Help me identify this tree
May 21, 2017 9:56 AM Subscribe
I recently moved to a new house (suburban New Jersey), and there's a large tree growing in my front yard that I would like to identify. The leaves look vaguely like a maple, but the tree is much larger than any maple I have ever seen. It also has blossoms, which don't match any pictures I've seen of maple tree flowers.
Images: My rough estimate is that the tree is at least 60-80 feet high and it seems quite old. The branches are almost all either level with or above the top of my three story home.
I'm somewhat concerned about the tree's health. It has a few dead branches and it is dropping some of its blossoms rather than retaining them.
Images: My rough estimate is that the tree is at least 60-80 feet high and it seems quite old. The branches are almost all either level with or above the top of my three story home.
I'm somewhat concerned about the tree's health. It has a few dead branches and it is dropping some of its blossoms rather than retaining them.
Unfortunately I don't know anything about keeping it healthy, but I'm sure you have a tulip tree!
posted by tchemgrrl at 10:01 AM on May 21, 2017
posted by tchemgrrl at 10:01 AM on May 21, 2017
Yes. Definitely a tulip tree/tulip poplar; my favorite tree!!
posted by gudrun at 10:02 AM on May 21, 2017
posted by gudrun at 10:02 AM on May 21, 2017
Response by poster: Oh wow, four answers at once! Thanks everyone!
posted by fremen at 10:02 AM on May 21, 2017
posted by fremen at 10:02 AM on May 21, 2017
Best answer: Oh, coming back to add that the flowers dropping is common, and nothing to worry about. Pruning dead branches is good. Here's some basic care info..
posted by gudrun at 10:07 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by gudrun at 10:07 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
Tulip poplars are lovely trees, and they tend to self-prune their lower branches over time. The columnar trees in the Scott Ampitheatre at Swarthmore College are tulip poplars.
posted by rockindata at 11:44 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by rockindata at 11:44 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
I knew it when I read the description! Oh, man are you so lucky!! Thise Trees can get HUGE. They are so majestic!!
posted by jbenben at 11:44 AM on May 21, 2017
posted by jbenben at 11:44 AM on May 21, 2017
We have one of those in our front yard, about 10 feet away from the window at which I am sitting. :-)
The big, wide leaves mean you can stand under it in a gentle (or even not-so-gentle) rain shower and not get wet, and also provide wonderful shade on a hot sunny day.
But its short, scraggly branches fly off in any kind of a strong-ish wind and sometimes hit the window and scare the crap out of unsuspecting innocents just trying to browse AskMe in peace.
The big leaves also prevent much sunshine from reaching the ground below, so it's very mossy and almost always damp there. Fertile area for mushrooms, not so much for flowers or grass. The sidewalk next to the tree must be power-washed every few months to get all the moss and brown yuck off.
In general though, it's very beautiful!
posted by SuperSquirrel at 5:10 PM on May 21, 2017
The big, wide leaves mean you can stand under it in a gentle (or even not-so-gentle) rain shower and not get wet, and also provide wonderful shade on a hot sunny day.
But its short, scraggly branches fly off in any kind of a strong-ish wind and sometimes hit the window and scare the crap out of unsuspecting innocents just trying to browse AskMe in peace.
The big leaves also prevent much sunshine from reaching the ground below, so it's very mossy and almost always damp there. Fertile area for mushrooms, not so much for flowers or grass. The sidewalk next to the tree must be power-washed every few months to get all the moss and brown yuck off.
In general though, it's very beautiful!
posted by SuperSquirrel at 5:10 PM on May 21, 2017
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posted by kittydelsol at 9:59 AM on May 21, 2017