Discoveries are common place on Fawn Hill.  I had always assumed the tall trees along the driveway were poplars but this year I have the good fortune to be here as they bloom and, as you can see, the blooms are lovely. I thought they must be tulip poplars which they are but now I have learned they are not poplars at all.

Liriodendron tulipifera, the tulip tree, is actually a member of the magnolia family and these two are prime specimens.  Our friends at Wikipedia have once again provided a wealth of information.   I was relieved to learn they are not poplars which seem to have a nasty habit of becoming very tall and then rotting out from the inside.

But these are tulip trees and are prized lumber. They were used by the Indians for dugout canoes and its lumber has been called Canoewood.  According to Wikipedia it is one “of the largest and most valuable hardwoods of eastern North America.”  It can grow to a height of 190 feet!  Ours would seem to be about 60 feet. The average size is around 70 feet.  The birds enjoy their seeds and humans can fall in love with their blossoms.  ❧