The tulip tree can grow to be
a stunningly large, beautiful tree when
planted in a location that accommodates
it. Because of its unique leaves and flow-
ers, it is a great educational resource for
the young arborist starting on their tree ID
training journey.
While the species can get big, it can also
have brittle branches, possibly exasper-
ated by drought, and can break under
wind or snow load. Like many trees in
the Pacific Northwest region, it can be
susceptible to aphids. But it also provides
pollen for bees and can be a micro-eco-
system for urban wildlife, even in cavities
of previously dropped branches.
This tree can benefit from training pruning
in the early years and an on-going main-
tenance program according to the local
municipality's standards. Keeping an
up-to-date municipal tree inventory and
funding allocation for maintenance, not
just for removal and replacement of trees,
will help get larger, mature trees like this
kind throughout any city, which can pro-
vide a strong sense of place and a more
human connection to urban wildlife.
When I worked in Fall River, Mas-
sachusetts, the community honoured one
of their largest specimens downtown by
obtaining state champion tree status
for it. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we
have a 40-m-tall (131 feet) specimen at
Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, BC, that
has been used as an example of beauty
in local arborist training presentations.
You can really see the impact trees have
on people when they are deeply affect-
ed by the possibility of removal. When
a large tulip tree was removed from a
street in Langley, BC, a coworker of mine
remembers the day clearly and was dev-
astated. Rather than being swayed by
maintenance needs, I advocate that we
all plant more trees like the tulip tree
with proper growing space and care to
give urban dwellers the opportunity to
(left) Young 'Emerald City' tulip trees
showing fall color • Photo Courtesy
J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.
(far right) Young tulip tree habit and
fall color • Photo by Steve Cothrel
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