Tulip Tree (Liriodendron) by cutting

My friend has a large variegated (aureo-marginata) Tulip tree and asked me to do cuttings. I thought I could do it by cuttings but after reading my books it says whip-grafted on seedlings. Has anyone done cuttings of the species? Any advice or experience notes are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Do the grafting.

Guy S.

Has anyone done cuttings of Liriodendron? Do they take or does anyone know of a Pacific Northwest supplier of Liriodendron whips?

Hi
Was reading this fhread and thought I would reply. My friend gave me a cutting of what she said was a tulip tree. She had rooted it in water and its thriving and growing since I put it in the ground. Mary

SendOne, down there in central Florida I doubt you're talking about the same genus. Growin is refering to Liriodendron. Soft hardwood cuttings of Liriodendron can be rooted by experts, but not in water and not by anyone who has to ask how to do it (including me)!

Guy S.

Gee, thanks StarhillForest (Guy). One becomes an expert by asking, researching, trying and working on a solution. Rather rude. If you're not interested in sharing your experience or a solution, don't respond to this thread.

OK, what the heck did I say that bothered you? I was only trying to help.

You wanted to know if you could root it, and I'm suggesting you probably can't because it's very difficult. Saying that if you have to ask how to do it then it's probably way beyond your ability is like saying if you have to ask the prices on a fancy menu you probably can't afford the food. I would never even attempt to root Liriodendron myself, and I know of no one else who would either -- it's so much easier to graft it. But if you want to try it anyway, ignore that advice and go for it.

The other thing I was trying to alert you to was that I believe SendOne is refering to a different genus because Liriodendron is VERY unlikely to be rootable in water. Sorry if any of that advice offended anyone.

Guy S.

I grow Liriodendron tulipifera here by me. I have a few that I germinated from seed that were all of about 3-4" tall last fall before they went to beddie bye. I have at least 3 more that my girlfriend brought to me that appeared in flower beds down in Evanston that she "rescued" and brought over here this past fall. Her plants were 2 year olds and were probably about 8" tall maybe even a tad bit taller.

I do a lot of things that are silly and downright stupid. Stubbornness runs in my genes. I was told long ago that Liriodendron tulipifera could not be rooted in water. Thems be fightin words to me. I so hate being told I can't do something. I have a neighbor named Ray. He and I end up in friendly propagation competitions all the time. Sometimes I win and sometimes he wins. We both tried to root cuttings, we both lost. I would list out for you all the ways I tried to root them in water and the stash of rooting hormones and concoctions I acquired in the process but no sense adding insult to injury by embarrassing myself listing associated costs I incurred trying a host of products that failed me after I was told they couldn't be rooted in water. I couldn't root them. I tried to root them in florist's styrofoam under misters and I tried to root them hydroponically as well as in my kitchen window in an assortment of mediums to include but not limited to rinsed tube sand and I had some on heating pads and some on coils. I picked up Ken Druse's book hoping I could locate some way to root them that I had not already tried and came up empty handed. Based on my experience, cuttings of Liriodendron tulipifera can not be rooted in water. I suspect sendone2me's friend is either mistaken and has a Tulip Tree grown from seed or she rooted a different species in water. If she really has a Tulip Tree there that was rooted in water, I bow down to her friend. It would be really great if sendone2me could post a photo as now I am curious as to what she really has there and how it came into existence. Nothing is impossible, improbable yes... but not impossible. I am by no means an expert and never will be so my experiences will obviously differ from those who have enjoyed success rooting these from cuttings... if there really is anyone out there who has been successful.

I have never tried grafting anything to Liriodendron tulipifera.

I don't know of any nurseries in the Pacific NW carrying bareroots of Tulip Tree. I know of one out here east of the Rockies in Virginia I believe where the speces is indigenous but there isn't a great demand for them. If you want to wait a bit, I will dig up one of mine for you and send it to somebody in Washington and you can take it from there. My plants are always healthy and what I would send to you would be one that I planted in my own yard to keep as a speciman. I don't mind sharing at all so please do take me up if you want one. I could also send you some seed but this plant seems to take off slowly oddly enough so you wouldn't be able to graft to them for quite a while.

Thanks Equilibrium. I appreciate hearing your experience. Sounds like it's better to order in whips for grafting. I did find one reference on cuttings, "Difficult from mature plants. One report noted that July cuttings, made with basal cut 1/2" below node, rooted 52%. Juvenility is probably an important factor if this species is to be rooted in high percentages." Still, 52% is rather low. I found whips at Lawyers but their watchdog rating is a bit concerning.

My friend keeps getting asked if he has the variegated one for sale other than his specimen and can't seem to order it in so keeps asking me to do it. He also asked me to do the Chinese species which has larger leaves and smaller tree. I guess I need to order in seed.

Thanks for the offer of seedlings. The border makes it awkward so not to worry. I might order a few dozen. Sendone2me could have been talking about the Indian Tulip Tree (Thespesia sp.) or the African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata).

Growin, if you look a little further in that same report you'll see "Cultivars must be grafted." Many European nurseries do graft them, although I'm unaware of any here in North America (surely there are some, if you Google for it).

We have Liriodendron chinense here, and it does come readily from seed. But I'm guessing that a large percentage of the seeds are empty, just as with L. tupilifera.

Equil, I admire your spunk, trying to root such things! Once in a while you probably succeed in doing things no one else would attempt. Nothing silly or stupid about that, as long as you know the odds up front.

Guy S.

SendOne may have referring to a japanese magnolia which some people do call a tulip tree. I have tried rooting suckers from a Liriodendron with rooting hormone with no luck. The tree was broken in half and it was an attempt to save part of it before cutting it down. I always call them Yellow Poplar to avoid any confusion.

Hey all, have fun finding bareroots.

Passing on my tulip tree babies, eh growin! Shame, I have such beautiful babies. I do know the import/export issues get a little goofy so I know how you feel. You've got some goodies up there in Canada that I'd love to get my hands on and am going to have to wait until I find a nursery that can get all the paperwork together so what I want doesn't end up sitting in customs. Bah humbug!

So, you admire my stubbornness er uh "spunk"??? Bet you're glad you aren't my neighbor Ray! I am not exactly a gracious winner when something takes defying odds. I germinated Roridula from seed and almost peed in my pants waiting for it to grow large enough to go ring his doorbell to shove it in his face. I was so proud of myself.

Hi. I regret passing on your Tulip tree babies on a trade but that silly border! I did a flat of cuttings today on another challenging plant, Pineapple Broom (Argyocytisus battanderi). I've tried cuttings at various times of the year, using different methods, different hormone with no results. Today was winter cuttings using powder & liquid #1. I've spent years trying to track down seed without any results. The other cuttings I did today are 1 flat of 'Italian Honey' Fig, 3/4 flat of Woolly Tea Tree (Leptospermum ?), 1/4 flat of Hebe redleaf and 1 flat of Grevillea victoria. Hopefully some of them take.

Yes, I admire your perserverence. You've saved me a bunch of frustration and valuable propagation table space by your experience. Appreciated. Now I just need to get the Tulip Tree whips in and potted up before bud break for grafting. Hopefully I'm successful with that. When I'm successful with something that isn't easy, I make sure I've written it down and tucked it away somewhere'z safe so I can do it again. I still battle with Pineapple Guava (Feijoa) and it seems the only practical way is seed or stooling (mounding soil on stem for branch roots). I always check the books, internet and then, if I don't find anything, here's my question. Good luck with the New Years propagation!

Er uh, the Tulip Tree wasn't offered as a trade. That was a gift. I'm out of space right now to play with anything more and as it stands right now, I could use an extra 300 sq feet to set out a bunch of trays. If I traded for anything at this point, my husband would not be a happy camper. He wants to see it going out right about now not coming back in.

Perseverence, that word has a much better sound to it than stubbornness. Next time my husband comments about my stubbornness, I'll tell him he's got it all wrong... it's perseverence.

Say growin, you don't by any chance have any experience with Tacca integrifolia do you? I just killed two more of those. I think I'll try those one more time and if I kill them off a third time, I'll call it quits... maybe.