The tulip poplar grows well in zones 4-9. It reaches a height of 60-90 feet and a spread of 30-50 feet. It is a deciduous tree. The shape is pyramidal to broad conical.

It is known for its cup-shaped, tulip-like flowers that bloom in the spring. The flowers are yellow with an orange band at the base. They are about two inches long but often not noticed because they appear after the leaves are fully developed.

Native Americans made dugout canoes from the trunks. It is the state tree of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana.