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Big City, Big Trees

5. Daffodil Hill

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)

Native Habitat: Eastern North America
Tulip Tree

Photo: Romi Ige.

The tallest hardwood trees in North America, tulip trees were used by Cherokee Indians to make long dugout canoes. The tree's cupshaped pale greenish-yellow flowers are notable for their tuliplike petals—hence the tree's species name, tulipifera, "tulip-bearing." This native American tree is so beloved that three states claim it as their official tree: Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky.


Notable Neighbors: