tulip tree

American  

noun

1. Also called yellow poplar.  Also called tulip poplar,.  a tall tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, of the magnolia family, native to the eastern U.S., having large, cup-shaped, green and orange flowers: the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

2. African tulip tree.

---

tulip tree British  

noun

1. Also called: tulip poplar.   yellow poplar.  a North American magnoliaceous forest tree, Liriodendron tulipifera , having tulip-shaped greenish-yellow flowers and long conelike fruits

2. a similar and related Chinese tree, L. chinense

3. any of various other trees with tulip-shaped flowers, such as the magnolia

---

Etymology

Origin of tulip tree

An Americanism dating back to 1695–1705

Example Sentences

Trees found in cities such as the London plane or the tulip tree, are excellent at absorbing carbon dioxide and removing pollutants from the air.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2024

For Grant, what mattered was a magnificent tulip tree that reached 90 feet, with a 44-inch diameter.

From Seattle Times • May 16, 2022

Finton has already seen more yellow poplar trees, also known as the tulip tree, in southern Massachusetts.

From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2021

Yet populations of Liriodendron tulipifera, the tulip tree, remain one species despite being isolated for millions of years.

From Scientific American • Aug. 10, 2012

That tulip tree where Indians gathered looked like a king.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison