You’re invited: “Ask us anything” about native plants and In the ZoneCelebrate spring with the In the Zone team at our free virtual gathering on April 20 from 12–1:30 p.m. ET. Arrive with questions for Ryan Godfrey, WWF-Canada’s resident botanist, and leave ready to garden with actions that will support wildlife and ecosystems.
You can submit your questions for Ryan when you register, ask them live on April 20, or email us anytime at inthezone@wwfcanada.org. Where to buy native plants in the Carolinian zone
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — the time to shop for plants!
Need help finding native plants for your garden? Click here for our list of community plant sales that include native species, and of growers participating in our In the Zone tag program.
We’ll continue updating our event listing throughout the spring, so if you’re planning a local event for community members to buy or give away native plants or seeds, please email the following details to Riley Talarico at rtalarico@wwfcanada.org: - Event name
- Date and time
- Location
- Link to more information
More tips to help you shopNative plants ready for sale © Erin Saunders / WWF-Canada Wondering where the plants labelled “native” at your neighbourhood retailers come from and whether they will benefit the local ecosystem? Check out our blog for some questions you can ask retailers to help you find the best sources for native plants and make informed purchasing decisions. Plant Portrait: Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)Tulip tree flower © Yann Kemper / iNaturalist
The tulip bulbs introduced to North America dazzle with their endless array of colours. But if you’re seeking a plant that’s beautiful and beneficial for wildlife, you may be more interested in the native tulip tree than in those flowers originally from central Asia and the Middle East.
Tulip tree gets its name from the spectacular yellow-green and orange blooms it produces in spring — start keeping an eye out for them now! A tulip tree begins producing these famous flowers once it is eight to 15 years old.
The leaves are also remarkable for their shape: four-to-six-pointed lobes and an outer edge forming a shallow “V” or nearly straight line. This leaf shape sometimes resembles a cat face silhouette! In fall, the leaves change from green to bright yellow and flat, slender, pointed fruits appear in attractive cone-like clusters that stay on the tree after the leaves have fallen, giving this species year-round visual appeal.
No shrinking violet, the quick-growing tulip tree can reach over 35 metres and, in good growing conditions, can live an astounding 300 years. Tulip tree leaves © Mark Dorriesfield / iNaturalist
Every part of the mature tree is useful to wildlife. The flowers attract bees and ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris). Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies (Papilio glaucus) and tuliptree silkmoth (Callosamia angulifera) caterpillars eat the leaves. Birds nest in the branches and eat the seeds, as do small mammals.
Tulip tree wood, relatively soft for a deciduous tree, is used commercially to make cabinets, furniture and other items as well as to produce pulp.
In Canada, this species’ native range is limited to mild spots within the Carolinian zone in southern Ontario. It is also planted ornamentally beyond that area, farther north in Ontario and in southern Quebec, where it can sometimes grow successfully.
Considering a tulip tree for your yard? Saplings can be found for sale at nurseries. Choose the site carefully. This tree needs a lot of space, full sun and deep soil, ideally sand or sandy loam. It thrives in moderately moist spots, not extremely dry or extremely wet ones. Be sure to keep your tulip tree from drying out in the summer so it can live a long, healthy life and support wildlife for decades (maybe even centuries). |
