Yellow-poplar, also called tuliptree and tulip-poplar, is the tallest broadleaf tree in the eastern United States. In forests, it may grow 200 feet (61 meters) high, and its trunk may be 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 meters) thick at the base. The yellow-poplar is a valuable North American hardwood and grows from New England southward to Florida and westward to Louisiana and Arkansas. It is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
The showy yellow blossoms of the yellow-poplar resemble tulips and are an important source of pollen for bees. Its distinctive leaves are smooth, notched at the tip, and long-stemmed. The sapwood (outer wood) is whitish. The heartwood (inner wood) is sunshine-yellow to pale tan. The wood is easily worked and is used chiefly for furniture, veneer, boxes, and baskets.
