Spacing For Tulip Poplar Trees

Q: I want to plant an acre of land in tulip poplar trees. I just want the flowers. How far apart should they be planted? I would like to have them scattered and more natural-looking than in a grid. 

A: Reading between the lines, I’ll bet you want to have some tulip poplar honey! These trees get big: 145 feet high and 40 feet wide. They won’t get that large in your lifetime but that’s the mature size. Still, I’d plant them 40’ apart to give them room to get sunshine and not have too much root competition.

One of the best things you can do to insure fast growth is to have a university soil test done and follow their recommendations. Lime is particularly important for trees, to raise the soil pH and give the roots a good environment in which to grow.