Tree Tuesday

Today's tree is the Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera. We have four of these in our garden, one in each corner of the lawn, planted by the previous owner. 

The leaves have a most unusual shape.

I first came across this type of tree as a young nanny on holiday with my charges and family in Cornwall in the beautiful garden of Glendurgan, owned by the National trust, and was enchanted by the lovely shape of the leaves. 

The second house we owned had an established Tulip Tree that guarded the way to the vegitable garden and green house and when we visited our current home for the first time and found there where four young trees here,  as well as others we valued, we took it as a good omen. 

The leaves are beginning to turn. 

The fruit, the flowers are long over.

 They flower each year with pretty creamy white flowers which turn to strange fruit at this time of year. You can see from the fruit that they are  related to the magnolia.
Last year I used a lot of the leaves in an art project for my college course.