Hoyt Arboretum is home to over 6,000 trees—with more than 2,300 species from over 170 families. Tree species are selected for the collection to promote conservation, education, and research, and sometimes a single species meets all 3 of those priorities.
Meet Liriodendron tulipifera! AKA the tulip tree!
Tulip trees are a new favorite of Hoyt Arboretum intern Shaueel Persadee and here’s why!
Using scanning electron microscopy, scientists from Jagiellonian University in Poland examined the nanoscale wood structure from samples of this tree and found that their macrofibrils (rod-like filaments in wood cells) are spaced differently from all other sampled trees.
Tulip trees have 20 nanometers between macrofibrils, while hardwoods like oak or birch have 15 nanometers, and softwoods like pine or spruce have 25 nanometers.
Not a hardwood, and not a softwood, tulip trees are now known as “midwoods”.
The difference a few nanometers can make!
This may be the reason tulip trees are uniquely effective at storing carbon. Having diverged from magnolias when atmospheric CO2 was low, tulip trees got really good at sequestration. And now, as CO2 rises, tulip trees grow really tall, really quickly.
Not only are these trees amazing carbon sinks, they also provide shade, habitat for wildlife, and they make great ornamentals- with stunning flowers in the spring. Check out the Great Plant Picks listing.
11 tulip trees can be found in the Arboretum along SW Cascade Dr, just south of Wildwood Trail and past the Winter Garden. Find tulip trees at Hoyt Arboretum using our plant database!
Trees for the Future
Additional tulip trees are included in Curator, Martin Nicholson’s plans for the future, and young individuals are being cared for in our nursery and greenhouses.