My first exposure to tulip tree, also known as tulip
poplar, came one summer during college when I vol-
unteered at the New York Botanic Garden (NYBG)
in the Bronx. I was assigned to the Daylily Walk;
nearby was the
NYBG Tulip Tree Allée, in front of the
Library Building. The allée was originally planted in
1903 based on a Calvert Vaux design of 1895. Calvert
Vaux was the partner to Frederick Law Olmsted in
the design of Central and Prospect parks, among
other large parks in cities across North America.
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Washington Square Park is within the unceded ter-
ritory of the Lenape people. Earlier this year I heard
Joe Baker, co-founder and executive director of the
Lenape Center, speak of the role of tulip tree in Lenape
canoe building. The process is detailed in the
Spring
2009 issue of Nature's Grapevine, published by the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The natural history of tulip tree is fascinating. L. tulip-
ifera is endemic to eastern North America; it and
Chinese tulip tree (L. chinense), which is native to
China and Vietnam, are the only species in the genus.
Twenty nine species of caterpillar are associated
with this tree, according to Douglas Tallamy. Oaks
hold high honors in this respect—food for more than
500 species of caterpillars—but I'm on Team Tulip
Tree. L. tulipifera is a
main host plant for the Eastern
Tiger Swallowtail and a
secondary host plant for the
Spicebush Swallowtail. The Washington Square Park
Eco Projects (Eco Projects) initiative has not observed
either caterpillar on the two trees in the park—yet.
Tulip tree is insect pollinated, and its seeds are wind
dispersed. The use of different wind velocities is inte-
gral to the long distance dispersal associated with this
species;
this research paper explains that the seeds are
"released from early autumn through the winter, exclu-
sively in high winds early and in moderate winds later."
Monitoring the seasonal cycles of tulip tree is one of the
tasks Eco Projects undertakes as part of the Washington
Square Park Phenology Project. We track leaf out, flow-
ering, fruiting, and fall color. The myriad forms of tulip
tree's leaf and flower are striking. The terminal bud,
with its valvate scales, favors a duck's bill. According to
my friend Akilah, the two-lobed leaf resembles a cat's
face. The tree's flower, I suppose, resembles the flower
of a tulip bulb, but the blossom of tulip tree is more
complex. The six petals begin their lives chartreuse in >>
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Washington Square Park also has a Central Park
connection. Ignat M. Pilat, Washington Square's
landscape designer, was the head gardener for Central
Park under Frederick Law Olmsted's leadership.
Washington Square Park aerial view. Washington Square Park, looking toward
the Washington Square Arch.
14 CityTREES
