TREE OF THE MONTH
By Len Phillips,
ASLA Emeritus
Photos provided by Len Phillips
Trade Name: Emerald City™ Tuliptree
Botanical Name: Liriodendron tulipifera 'JFS Oz'
Family: Magnoliaceae
Parentage: Selection of native tree
Year of Introduction: 2009
Hardiness Zone*: 4 to 9
Height: 55 to 70 feet
Spread: 25 to 35 feet
Growth Rate: Rapid, 60 feet at 30 years; up to 200 years old
Form: Pyramidal in youth and oval to round with age, will lose
lower branches with age, more uniform branching and slightly
more compact than the species
Bloom Period: May to June
Flower: Tulip-like, 6 yellowish-green petals with an orange
center, tree has to be planted for 6 to 10 years before it
blooms, flowers are high in the tree
Fruit: Pyramidal, dry pods 2 to 3 inches long, persistent
thorough winter
Foliage: Dense, squarish shaped, slightly glossy
Spring Color: Deep green
Summer Foliage: Bright green
Autumn Foliage: Bright, clear yellow
Winter Color: Interest in bark and form
Bark: Grayish-brown with ridges
Habitat: Does well in eastern half of North America
Culture: Rich, medium loam; moist; well drained; sun or
partial shade; will not tolerate clay soils, drought or sun-scald
Growth Rate: Medium, less than 2 feet per year
Pest Resistance: Attacked by several minor diseases, but
resistant to leaf blotch disease
Storm Resistance: Fair, may break up in ice and severe storms
Salt Tolerance: Moderate to poor
Planting: Transplant B&B or container only when tree is
young, poorly branched root systems
Pruning: Prune in early spring only
Propagating: Budding, grafting, softwood cuttings
Design Uses: Useful in large planting areas, parking lots,
open spaces and highway medians where large spread can be
accommodated
Companions: Most groundcovers
Other Comments: Uniform growth is straighter and more
upright than species; large tree that needs a large site, soft
bark is easily damaged by mowers
Available From: Becoming available in select retail nurseries
that carry new introductions
* For information about the USDA Hardiness Zone Map, visit
www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/index.html
These are the personal observations of the author, living in New
England – Zone 6. Len Phillips can be reached via e-mail at
lenphillips@on-line-seminars.com
26 Arbor Age / May/June 2013
www.arborage.com
