Help with Liriodendron tulipifera

5 years ago

We moved into a new to us home in 2018, and I started landscaping. I absolutely love the Liriodendron tulipifera, it was the first tree planted. It was approximately 3 ft, now it's 12 ft! It really grew! I had one at our last home, however, it was purchased as a much larger tree. It was probably 15 ft when we bought it. The tree I have now has a lot of suckers at the base of tree, the other tree never did. They grow quickly. Early this year, my husband noticed on the bottom of the trunk, a split running lengthwise, and in the front, the bark looks like it's going to peel away. Is this something I can correct? Will it correct itself? Or is my tree a goner? It looks absolutely gorgeous, leafing out beautifully and putting out new growth this year.
Thanks for any help anyone is able to give. I haven't used this site in years, so if I can upload pictures, I will. Hopefully, it still says zone 5a IL.

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Comments (3)

terryr
Original Author
5 years ago
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
pull back the mulch and soil.. and find the root flare.. report back ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=tree+root+flare&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images

id probably be thinking it is time to plant a cheap replacement.. so if this one fails... you new one will be on its way ...

and i would buy a 3 foot whip for planting in the next proper dormant planting season ... section one a this link:

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

this tree has significant wounds.. that you can not do anything about ... except wait 5 or 10 years.. and see if it fails.. or heals itself ...

causes?? .. who knows.. improper digging at the growers at 15 feet ... improper transport and handling.. improper planting.. who knows ... but i suspect whatever happened.. happened before you got it ...

on reread.. before sending. im so confused about your history.. im not even sure i addressed the right facts ... the pix do not show all the shoots you are talking about ...???? ... so i dont know if i responded properly ...???

ken
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terryr
Original Author
5 years ago
Hi Ken,

The tree was grown in a pot. The native nursery I buy from does 15 gallon pots and they also grow in the field. I've always bought the pots because they're easier to handle, fit in our pickup, and aren't 300 pounds. Not to mention, I think smaller grows better. I don't remember how the roots were, if they couldn't be teased out, I always slice down as talked about in the article linked. The root flare is right there, not planted too deep or too shallow. The photos above were taken late winter, the tree had no active growth, so nothing coming from the base. The tree has been fenced since it was planted due to squirrels and rabbits, not to mention it's small size at planting. My husband took a picture before he pulled the mulch and dirt back. My arm is broken, I'm not much good at the moment. Anyway, here's a picture of the growth coming up, suckers to me. You can also see the split. I'm also adding a picture of the tree at planting in 2018, and one now.

Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.

Tree planted in October 2018

Today, June 4, 2021