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Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Spacing: 40-50'
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Deer Resistant: Yes
- Show more ›
Audubon® Tulip Poplar
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Take Birds Under Your Wing
New! Introducing our bird-friendly collection of Audubon® Native Plants & Trees
- Better for Birds, 100% Neonic-Free
- Not Available in non-native regions, states or counties (see Native Regions map)
For many birds, a Tulip Poplar is a great place to raise a family. It has everything they need! Tree-nesters like robins and orioles will find sturdy branches and leafy cover for homesites. Seed-eaters like cardinals and finches will find nourishment in the plentiful fall crop. Insect-eaters like warblers and sparrows will find a free lunch while controlling aphids on your tree. And hummingbirds will find sweet nectar in the Tulip Poplar’s flowers. Few trees offer so many benefits to so many birds. Let this avian favorite be a key component of your backyard bird habitat.
Bower & Branch is proud to grow Audubon® Native Plants for Birds in partnership with the National Audubon Society to help birds and other wildlife thrive.
- The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow
- This bird-friendly native plant provides food and shelter for local and migrating birds and other wildlife
- Your purchase and planting of this native flora directly supports Audubon’s conservation mission and impact
- Learn how you can help birds in your home and community through Audubon’s Plants for Birds program
- Audubon Native Plants & Trees are free of neonicotinoids and exclusively grown by Bower & Branch
Audubon® is a licensed and registered trademark of the National Audubon Society. All rights reserved.
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Spacing: 40-50'
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Deer Resistant: Yes
- Show more ›
The Story
George Washington planted his now famous Tulip Poplar trees on the grounds of Mount Vernon, his home on the Potomac River in Virginia, 1785. Now more than 200 years later these trees stand over 100 feet tall. To date these trees have produced over 1000 descendants! This more than makes up for his cutting down his father’s Cherry Tree.
The Details
I don't think anyone will be tiptoeing through these tulips! Tulip Poplars are fairly large trees native to the eastern United States. Large bright green - almost square - leaves turn to golden yellow in fall. These fast-growing trees also produce a unique greenish tulip-like flower in June. Inside these extraordinary flowers is a large seed head (similar to the Magnolia, to which the Tulip Poplar is related) which some birds find quite irresistible!
How to Grow
Tulip Poplars are desired by people who appreciate the unique foliage, the tulip-shaped flowers, and the overall shape of the tree. These large trees are very easy to grow. Tulip Poplars are fast growers and they prefer full sun and moist soil. To keep your Tulip Poplar healthy, apply a medium rate fertilizer yearly for the first 3 or 4 years, preferably in the fall. The main pest problem that may occur with the Tulip Poplar is aphids. These tiny insects secrete a sticky residue, called “honeydew.” This honeydew can be a nuisance by dripping from the leaves and creating a sticky mess on anything below the tree’s canopy – a good reason not to plant it near the house, street, or patio. Insecticides can control aphids although harsh chemical insecticides can kill beneficial insects as well as the aphids; beneficial insects are attracted to aphids and the honeydew. If the aphids don’t seem to be a big nuisance, you can skip the insecticide and allow some beneficial insects, such as lady bugs, to take care of them for you.
More Info
Size Guide
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