Tulip Tree

Arbor Walk #88, Treekeeper ID #5650

The Emerald City Tulip Tree is a commercially developed cultivar of the Missouri native Tulip Tree. It was created to be cold-tolerable and stand straight, making it suitable for city sized landscapes. The trees grow to be 55′ tall and 25′ wide. The foliage is an attractive glossy dark green. The trunk develops furrowed fissures as they reach maturity. Tree #88 was planted in a triad with two other Emerald City Tulip trees. 

More information on the Tulip Trees in our Arboretum here!

Common NameTulip Tree
Latin NameLiriodendron tulipifera
Indigenous Name(s) 
Cultivar/Variety‘JFS-Oz’
Commercial NameEmerald City®
Global Distribution
Where to find Arbor Walk #88 on WashU campus
Our Tulip Tree in space
GPS Coordinates

N/A

Percent Concrete

N/A

Distance to Buildings
YearClose Building #1Close Building #2Close Building #3
2020
Distance to Other Species
YearClose Species #1Close Species # 2Close Species # 3
2020
Our Tulip Tree through time
Standard Measurements
YearHeight (m)DBH (cm)Caliper (m)Crown Diameter N-S (m)Crown Diameter E-W (m)Average Crown Diameter (m)
20239.721N/A3.954.64.275
Nests and Pests
YearDescription
2023N/A
How to identify a Tulip Tree
Leaf Identification

The leaves of the Tulip Tree are simple (no leaflets), alternately arranged on the stem, pinnately veined, and lobed. There are four or six lobes, with the upper four lobes being triangular and pointed, forming the silhouette of a tulip in bloom. The leaves are green above and pale green below, turning yellow in the fall.

Twig and Bud Identification

The twig is reddish-brown and zig zag, with pale lenticels (pores). The leaf buds are slender, sharply pointed, and axillary. The flower buds are larger, wider, and obovate to elliptic in shape. Both buds are green or greenish-brown.

Bark Identification

When young, the bark of the Tulip Tree has tiny unraised scales that form an uneven raised bark when mature. These raised bumps are irregular, forming some small ridges and leaving many mountains and valleys.

Fruit Identification

The fruit of the Tulip Tree is a conical cluster of greenish-brown samaras that will release their seeds from fall until the next bloom. The cluster is up to 3″ in length.

Flower Identification

The flower of the Tulip Tree is bisexual (both male and female reproductive systems in one flower). It is yellow with orange markings, up to 3″ in diameter, six-petaled, bowl-shaped, with many pale stamens surrounding the ovaries. The flowers bloom in spring.

Relationship of Liriodendron tulipifera to other species in the arboretum
Additional resources on the Tulip Tree

Take a look around Arbor Walk Tree #88