map: BootsAll Travel
A Noble Addition
3. Atropunicea ‘riversii’
The purple beech has deep purple leaves that fade to purple-green during the summer.
In May of 1999 I was asked to choose an appropriate tree to be sited behind the Main School Building as a gift from the Class of 1949 to commemorate their 50th Reunion. The space behind the MSB is a large area with a tall maple, then a locust, and after an open space, a huge hackberry tree. In order to “compete,” a large, handsome tree would be needed. I knew what my choice was right away—a rivers purple beech (atropunicea ‘riversii’). “If the word noble had to be applied to only one kind of tree, the honor would probably go to the beech,” says James U. Crockett. The purple beech has leaves that start as a coppery-purple and mature to a dark purplemaroon. Gorgeous! The tree was four to four-and-half inch caliper at its planting and about 15 feet tall. Beeches are slow to establish, and for the first five years after it was planted, it didn’t change too much. But suddenly, in its sixth year, it took off—filled out, and began to show . . . what a beauty. Today it is about 30 to 35 feet tall and 20 or so feet wide, with an amazing canopy of dark purple foliage. It’s a showstopper!
Colorful Canopy We were looking for a good site on campus to place a second tulip tree (liriodendron tulipifera). Our existing tulip tree on the south corner of Scaife had been damaged by at least two lightning strikes, and we knew it was only a matter of time before it would have to be taken down. It was a beautiful tree, at least 80 feet tall, with remarkable flowers that looked like yellow tulips with orange centers, which appeared in May and June. The flowers are often missed, as they grow on the upper branches of the tree; I remember when I found my first tulip tree flower on the lawn—I was trying to figure out where it had come from—and then I looked up and saw more flowers high on the top of the tree. I excitedly showed some students who were passing by, and they thought it was an artificial flower because it was so vibrant. The spot we chose for the new tulip tree was in front of the Hilson Gallery; it was planted with a twoand-a-half-inch trunk and was between 12 and 15 feet tall in 2000. Now, it rises high above the Hilson’s roof and is six inches in caliper! Sadly, the Scaife tulip tree was removed about four years ago.
The tulip poplar produces tulip-shaped, light greenishyellow flowers from late spring until early summer.
4. Liriodendron tulipifera
Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky all claim the tulip poplar as their state tree.
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