Distribution.—Vermont, southern Ontario, southern Michigan, south to Florida and west to Arkansas and Missouri. Found throughout Indiana, and doubtless is found in every county. It is rare to infrequent in most of the counties north of the Wabash River. It gradually becomes more frequent toward the south and where its habitat is found it is frequent to common. It prefers a moist rich well drained soil and thrives best in protected coves and near the lower part of slopes of hills. It is found with beech, sugar maple and white oak. It is rarely found in a black loam soil, but prefers a sandy soil. It was generally a common tree and of very large size in practically all of the counties in the southern two-thirds of the State.
Remarks.—This tree is generally known by botanists as tulip tree. By lumbermen it is usually known as yellow poplar, or more often shortened to poplar. It is also known as blue, white and hickory poplar, or as white wood. The tulip tree is the second largest tree of Indiana. In the Ind. Geol. Rept. 6:70:1875, is the following: "I measured four poplar trees that stood within a few feet of each other; the largest was thirty-eight feet in circumference three feet from the ground, one hundred and twenty feet high, and about sixty-five feet to the first limb. The others were, respectively eighteen and a half, eighteen and seventeen feet in circumference at three feet from the ground." The range of the uses of the wood is not so great as the oak, but it has many uses. The demand has been so great that practically all of the large trees have been cut. Small trees have so much sap or white wood that they are not sought for lumber, but can be used for pulp and excelsior.
LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA Linnæus. Tulip or Yellow Poplar. (× 1/2.)
The tulip transplants easily, grows rapidly, tall and with short side branches. Experiments in growing this tree indicate that it is one of the very best trees for reinforcing the woodlot, and other forest planting. It can be recommended for roadside planting because it grows tall and has a deep root system. Where conditions of life are not too severe it could be used for shade tree planting.