Reproduction of the Tulip tree
Reproduction of the Tulip tree
The tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera L., 1753) is a plant of the Magnoliaceae family native to the eastern United States, where it forms mixed deciduous forests, from sea level up to about 1500 meters above sea level. This tree was introduced in Europe in the mid-seventeenth century both as an ornamental and forest plant.
Suitable breeding habitat –
Liriodendron tulipifera is a tree native to the eastern and northern coasts of the United States of America, present from southern Ontario and perhaps from southern Quebec to Illinois eastwards to southwestern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and south to central Florida and to Louisiana.
This plant represents one of the largest and most valuable hardwoods in eastern North America.
Its natural habitat is that of areas with deep, rich and rather humid soils on mountain slopes and along waterways where it grows mainly in wooded areas, in hilly and mountain areas, from sea level up to 1500 meters.
Its best development is in the southern Appalachian mountains, where trees can exceed 50m in height. It was first introduced to Britain in 1688 in Bishop Compton’s garden at Fulham Palace and is now a popular ornamental plant in Europe’s streets, parks and large gardens.
Propagation –
The tulip tree is a fast-growing plant, which blooms in the period of March-April, depending on the altitude and latitude, and which begins to bloom in June at the northern limit of cultivation.
This plant requires rich, deep soil and a sheltered location but not in full shade.
It prefers slightly acidic soil and flowers are first produced when the tree is about 15 – 20 years old.
This tree propagates by seed. Sowing should be done as soon as the seed ripens in shaded areas in an unheated seedbed.
Stored seeds require 3 weeks of hot stratification and then 12 weeks of cold.
Germination is generally poor, only about 1% of the seed is viable.
The transplantation of young seedlings should be carried out in single pots as soon as they have reached a manageable size; for the first winter they are grown in pots and in a sheltered place.
The definitive transplant must therefore be carried out in late spring or early summer, after the last frosts expected of the following year.
Ecology –
Liriodendron tulipifera is generally considered a shade intolerant species that in the Appalachian forests, where it finds its optimal habitat, is a dominant species during the 50-150 years of succession, but is absent or rare in 500-year-old tree stands. or more. A particular group of trees survived in Dublin’s Orlando College grounds for 200 years, before having to be felled in 1990.
On mesic and fertile soils, it often forms pure or almost pure stands.
All young trees and more mature specimens are intolerant to prolonged flooding; however, a coastal lowland swamp ecotype in the southeastern United States is relatively tolerant to flooding. This ecotype is recognized by its blunt lobed leaves, which can have a red tinge.
Liriodendron tulipifera produces a large amount of seed, which is dispersed by the wind. The seeds typically travel 4–5 times the height of the tree and remain viable for 4–7 years. Seeds are not one of the most important food sources for wildlife, but they are eaten by numerous birds and mammals.
In terms of its role in the ecological community, L. tulipifera is not home to a great diversity of insects, with only 28 species of moths associated with the tree.