Tulip tree

One of our county councilors sends a newsletter once a week full of local news. In one of the latest he mentioned that the tulip tree in Jephson Gardens was in flower and that it was worth seeing. I have been walking in Jephson Gardens for years in all seasons, several times a week, and had never noticed the tulip tree. We decided that our last walk in the UK before leaving for Greece should include trying to find this flowering tree.

It took us a while to find it. You have to look hard. But, in the end we did - as you can see from the photograph above, the flowers are discreet

but, oh so lovely once you notice them.

They are exquisite.

Even though they are referred to as tulip trees because their flower resembles tulips, their proper name is liriodendron and they are part of the magnolia family. The flowers start forming after approx. 15 years.

The trees can reach a height of 165 ft. The wood of the North American species is fine grained and stable. It is easy to work and commonly used for cabinet and furniture framing, i.e. internal structural members and veneering.