IIRC, Liriodendron tulipifera is the tallest tree species east of the
Mississippi and the tallest deciduous tree in North America. Those
trees have a long way to go...

I think the biggest recorded L. tulipifera is about 160 ft tall, with a DBH of
about 10 ft. No one knows how big the Chinese species will get... it's
only been planted in the west since about 1906, and it's pretty rare in
China.

There are some white ash, black locust, pignut hickory and American
sycamore in about the L. tulipifera size class, as well as some
cucumbertree, Magnolia acuminata, a not-terribly-distant relative of
Liriodendron.


We have some fairly mature Liriodendron on our property, and I only see
the flowers when they fall to the ground. Even the lower branches are
way up in the woodland canopy.

Sounds like they were heavily shaded or heavily pruned when young.

I used to have to get specimens from a couple of Liriodendron on campus
for class... it involved climbing out on the roof of a four story building
with a pole pruner, cutting the flowers, and hoping at least a few made
it to the ground so I could pick them up.

There are a couple of species of Liriodendron, and a newish hybrid between
them... L. tulipifera is the North American species:
http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/plants/cent_trees.html
http://www.tva.gov/river/landandshor...lip_poplar.htm
L. chinense is the green-flowered species:
http://www.asianflora.com/Magnoliace...n-chinense.htm
Best I can find of the flowers is actually on a stamp:
http://www.cpi.com.cn/cpi-e/newissue/2006-5.asp


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