Tulip Poplar

Parts Usually Used

The bark

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

One of the tallest and most distinct in the eastern woodland, tulip poplars grow to heights of 120 feet (or more) with straight limb-less trunks until they reach a narrow crown. Large 2 inch orange, green, and yellow cup-shaped flowers appear in mid spring (in middle to north Georgia) resembling tulips flowers. The leaves are quite unusual in appearance, nearly square (4 to 6 inches long) with 4 to 6 paired lobes on long stalks which wave in the slightest breeze

Where Found

S. in deciduous woods.

Medicinal Properties

Antimalarial, antibacterial, antiplasmodial, tonic, stimulant and febrifuge

Legends, Myths and Stories

The seeds of the tulip polar are eaten by quails, purple finches, rabbits, gray squirrels, and white-footed mice. The tulip tree is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee and can trace its lineage back to the time of the dinosaurs, according to newly published research by an Indiana University paleobotanist and a Russian botanist. A new study noted that wild populations of American ginseng could benefit from being planted near tulip poplar.

The data stated that new strategies need to be pursued in conservation efforts to save the rare American ginseng plant. Fire Craft ~ Wood for friction fire, inner bark for tinder, hot, quick burning firewood which does not produce long-lasting coals like other hardwoods. Cordage ~ Inner bark fibers can be processed into cordage and rope. Containers ~ Outer bark crafted into berry baskets, arrow quivers, and larger pack baskets.

Carving ~ The soft hardwood lends itself to easy carving of spoons, bowls, pottery paddles, canoe paddles, and even the canoe itself. One common name of this tree is Canoe Wood. Insulation ~ Shredded inner bark can be stuffed between layers of clothing to create dead air space to retain body heat in a survival situation. Roofing/Siding ~ Outer bark slabs used for shingles and siding on shelters.

During the United States Civil War, when the confederate troop’s quinine supplies were limited, army surgeons turned to the tulip poplar as a substitute. S. government-directed program focused on developing quinine replacements confirmed that a crude extract of the tulip tree bark was effective in treating avian malaria.

Uses

Historically, the Cherokee and Appalachian settlers utilized the inner bark and leaves of the tulip tree for various ailments. Herbal traditions included preparing leaf poultices for sores and inflammation. An infusion of the inner bark was traditionally consumed for digestive complaints, pinworms, rheumatic pain, and periodic fevers, often serving as a tonic to induce sweating.

Folk accounts also noted that the inner bark was chewed as an aphrodisiac or prepared into a syrup for coughs. The bark was occasionally employed for toothaches and was considered by nineteenth-century practitioners and Native Americans as a substitute for quinine to address fevers. Additionally, the root bark and seeds were historically administered as a vermifuge. Beyond medicinal applications, Native Americans used the trunks to construct dugout canoes, while the tree has also served as a nectar source for honey production and as a timber resource for furniture framing, veneers, and construction materials.

Bibliography

Resources of the Southern Fields and Forests, Medical, Economical, and Agricultural; Being Also a Medical Botany of the Confederate States , by Francis Peyre Porcher Wild Plants and Survival Lore: Secrets of the Forest , by Mark Warren