A rare view of a blooming State Tree

The hailstorm and near tornado that passed through last week broke off the top of a tuliptree at Ijams. It's now lying horizontal instead of its traditional stately vertical. (Note: Don't say horizontal to a tree. It makes them nervous.)

Surprisingly, seven days after the storm, the tuliptree crown is still vibrant, giving everyone a rare crow's eye view of the flowers. Spectacular!

In 1947, the Tennessee General Assembly voted to name the tulip poplar (a.k.a. yellow poplar) the official State Tree. It was chosen because it grew from one end of the state to the other. They also had historical, homey significance: the majestic trees were widely used by the pioneers to build their log cabins.

But, I would be remiss and even disappoint the late Dr. Aaron Sharp—one of my botany professors at the University of Tennessee—if I did not mention one thing. The wonderful trees are not poplars; they’re magnolias: Liriodendron tulipifera (means "lily tree, tulip-like").

- Text and photo by Stephen Lyn Bales