Liriodendron tulipifera Standard
Origin: North America. It takes quite a long time, 6-8 years before the Tulip Tree produces flowers, but it is worth waiting for. The flowers are really beautiful, abundant, and have an unusual colour and wonderful fragrance. It has a straight trunk with grey bark that becomes furrowed with age. The main branches start from the base and with time they thin out; the lower branches bend down softening the majestic silhouette. Leaves: deciduous, among the most unusual in shape because they have 4 lobes and the tips are cut off. They are 10-20cm, glossy dark green on the upper side and paler underneath, in autumn they turn a wonderful golden-yellowy orange. Flowers: from end of May to beginning of July, fragrant, abundant, similar to tulips made up of 9 pale green petals dappled with orange at the base, up to 7cm long. Fruit: brown, unique because they look like buds, 5-8cm long. They remain on the plant until spring when they divide into long-winged seeds. Requires deep, fertile, cool, permeable, neutral to acid soil.
