Native Tree Day

I spent some time planting trees today. We got some amazing sapplings, and like the Johnny Appleseed of native cultivars we set out planting on the Hill (riverfront). We planted 7 tulip trees.

One of my favorite mid-Atlantic (Eastern) specimens is the Liriodendron Tulipifera, commonly called the tulip tree. To me it's a gem of Eastern trees, sure the list of eastern US natives is filled with amazing things, but the tulip tree is an unsung masterpiece of nature. It's often called a Tulip Poplar, although I personally hate that common name- since the tree is not a poplar (i.e. genus Populus) so it's confusing. The tulip tree is actually a member of the Magnolia tribe. I have heard that in the "Appalashus" you can find tulip trees 200 feet tall, over 20 feet in diameter, and producing thousands of flowers, I hope to find some eventually. But until then I can add a few to the city now and then, only in places which can accommodate their massive height and size when mature, and where a 60+ foot flowering giant can truly be admired someday.

When planting there are a few interesting things to know about tulip trees: for one thing, they are wait and see plantings, as the flowers don't usually begin until they are 15+ years old- so keep that in mind. Also most of the flowering takes place at canopy level so they are best appreciated from a distance. Tulipwood makes decent furniture, and it's great for accents- but not the greatest material for woodworking overall (this may be why there are not more tulipwood forests around), and native butterflies (caterpillars) love the leaves for food- so you're doing a service in that way just for planting one.

The largest tulip trees I know of in the city are up on embassy row, there are some up there that seem to predate the streets, possibly the city, I sometimes wonder if they actually do.

This post makes me feel like I just wrote it for kids. It's very PSA like, but what can I do, I am on a planting high.