This gorgeous and stately beauty stands as one of the most overlooked and under valued trees it has been my pleasure to ignore for long years. The “Tulip Tree” was not ignored by everyone, however. It is officially Kentucky’s State Tree and I now proclaim to all the world, I buy fully into it.

(enlarge pictures by left-clicking)

The problem with the lack of Paparazzi lies in its muted effect. I mean, who the heck ever cared much about green blooms?

Interestingly, the color of the blooms often goes through a fairly rapid transformation with about a 2 week window, trading off various oddly-timed blooms for newer ones in a fit of profuseness and then it’s back to the business of being a stately, elegant, extremely fast-growing and often very tall tree.

Shapely, even stately when allowed to thrive without conflicting tall trees, this softwood Poplar variation is as charming and – ironically, owing to its subtle colors – as demurely elegant as it gets.

And did we add? – Profuse!

This plant is a ridiculously beautiful specimen. Like so many local surprises, Kentucky’s beauty – often regaled and rightfully so – can often lie in its rich legacy of incredibly diverse and gorgeous trees.

I’m a fan!