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Liriodendron tulipifera (Magnoliaceae)

This tulip tree reaches a circumference of 17 ft and a height of over 170 ft; it is considered the tallest tree in Italy. This specimen grows undisturbed inside the park of Villa Besana, in Sirtori (LC), and is definitely worth admiring both in spring – when covered with greenish-yellow flowers with an orange bottom similar to tulips and in autumn – when its leaves turn yellow, orange and red.

How to reach it:

From Milan, Como, and Lecco, visitors can easily travel to Villa Besana, in the municipality of Sirtori (LC). The majestic tulip tree is inside the park of the villa.

Botanical Card

Originally from the eastern United States, it was introduced to Europe in the XVII century.

The species is mainly grown for ornamental purposes in gardens and parks.

Liriodendron tulipifera is also called “Tulip tree” because its flowers look like tulips, both in colour and size.

It prefers fresh, deep, fertile and well-drained soils, preferably siliceous. This is a heliophilous species.

Its wood is light-yellow, light, tender and of average quality; it is used for furniture, musical instruments, coatings and the extraction of cellulose. The American Indians use this “canoe wood” using a whole, single trunk to make one of their small boats.

Photo source: http://brianzacentrale.blogspot.it/2015/05/lalbero-piu-alto-ditalia-vi-aspetta-al.html

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)