Liriodendron chinense
Other common names
Chinese: E zhang qui
Origin of the species name
Liriodendron is from Greek words meaning lily tree; chinense means from China.
Family
Magnoliaceae
Date planted
September 2008
Lifespan
Chinese tulip trees take 40-50 years to reach maturity.
General description
This is a rapidly growing medium sized deciduous tree. It has a green bark with a rough texture. The leaves are larger and more deeply-lobed than those on the more common tulip tree. It produces attractive greenish flowers that are similar to a tulip. Height 25m Spread 15m.
Natural distribution and habitat
The species is native to central and southern China and northern Vietnam where it is found in small populations or as scattered individuals in montane, evergreen, broadleaved forest.
Conservation status
It is now threatened because it only occurs in small, widely-scattered populations and is classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Poor regeneration, extensive logging and clearing of the habitat have affected populations throughout the range. It is also widely used in horticulture and a hybrid that is a cross between it and the L. tulipifera is now also being used in China, which may become a future conservation concern because of the potential to introduce exotic genes into the native species gene-pool.
Uses
It has been widely used for timber.
Planting pattern
Lines radiating out down the hillside from the Wide brown Land sculpture. New rows begin as the land broadens out.
Further reading
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200008462 (Flora of China)