Wood: The
wood of the tulip poplar makes it a commercially important hardwood species.
The heartwood is light greenish-yellow to dark brown, lightweight and relatively
soft, making it easy to work. The wood is used for veneer, paper pulp, doors,
shelves, core stock for plywood, and many other products.
Wildlife: This tree is of limited significance to wildlife. Purple finch, cardinal, other birds and squirrels feed on the seeds in the fall and on the seeds that remain in the cone-like structures on the tree through the winter. White-tailed deer browse on saplings and rabbits eat the bark and buds during winter.
Horticulture: Occasionally planted as an ornamental tree in central Iowa, the tulip poplar is not reliably hardy further north.
