature leaf and a thicker calyx (compare to those in the photo above).

Biology - Northwest Florida Stock
Leaves of northwestern stock do not bud out until late March to early May, generally dependent upon available rainfall. Additionally, the leaves of northwestern stock are more prone to leaf spot, white fly infestations, and premature defoliation. Bloom period is generally from mid-April to early May. Fall leaf color is generally a clear yellow, though not uniform on the tree, starting around late October and ending by late November. Leaf growth may persist until mid to late August, occasionally into early September. Root growth may begin in early March and usually ends by mid-August.

Biology- East central Florida Stock
Leaves of east central stock may bud out as early as late January. Neither rainfall nor winter chill seemed to be a determining factor for this in 2001. In addition to the structural differences noted earlier, east central Florida leaves also have a more reddish leaf petiole, a more reddish juvenile leaf, and a thicker leaf cuticle. Leaves have demonstrated to be much less prone to leaf spot, white fly infestation, and premature defoliation than its northwestern counterpart. Bloom was seen occurring as early as late February in Kelly Park, Orange County. Fall leaf color is also a clear yellow, also not uniform on the tree, but also with less brown spotting. The yellowing leaves remained on the trees longer than northwest stock, and did not generally start until late November, ending around late December. Root growth, which was extremely vigorous, began in mid-January and persisted until early November.

Conclusion
Based on the biological responses noted above, it is obvious that for central Florida, the cultivation and marketing of Tulip Poplars derived from native east central Florida stock would provide the public and the environment with an adaptable and sustainable tree that will provide both ornamental beauty and biological diversity from Volusia and Levy Counties southward to Hillsborough and Brevard Counties.

Copyright 2001, Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort, Inc.
Used by permission May 1, 2004 Floridata.com