Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Tuesday - June 02, 2009

From: Medway, MA
Region: Northeast
Topic: Trees
Title: Do all tuliptrees (Liriodendron tulipifera) flower?
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Do all tulip trees flower? We planted a baby one about 5 years ago and its grown considerably however it has never flowered. Is that normal? Thank you!

ANSWER:

Yes, your Liriodendron tulipifera (tuliptree or yellow-poplar) should produce flowers, but I'm afraid you are going to have to wait a bit longer. According the US Forest Service they produce their first blooms at 15 to 20 years of age. You can count on blooms for a long time after they start, though, since they may continue blooming for 200 years. Here is a little more information from the Floral Genome Project.