To see some of Georgia’s prettiest spring wildflowers now coming into bloom, you might have to look up — way up.
I’m talking about the exquisite flowers of the tulip poplar, also known as the yellow poplar, one of Georgia’s most common trees and often the tallest, most massive tree in the forest. Its showy, tuliplike flowers — 2 inches wide, limey yellow and ringed with a brilliant orange band — bloom April through May.
The tree’s leaves also are tulip-shaped. No wonder, then, that “tulip” is part of the tree’s common name. (It is, however, not a true poplar, but a member of the magnolia family.)
But unlike other impressive flowering trees of spring, such as dogwoods and redbuds, tulip poplar flowers may be hard to spot — they bloom after the tree’s leaves emerge, making it difficult to find them among the foliage. Even when the flowers are more in the open, you may have to crane your neck upward to see them because tulip poplars often reach heights of 80-100 feet or more.
Besides being beautiful, tulip poplar flowers are super-rich in nectar and pollen and thus are important for pollinators. Honeybees, native bees and hummingbirds all visit the flowers. Beekeepers consider tulip poplars major sources of nectar for their honeybees, which make a rich, reddish-brown honey from it.
The tulip poplar itself is one of the most important trees in Georgia’s forests. They quickly grow straight and tall in moist, fertile soils, often reaching diameters of 4-5 feet or more. Songbirds nest in the branches and, along with squirrels, eat the flowers’ seeds. The tree also is the only host plant for the caterpillars of the tuliptree silkmoth and one of the important host plants for the caterpillars of the Eastern tiger swallowtail, Georgia’s official state butterfly.
The tree also is planted as a shade and park tree because of its beautiful pyramidal form and its attractive foliage, which turns a brilliant yellow in fall. To me, walking through a grove of tulip poplars is like walking through a cathedral.
IN THE SKY: From David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer: The moon will be new on Wednesday night. Mercury (low) and Venus are in the west just after sunset. Mercury will appear near the crescent moon on Thursday night. Mars is high in the southwest at dark. Saturn is low in the east just before sunrise.
Charles Seabrook can be reached at charles.seabrook@yahoo.com.
About the Author
