Tulip Poplar:
The tulip poplar was adopted as the state tree by the State Legislature in 1947. The tulip poplar was chosen because it was used extensively by the Tennessee pioneers to construct their houses, barns and other buildings. The tree sometimes reaches a height of 200 feet and frequently shows 50-100 feet of trunk without a branch. The bark is smooth and brownish gray. The leaves are very smooth with a broad notch at the tip. The flowers are tulip-like, green-orange in color, and are 1-3 inches deep.In honor of the state's Bicentennial celebration in 1996, the yellowwood was named Tennessee's bicentennial tree.Return to Tennessee Unit Study
Courtesy of State of Tennessee
