In-Depth Description
A native, deciduous shade tree of eastern North America, the Tulip Tree is an abundant food source for many creatures. In the spring, its nectar attracts Ruby-throated hummingbirds and native bees. In the fall and winter, the seed sustains finches, cardinals, quail, squirrels, and rabbits. Tulip Trees are members of the Magnoliaceae family, and their twigs have a sweet, spicy aroma. Its 4-pointed lobed leaves turn golden-yellow in the fall. History rich, Tulip Tree trunks were hollowed out and used as canoes by Indigenous Americans and early settlers. It is sometimes called canoe wood and southern history says none other than Daniel Boone chose such a canoe to carry his own family from Kentucky to the western frontier.
Chickadee, Photo Credit: Richard Martin.
