One of the places Ellen and I went on Friday was to check out my favorite Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera. I still haven't managed to get there at the right time to bring you the blossoms, but here are the lovely leaves.
Here's the wonderful conical shape of the tree when it grows in the open. However, it's usually tucked into a forest edge.
Here is one of the reasons it gets its common name. The leaves are shaped very much like a silhouette of a tulip.
Isn't this bud fun? It looks like a sprouting baby garden plant. That would technically be called a cotyledon. It's a new leaf growing out of that cluster of leaves.
And it's a native American tree. The wood is soft, and used a lot for furniture- usually for the insides of drawers. Maggie just says, "It sure makes some nice green shade. Nice walk, Mom and Ellen!"
 | See The Tulip Tree for seed pods
See Shapes of Trees for a bare silhouette |
I say, "It sure makes some nice green shade. Nice walk, Mom and Ellen!"
ReplyDeleteThough I am not Maggie.
That certainly is a beautiful tree.
ReplyDeleteI love Maggie's pose. She looks so happy!
ReplyDeleteThe tulip is a great tree, our state tree, in fact. Blooms almosr ready to open.
Not native but we have a lovely specimen at Kew gardens planted in the 1770s, a beautiful tree, I am sure Meg would love to share the shade if I could get her to stand still long enough :)
ReplyDeleteI like Maggie. Oh and the tree.
ReplyDeleteMaggie takes an excellent profile picture.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I took some pictures of tulip tree seed pods. You identified it for me. I think I said in that post I remember seeing it somewhere. Now I know where! It was one of your posts.
ReplyDeleteNice images of a beautiful tree! :-)
ReplyDeleterainfield- you and Maggie would be good friends
ReplyDeleteChuck- Trees so seldom get a chance to fulFILL their natural shape that it's good to find one.
vanilla- I didn't realize it was the Indiana tree. This one bloomed already I think, so I'm surprised yours are just blooming
Carol- there are always gardens where one can see "exotics" it seems
John- Maggie hasn't had "a turn" here for a while. Thanks for the nudge, she'll get her say soon
Ann- she's getting so white, but she's good looking.
Ratty- It always takes several times of seeing something before we remember
Ferd- I know you would have preferred a bird in it...
It is such a huge, beautiful tree. I know Maggie appreciates a place like that to cool off in the hot temperature and you probably do, as well!
ReplyDeleteThese are one of my favorite trees...even out in CA. They were planted all around the apartments where I grew up and they are used in landscaping around our town. Your picture with their au naturale form makes me like them even more. Need to plant a few at my house still...
ReplyDeleteCarmen- Maggie took a quick break. Ellen and I were out of time, and we hustled out to the tree and back.
ReplyDeleteJulia- I didn't know that they grow out west. Just for landscaping, I guess.