Tulip Poplar – Liriodendron tulipifera

Tulip Poplar flower

This tall tree of North America is a rapid grower, attaining heights of 80 to 120 feet. In 1807 Thomas Jefferson planted a pair of these west of the house at Monticello, today they stand over 120 feet tall! It can grow as much as 10 feet per summer, making it a good choice for rapid shade production where other trees have been cleared out! Unfortunately some people find the flower litter irritating enough not to want this tree around!

The trunk is long and straight, allowing it to be used for canoe making during the Revolutionary period. The wood is relatively soft allowing it to be hallowed out easily to a thin wall. Its use for this purpose also led to the adoption of the name Canoewood tree. Although it is generally considered safe for humans, the sap or sawdust can cause allergic reactions, including dermatitis due to the presence of hydrochlorate of tulipferine, an alkaloid.

The wood of this tree was used to build furniture, for construction, interior finishes and also plywood. But the most important feature of this tree, this time of year is the scent the flowers produce. The scent of nectar draws hummingbirds, cardinals and finches making this a great wildlife attractant! Bees also find it attractive, making it one of the major honey plants in the eastern United States. The honey the bees create from this nectar is dark, reddish and fairly strong flavored.

Even white tailed deer and squirrels find this tree attractive….they feed upon the fruit and twigs in the winter lean months.

To check out how this tree was used for food, medicine and dye check out my first post about it at… http://herberowe.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/tulip-poplar-liriodendron-tulipifera/

Star Magnolia – Magnolia stellata

Star Magnolia

“She runs among whistling leaves; I hurry after;
She dances in dreams over white-waved water;
Her body is white & fragrant & cool,
Magnolia petals that float on a white-starred pool . . .
I have dreamed of her, dreaming for many nights.”

-Conrad Aiken (1889-1973)

 

The wonderfully fragrant flowers cover these small trees in early spring with delicate star like flowers well before the leaves appear. Star magnolia, is a native of Japan and was introduced to the United States in the 1860’s.

Of all the magnolias, the Star Magnolia is the best suited for growing as a bonsai. Many magnolias take up to 20 years to blooms, but this cultivar blooms very young and very early in the season. The hardest part of growing this tree as a bonsai is getting the trunk to thicken. Therefore they are often grown from cuttings.

Magnolia flowers are a traditional Oriental symbol of purity. The Naturopathy Digest notes that magnolia bark and flowers have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat nasal conditions and to make a skin ointment. Care in the use of these should be exerted because ingestion of the flowers can cause headaches and depression.

Tulip Poplar – Liriodendron tulipifera

This is a tree I first saw as a pre-teen at Girl Scout Camp. I was fascinated with the waxy flower petals. I could pick one up and run my fingers over it all afternoon. It was kind of like a worry stone, before they became popular.

Tulip Poplar flower and leaves

The acrid inner bark, and the roots are used as a diuretic, tonic, and stimulant. A tea is used in the treatment of indigestion, dysentery, rheumatism, coughs, fevers etc. Externally, the tea is used as a wash and a poultice on wounds and boils. The root bark and the seeds have both been used to expel worms from the body

The root is used as a lemon-like flavoring in spruce beer, where it also serves to correct the bitterness of the beer. It is a major species for producing honey in the south. It produces a dark red honey with a strong flavor, favorably regarded by bakers.

The bark can produce a nice gold colored dye.  

Tulip Poplar sideview

Early pioneers hollowed out the long, straight trunks to make thin walled canoes – it was in such a canoe that Daniel Boone packed his family and belongings and left Kentucky for the Spanish Territory. Liriodendron tulipifera is the state tree of Indiana, Kentuky, and Tennessee.

Tulip Poplar flower, close-up

Southern Magnolia – Magnolia grandiflora

Close up of Southern Magnolia Flower

Southern Magnolia Flower

This is possibly my husbands favorite tree, his family has had one on the front lawn of the family seat for over 80 years! The tree is now over 3 stories tall, and is so wide spread that is has been a climbing tree for the children, with at least one using it for a quiet, private reading space.

The flowers have a delightful and powerful scent. But for some people it produces headaches, since the scent can be overpowering in a closed room. Symbolic of the American South, Magnolia grandiflora is the state tree of Mississippi, and the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana. The flower was also used as an emblem of the Confederate army in the US civil war

The Choctaw Indians used a decoction of the bark to wash prickly heat. Others used the decoction to bath sores.

The wood of the Southern Magnolia is used for making furniture, boxes, cabinet work, and doors.